Welwyn Estate & Preserve

 Welwyn was the 240 acre estate built in 1906 for Harold Irving Pratt, an oil industrialist and philanthropist. Pratt and his wife Harriet lived in their lavish home until his death in 1939 and hers in ‘69, upon which occasion the house was willed to Nassau County. The County did not build on this estate or restore it and it was left to rot.

Only the greenhouses on the property served a small purpose: In the 1990s the Nassau County Sheriff’s Department used the large basements beneath the greenhouses as a training center for its staff. A makeshift jail was built, complete with a steel-barred cell.  

In 1993, Boris Chartan, a Holocaust survivor, announced plans to restore the nearly 100 year old mansion and use it to house Long Island’s first Holocaust museum, which remains open to this day inside the estate’s main house.

As a part of the restoration of the mansion, the museum decided to restore the adjacent garden to its original beauty. The garden, designed by the famous Olmsted brothers, were commissioned by Harriet Pratt. Along with the verdant gardens, she designed multiple elaborate greenhouses.

Unfortunately, the cost of restoring and maintaining the once-magnificent glass buildings proved too expensive, so they have been left to the elements. The greenhouses today are the most derelict part of the property. They can be found behind the mansion, carriage houses, and tennis courts down a very narrow cobblestone path.

The entire estate is open for exploration. Follow the cobblestone paths through the woods, to small bridges that lead over streams, all the way down to what was once the Pratts’ private beach. Welwyn Preserve is operated as a public preserve. The preserve includes a butterfly garden, extensive mature woodland, salt marsh and a tidal inlet

 

Source:

 “Welwyn Preserve.” Atlas Obscura, Atlas Obscura, 24 Mar. 2017, https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/welwyn-preserve

 

“Welwyn Preserve.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Jan. 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welwyn_Preserve

The Farmingdale Post

The Farmingdale Post was a local newspaper made specifically for and about the Village of Farmingdale. It was created by longtime resident, Jesse Merritt (who, at the time, was a clerk for the Nassau County Board of Supervisors) and his wife, Mabel, along with several interested friends.

The first issue was published and put into circulation on November 19, 1920 and they accomplished this from a storefront rented on the east side of Main Street. The storefront was rented from Joseph Appelt, and it was across from the old post office.

In 1922, the paper was incorporated and they purchased property on Front Street. This location was where they erected a small print shop that they called Bethpage Press, but unfortunately this shop burned down in 1927. The shop was completely destroyed and they also lost most of the presses.

A couple of years into its circulation, the New York State Press Association awarded the Farmingdale Post the prize for best editorial page in both style and content amongst the papers of its class.

Mabel Merritt was the paper’s first editor. As editor, she encourage many community projects. One major project that Mrs. Merritt worked on was the editing and publishing of a Community Cookbook, which contained hundreds of recipes from local residents and each recipe was signed by the creator. Mrs. Merritt was a dedicated editor spending the majority of her time in kitchens learning the recipes and any cooking secrets for the paper, as well as gathering local stories for the paper. Her time and dedication was more than successful with more than a thousand cookbooks printed and sold. These books were sold by local clubs, Ladies Aid Societies, and fraternal organizations and on a liberal commission basis.

The Farmingdale Post took pride in their community efforts, especially in aiding in the establishment of the Farmingdale Public Library and choosing the village flower, which is the Forsythia.

In 1934, Griscom Publications purchased the Farmingdale Post. At this time, Mabel Merritt resigned as editor after spending fourteen years in the position, and as the head of the staff. Grey Mason became the paper’s new editor following Mrs. Merritt’s resignation.

The Farmingdale Post had a motto which was “Keep Posted—Read the Post”, and did its best to keep the public informed of local news. The paper was published every Wednesday, until it stopped publication at the end of December 1981.

 

Sources:

Farmingdale, Long Island, New York: A Guide to Its Past, Present, and Future. Prepared by

Stewart Associated for the Farmingdale Chamber of Commerce 

“Welcome Post Readers.” Farmingdale Observer. January 28, 1982

 

 

William Sidney Mount

William Sidney Mount was born on November 26, 1807 in Setauket. He apprenticed as a sign painter to his brother, Henry Mount in New York City. In 1826, when the National Academy of Design opened drawing classes, Mount was one of its first students and was elected an associate member in 1831 

In his early years, Mount primarily painted works with historical and literary themes.  In 1829, the artist began to paint portraits and scenes from everyday life, or genre paintings.  Mount’s scenes of rural life immediately became popular, both in the United States and abroad. His paintings often commented on American social and political issues.  By the middle of the nineteenth century, he was one of the most renowned artists in America, with more commissions than he could fulfill. He sketched extensively in notebooks and painted plein-air oil sketches for several works, devising a studio-wagon in which he travelled over Long Island.

He played the violin and in fact produced his own type own fiddle for which he also acquired the copyright. He named it ‘Cradle of Harmony’. It produced a louder sound than that of an ordinary fiddle.

Mount never married, and died in Setauket on November 18, 1868.

 

Sources:

“William Sidney Mount.” Artist Info, https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.1741.html

“William Sidney Mount.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Sidney-Mount

“William Sidney Mount - Biography: American Artist.” Victorian Era, http://victorian-era.org/william-sidney-mount-biography.html

“William Sidney Mount: American Genre-Painter / Lim.” Art & Architecture Quarterly, 19 Feb. 2018, https://aaqeastend.com/contents/william-sydney-mount-american-genre-painter

William Henry Webb

 William Henry Webb was born on June 19, 1816. He began shipbuilding in 1836. Webb inherited his father's shipyard, Webb & Allen, in 1840, renamed it William H. Webb, and turned it into America's most prolific shipyard, building 133 vessels between 1840 and 1865. Webb designed some of the fastest and most successful sailing packets and clipper ships ever built, and he also built some of the largest and most celebrated steamboats and steamships of his era, including the giant ironclad USS Dunderberg, in its day the world's longest wooden-hulled ship.

He constructed packets, clippers, side-wheelers, sailing vessels, steamships, wooden ships, and ironclads. He also built war vessels for Russia, Italy, and France. Webb closed his shipyard in 1869 because of the shift from wood to iron construction but maintained his shipping interests until 1872, when he retired because of ill health.

Mr. Webb decided to create a school to train future designers of ships and marine machinery. The State of New York granted a Charter to Webb’s Academy and Home for Shipbuilders on April 2, 1889.  Instruction started in 1894 the first class of eight men graduated in 1897. Tuition for the students, who were carefully selected on the basis of aptitude and lack of means, was free.

The length of the course was increased from three to four years in 1909. In 1933, authority was obtained from the University of the State of New York to award a Bachelor of Science degree. In 1947, Webb Institute moved to its current location in Glen Cove. The present name of Webb Institute was adopted in 1994.

In addition to creating the Webb Institute, he was a founding member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. Webb died in 1899.

 

Sources:

“William H. Webb.” Webb Institute, https://www.webb.edu/about-webb-institute/william-webb

“William Henry Webb.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Henry-Webb

“William Henry Webb (1816-1899) - Find a Grave...” Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8490643/william-henry-webb

Haut Bois

Haut Bois, a stately French chateau designed in 1916 by renowned architect, Ogden Codman Jr. was inspired by the Louis XIII hunting lodge that became the palace at Versailles. This grand mansion is situated on over 8 acres.

It was home to real estate tycoon Walter Effingham Maynard. Maynard was a Francophile and had known Codman for some time, the two of them collaborating to create the house. Parisian landscaper Jacques Greber designed the garden, reflecting pool and fountain.

During the Roaring Twenties, Jay Gatsby may have been one of the elite guests at the numerous parties the residents of Haut Bois were known for hosting. Famed author Edith Wharton spent summers there with her dear friend Ogden Codman, who co-wrote The Decoration of Houses.

It has been beautifully restored to its former glory by master artisans and decorators who specialize in 17th century French architecture and design, to ensure that the restoration stayed true to the home’s origins.

Haut Bois is one of the few great estates still held by private owners. The opulent, 18-room mansion is in diamond condition, boasting seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms, formal living and dining rooms, breakfast and family areas, an eat-in kitchen, a finished basement and attached garage.

 

Sources:

“About Haut Bois.” Haut Bois, https://www.hautboislongisland.com/interior.

L., Zach. “When 'Haut Bois' Was for Sale.” When 'Haut Bois' Was For Sale, 1 Jan. 1970, http://www.oldlongisland.com/2009/10/when-haut-bois-was-for-sale.html

Scileppi, Tammy. “C'est Magnifique! Gold Coast's French Chateau a Nod to Versailles.” LI Press, 2 Apr. 2019, https://www.longislandpress.com/2019/04/02/cest-magnifique-gold-coasts-french-chateau-a-nod-to-versailles

 

Mulford Farm

 Originally the site of three successive blacksmith’s shops, the Mulford Farm was a family farmstead of approximately fourteen acres and was the home of more than ten generations of families, most of them Mulfords, until 1949.

The house, built in 1680, has been left largely unchanged since 1750. The majority of the framing and wood members of the house have been left undisturbed. At the time the house was built, East Hampton was a well-established village. The people who lived on the Mulford Farm made periodic alterations to their structures to meet changing family needs.

Architectural changes to the house, particularly the construction of lean-to additions, were typical solutions to spatial problems faced by colonists throughout New England.

The Mulford Barn, constructed in 1721, is one of the most intact early eighteenth century English-plan barn forms in New York State. The Mulford Barn was evaluated by the State Department of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation in 1990 and deemed the second most important eighteenth century barn in New York State.

The importance of the Mulford Farm has been recognized by state and federal funding agencies as well as foundations who have partially funded stabilization and restoration efforts to date. Partial funding has been provided by the New York State Council on the Arts, New York State Institute for the Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, Institute of Museum Services, Rock Foundation, J.M. Kaplan Fund, Arthur Ross Foundation, American Express Foundation, Vincent Mulford Foundation, Ben Krupinski Builders, and Ella B. Aldrich.

In 1998 a matching grant for $88,000 was awarded by the New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation for the exterior restoration of the House. The Mulford Farm is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

 

Source:

“Mulford Farm.” East Hampton, 22 June 2018, easthampton.com/history/mulford-farm

Earth Sound Research Corporation

 

Earth Sound Research Corporation was founded in 1971. This Farmingdale based manufacturer produced audio equipment and was originally branded the Instrument Systems Audio Corporation (ISC Audio), which was a division of the Benjamin Electronics Sound Company. The Benjamin Electronics Sound Company was owned by Joseph N. Benjamin, who was also president of that same company. Although the company was founded in 1971, the company was incorporated in New York on October 17, 1975.

ISC Audio’s first two employees were Mark Neuman and Tony Picciano, and Mark was the employee who convinced Benjamin to move forward with the new company. Eventually Mark Neuman, along with a gentleman named Dave Garrett, become owners of Earth Sound Research Corporation.

Earth Sound Research Corporation specialized in electric bass and guitar amplifiers. Besides their specialization, they also manufactured PA mixers, power amps, keyboards, stand-alone solid state reverb units, and ESR brand distortion pedals. Amplifiers from Earth Sound Research Corporation can be considered rare items and tend to be preserved by many collectors of amplifiers.

At the beginning of the company’s creation, amplifiers were produced using tube circuitry and were assembled in Benjamin Electric Sound’s Farmingdale plant, while subcontracting out for some components. The subcontracted components were rumored to be replications or copies of Peavey Electronics’ creations. Although the replications seemed to be obvious, there was no litigation or infringement suits. The company met its demise due to its own financial failures and closed in the early 1980s.

Sources:

"Earth Sound Research." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 July 2020. Web. 14 July 2021.

Pedalhaven. "An Untold History of Earth Sound Research Amplifiers." Pedal Haven. 11 June 2021. Web.

14 July 2021.

Korvette's

 

E.J. Korvette department stores, commonly referred to as Korvette’s, were the brainchild of a WWII veteran named Eugene Ferkauf, who first entered the retail business back in 1948. At the time, due to various fair trade laws, department stores were required to offer goods at the manufactured suggested retail price.

Ferkauf decided to challenge these laws, and as a result, was able to sell products at a significant discount. The store's name intrigued many. Many believed it stood for Korean War veterans, but Ferkauf had a simpler explanation: E stood for Eugene, J for his Brooklyn friend Joe Zwillenberg, and Korvette for the World War II sub-chasing ship known as a corvette.

Sales increased steadily into the 1950s, encouraging the company to open a flagship 90,000 square foot store in Westbury in 1954. The impressive department store carried everything from furniture, housewares and clothing, to sporting goods, electronics and one of the most extensive collections of discounted music available.

More locations followed, in places such as West Islip, Hempstead and Lake Grove. Ferkauf sold his share in the store in 1966 for more than $20 million. By 1966, Korvette's had begun to decline and chose to merge with Spartan Industries, a soft goods retailer. Eugene Ferkauf was eased out of the company leadership, and Spartan managers attempted to revive the company.

From 1971 to 1979, Korvette's was owned by Arlen Realty and Development Corporation, a land development company that used Korvette's 50 stores as a source of cash flow. During this period, New York area Korvette's stores advertised heavily on local television, using game show host Bill Cullen as a spokesman.

In 1979, Korvette's was purchased by the Agache-Willot Group of France,[11] which initially closed Korvette's least profitable stores and began selling off merchandise, fixtures, equipment, and real estate. In 1980, they declared bankruptcy and on December 24, 1980, they closed all[11] of their remaining 17 stores

 

 

Sources:

“E. J. Korvette.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Dec. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._J._Korvette

Eugene Ferkauf. 7 June 2012. obits.lehighvalleylive.com/obituaries/etpa/obituary.aspx?n=eugene-ferkauf&pid=157963616

70sKid. “Korvette's.” Long Island 70s Kid, 27 July 2019, www.longisland70skid.com/korvettes

Bausch Picture Frame and Moulding Manufacturing Company

One of Farmingdale’s earliest industries was the lumber company started by Mr. La Vine. Mr. La Vine started this company in the latter half of the nineteenth century and it was located on the east side of Main Street, on the corner of Rose and Richard Streets. The building was across from the Main Street School.  In the 1880s, Robert Bausch bought this lumber business. Robert Bausch turned it into a family business and employed his seven sons. When Bausch opened the factory, he wrote on the building “Bausch and Sons, Dealers in Lumber and mason’s materials and ladders, manufacturers of picture frames and mouldings.” This variety of offerings required a large amount of space, so the factory was located in an open field and surrounded by piles of lumber and materials.

Eventually, Adolph Bausch bought the business from his father and kept it as a family business employing some of his brothers. He also employed many Farmingdale residents. When Adolph took over the business, he expanded it by opening a window sash factory and then a factory that made the ornate gilded picture frames that were popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. By 1909, the business employed 100 people and had an annual payroll of $36,000. At some point the company changed names to Bausch Picture Frame and Moulding Manufacturing Company. In 1910, the company moved to a newly constructed brick building on Eastern Parkway where he continued to manufacture picture frames and molding. This building was said to be extremely close to the train station for shipping purposes, and located at 361 Eastern Parkway.

In 1917, Lawrence Sperry bought the Bausch property near the Main Street School.  By the 1950s, the Bausch factory on Eastern Parkway was housing another company, therefore the company eventually dissolved and Farmingdale lost its largest manufacturer from the nineteenth century.

 

Sources:

Farmingdale Junior Honor Society. Farmingdale’s Story: Farms to Flight. The Society, 1956

Hanc, John. “Tracing the trail of a house's history.” Newsday, 15 July 2004, www.newsday.com/classifieds/real-estate/tracing-the-trail-of-a-house-s-history-1.733876.

“Many Proofs of Progress at Hicksville and Farmingdale.” 3 Sep 1911, Page 23 - The Brooklyn Daily Eagle at Newspapers.Com. Brooklyn Public Library, http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53899087

  

Cathedral of the Incarnation

 After Garden City founder Alexander T. Stewart died in 1876, his widow, Cornelia Clinch Stewart, decided to build a cathedral in his memory. The more than 200-foot-tall brown sandstone edifice, completed eight years later and consecrated in 1885, was then the tallest building on Long Island. When he passed away in 1876, Stewart was considered one of the three richest men in the United States, alongside Cornelius Vanderbilt and William B. Astor.

The Cathedral of the Incarnation was designed to emulate the Gothic style of architecture found throughout many European churches. In buildings of this style, the eye is always pointed upward to heaven. The grandeur and height of the building is further intensified by the profusion of light bursting through the stained glass.

The cathedral's ornately decorated spire rises to a height of over 200 feet, topping the impressive building made from imposing blocks of brown sandstone. The interior decor features opulent ceiling vaulting which has been recently gilded. It even features gargoyles on the exterior. The tower bells originally were cast for the 1876 U.S. Centennial in Philadelphia and brought to Garden City by train.

The cathedral's organ was built by Casavant Frères Limitée, and was installed in the building in 1986. With 103 ranks located in both the chancel and gallery of the Cathedral, it is the largest pipe organ on Long Island.  Priests who want to take a shortcut can climb another set of winding iron stairs from the clergy vestry to the upper sanctuary by a hidden passageway.

The Cathedral of the Incarnation has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978.

Source:

“History.” The Cathedral of the Incarnation, www.incarnationgc.org/about/history/. 

Merritt, Jim. “Cathedral Tour Inspires Awe in Garden City.” Newsday, Newsday, 17 Nov. 2016, www.newsday.com/lifestyle/long-island-events/cathedral-of-the-incarnation-tours-inspire-awe-in-garden-city-1.12625225. 

Ruth Nichols & the Long Island Aviation Country Club

 Ruth Nichols, a member of the Junior League gained notoriety in 1928 by making the first non-stop flight from New York to Miami. That same year, she planned to create the first flying country club with Fairchild Aviation. It became known as the Long Island Aviation Country Club and ran until 1948.

She was appointed to be Sales Manager for Fairchild Aviation in 1928.  Her job was to promote the idea of aviation to the people. Her plan was to make contact with other women to get them interested in aviation and the desire to purchase a plane. This made her the first woman executive of an aircraft company in the country. 

In 1930, she broke the transcontinental speed records in both directions. In 1931, she made the women's altitude record by reaching 28,743 feet. That same year, she beat Amelia Earhart's speed record. Earhart had reached 181 miles per hour. She reached 210. She hoped to become the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean, but those hopes were dashed when she crashed twice.  She became the first woman to pilot a twin-engine jet in 1955, and set new speed and altitude records in 1958 by flying a jet aircraft at more than 1,000 miles per hour at 51,000 feet

The club was formed with a group of mostly affluent flyers based on Long Island. Instead of a country club with a golf course, the club had a field for airplanes. Members of the club including the flying elite of Long Island. Their 1940 club membership book listed; Col. Charles Lindbergh, Sherman Fairchild, L.R. Grumman, and several DuPonts. Charles Lindbergh taught his wife how to fly at the Long Island Aviation Country Club.

After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, private flying was restricted for security concerns. After the war, the country club resumed activities, but eventually succumbed to other forces. It had fewer members, and demand for housing for young veterans was high. In March 1950, as mass-produced homes closed in, the country club was sold to Levitt & Sons for $175,000.

 

Source:

"Flying Country Club is Planned at Farmingdale." Nassau Daily Review. February 15, 1928

“Ruth Nichols.” Ruth Nichols | Pioneers of Flight, pioneersofflight.si.edu/content/ruth-nichols.

"Ruth Nichols: Her Career of Thrills." Nassau Daily Review. June 15, 1931

Striegel, Lawrence. “Hicksville Hosted Swanky Aviation Club before Suburbs Prevailed.” Newsday, Newsday, 15 Mar. 2021, www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/hicksville-long-island-aviation-country-club-1.50177503.

“Vanderbilt Cup Races.” Vanderbilt Cup Races - Blog - Then & Now: The Long Island Aviation Country Club on the Motor Parkway, www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/saturday_march_6_2010_then_and_now_the_long_island_aviation_club_on_the_mot.

“Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia.  Encyclopedia.com. 16 Apr. 2021.” Encyclopedia.com, Encyclopedia.com, 5 May 2021, www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/nichols-ruth-1901-1960.

Chin Chin Ranch

 One of the better known stars of the 1930s was Fred Stone, an actor whose comedic talents as well as singing and dancing activities earned him national and international renown. Stone had the distinction to be the first actor to play The Tin Man in "The Wizard of Oz," which opened in 1902. He appeared in many well-known plays of that era, including "Tip Top," "Chin Chin" and "The Red Mill." Many of his plays ran for several hundred performances and he became one of America's most sought-after stage performers.

In 1912 he bought a house on what is today Clocks Boulevard in Massapequa and purchased a parcel of property northwest of his house, where he built two cottages, a stable, a riding track and polo field.

His friends included many well-known entertainers, who were happy to join him. At various times in the years before, during and after World War I, he played host to Wild Bill Hickok, Annie Oakley, Douglas Fairbanks, Leo Carillo, Tom Mix, Rex Beach, Irene and Vernon Castle and Will Rogers.

The ranch that Stone built was formally opened in 1915 as Chin Chin Ranch, named after the play in which he was performing at the time. It was, in fact, while he was in the Massapequas that Will Rogers suffered an injury that made him a star. He was swimming in Narraskatuck Creek one day and dove off the dock behind Stone's house. It was low tide and Rogers landed on his head, paralyzing his right side. To compensate, he learned to twirl a rope with his left hand and came to rely more on his storytelling abilities than his rope tricks. His knack for a well-turned phrase and for engaging his audiences soon brought him significant fame and fortune.

As for Stone, he sold Chin Chin Ranch in 1925 and divided his time between his house in Forest Hills and a home he purchased in Hollywood, where he expanded his fame through several movie appearances.

 

Sources:

Kirchmann, George. “A Rolling Stone.” Massapequa, NY Patch, Patch, 30 Nov. 2010, patch.com/new-york/massapequa/a-rolling-stone.

Bayard Cutting Arboretum

 Bayard Cutting Arboretum is a state park located in Great River, on the south shore of Long Island. The park consists of 691 acres and an arboretum, which was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1886. Olmsted created the design for William Bayard Cutting, who owned the land and a mansion on the property. Cutting and Olmsted wanted to focus on the landscape’s natural beauty, rather than changing the property for their own desires. Cutting also consulted with Charles Sprague Sargent, who was the director of the Arnold Arboretum in Boston. Charles Sprague Sargent advised Cutting to develop a wide-ranging conifer collection, which he also advised to be placed north of the carriage house. Cutting also was assisted in the development of his property by Ernest Wilson. Wilson was sponsored by Harvard University to bring tree specimens to the United States from China, and some of these tree specimens were used in the creation of the Bayard Cutting Arboretum. Many of the original trees and plants on the grounds came from nurseries in England at the start of the 1900s. Over time, the Cutting family continued adding trees, which originated from Europe, Spain, Greece, Japan, China and Africa.

Cutting’s mansion was located in the heart of the grounds and was designed by Charles C. Haight. The mansion was named “Westbrook” and was modeled after Tudor-style English county houses. The mansion consists of 60-rooms and features large pieces of oak furniture, stained glass windows and imported fireplaces for the luxury of the Cutting family. Many of their heirlooms are still present in the home now, as part of a museum. The home was situated in the perfect location so that the family could view the Connetquot River from the back of the home across the open lawn.

After the early passing of William Bayard Cutting, the home was given to his widow, Olivia, as part of his estate. In 1936, Olivia Cutting and her daughter decided to make an extremely generous donation of the 200 acres of the property to the Long Island State Park Commission with the stipulation that they may both keep full use of the property as long as either is still living. They decided to gift both their home and property to the people of Long Island “to provide an oasis of beauty and quiet for the pleasure, rest, and refreshment of those who delight in outdoor beauty; and to bring about a greater appreciation and understanding of the value and important of informal planting”.

Alterations were made to the grounds for additional parking, bathrooms and a tearoom for the main house. Then, the park was officially opened to the public in 1954. To commit to the Cutting family’s desires for the grounds, patrons were not allowed to picnic, bathe in the waters, horseback ride, or create or use playgrounds. The sole purpose of the grounds was for the admiration of nature. Eventually, Bayard Cutting Arboretum was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 as a “historic district”.

Sources:

Bayard cutting Arboretum State Park. (2021, March 23). Retrieved March 27, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayard_Cutting_Arboretum_State_Park#cite_note-nrhpinv_ny-3

Biography of the Bayard cutting family. (2021, March 17). Retrieved March 27, 2021, from https://bayardcuttingarboretum.com/about-bayard-cutting-arboretum/bayard-cutting-biography/

Westbrook, Suffolk County, New York. (2020, June 12). Retrieved March 27, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westbrook,_Suffolk_County,_New_York

 

Hal Fullerton

Harry Barry “Hal” Fullerton was born in Ohio on August 15, 1857.  Between 1877-1886, Fullerton worked in a variety of industrial and commercial businesses; from an oil company in western Pennsylvania to a cotton seed oil mill in Texas. In 1887, he began work for Seeger & Guernsey, a company that specialized in the trade of agricultural machinery. It was around this time he became interested in photography. From 1892-1893, he spent time working in Mexico City.

He met Edith Loring Jones and they began a five-year courtship. In 1894, Fullerton began working in New York. Due to an illness, he was advised to take up bicycling. He joined a Brooklyn-based bicycling club called the Whirling Dervishes in 1895. At the time, he also joined the Brooklyn Academy of Photography. He was its President from 1897-1899. 

In 1898, he began working for the Long Island Railroad. He and Edith married in 1898. In 1902, the couple bought a home in Huntington. They named their homestead Mira Flores. 

Since the 1870s, the Long Island Railroad sponsored illustrated promotional publications. In 1898, Unique Long Island was issued. This 96 page booklet contained 165 halftone reproductions of images taken by Fullerton. The railroad issued this publication annually for the next six years with Fullerton as the editor and designer. In his job as Special Agent for the railroad, he was encouraged to advance the interests of Long Island. One of his more well known was his promotion of Charles “Mile a Minute” Murphy’s notorious ride in1899. 

He continued to contribute to Unique Long Island and also began submitting photos with stories written by his wife for Country Life magazine. They even collaborated on a book about vegetable gardening.  In 1905, Ralph Peters was elected president of the Long Island Railroad. He quickly created an Agricultural Department and named Hal as its head. His mission was to create a farm out of nothing in Wading River. It did so well that he created another farm in Medford. He published the results of the success, which became a well regarded book. Public interest in the farms was great enough that a leaflet was created to update them on the progress of these two farms. This leaflet was published every two weeks until the end of 1909. In 1909, the Fullteron family left Mira Flores and settled into the farm at Medford. 

During World War I, Hal was key in creating Camp Upton and Camp Mills for the soldiers. In 1921, the Fullertons purchased a twenty-acre plot of land in East Setauket named Lorelope. Hal retired from the Long Island Railroad in1927. Hal died on January 11, 1935. 

Source:

Sachs, Charles L.  The Blessed Isle: Hal B. Fullerton and His Image of Long Island 1897-1927. Heart of the Lakes Publishing, 1991

 

Pollock Krasner House

The Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center dates back to the late 19th century. The land was purchased in 1878 by James S. Corwin, a local fisherman, who built a house on the lot. In 1888, Mr. Corwin sold the property to Adeline H. King, who sold it two years later to David Howard, another fisherman. His son John Howard and his family lived in the house until 1926, when David Howard sold the property to John Quinn, who worked for the town highway department. His son Howard Quinn inherited it in 1933, and after his death in 1944, his estate put it on the market.   

Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner were shown the property by Edward Cook. The couple moved in on November 5, 1945.  The deed was transferred the Pollocks on April 15, 1946. They later bought adjacent land, eventually owning five acres.  Lee had a studio area in the back parlor, and Jackson painted in an unheated upstairs bedroom. In June 1946, he had the barn moved from behind the house to the north side of the property and renovated it as his studio.

Lee continued to work in the house until after Jackson’s death, when she began using the barn studio.  Initially the house had no central heating or indoor plumbing. Over time the couple made many improvements—one of the earliest was a back porch extension that accommodated an indoor toilet. In December 1949, after Jackson’s very successful solo exhibition at the Betty Parsons Gallery, they had enough money to install full plumbing and central heating, and in the spring they had the house shingled.  After Jackson’s death in August 1956, Lee divided her time between Springs and New York City. She painted many of her major canvases in the barn studio between 1957 and 1982, after which ill health curtailed her productivity. 

The Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center was created under the terms of Lee Krasner Pollock’s will. She instructed her executors to deed the property to a charitable institution. She envisioned it as “a public museum and library,” to show the setting in which she and Jackson created many of their works, and as a place for the study of modern American art, especially the eastern Long Island art community.  In 1987 the property was deeded to the Stony Brook Foundation, a private, non-profit affiliate of Stony Brook University. 

In 1987-88, a team from New York Conservation Associates removed pressed wood squares that covered the floor, peeled up a layer of tar paper and revealed the floor surface on which Pollock painted from 1946-1952. The floor was then cleaned of tar paper residue.

When that covering was removed, the original floorboards were found to be intact, complete with the remnants of Jackson’s most famous poured paintings, including Autumn Rhythm, Convergence, Blue Poles, and Lavender Mist.  The painted surface was stabilized by a team of art conservators, and an exhibition of photographs and text panels chronicling the two artists’ careers was installed on the walls. The museum was opened to the public in June 1988. 

 

Source:

“Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center.” History, www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/pkhouse/our-story/history.php

Ormston House

 John E. Aldred’s banking firm, Aldred & Co., financed an empire of public utilities. Aldred was a director of gas, water, power, and electric companies, and at one point chairman of the Gillette Safety Razor Co. 

In 1916, Mr. Aldred hired the fashionable architect Bertram Goodhue (1869-1924), seen below, to design his Long Island estate. Goodhue buildings have a reputation for ponderous magnificence, mostly of the Gothic Revival and Elizabethan Tudor persuasion. Henry W. Rowe was hired to design the stables and gate cottages, and recognized sculptors such as J. Selmer Larson designed fountains and statues.  The Olmsted Brothers (of Central Park fame) laid out the landscaping and gardens. A true Anglophile, Mr. Aldred made sure the estate had a touch of monastic ambience, popular among English gentry, and even imported English servants.  He named the estate the Ormston House.

The "Anti-Trust" laws passed by Congress, along with the federal and local property, capital gains, and income taxes,  in the 1940s made it impossible for many in Mr. Aldred's class to hold on to their vast possessions without severely depleting their wealth.

Since 1944, the Ormston estate has been a Ukrainian Orthodox monastery called St. Josaphats. A handful of novices lives and studies in the enormous former mansion, whose furniture was auctioned off in 1940, and labors mightily maintaining grounds that once required 35 full time gardeners.

Sources:

Foreman, John. A Secret World in Lattingtown, 1 Jan. 1970, bigoldhouses.blogspot.com/2012/07/a-secret-world-in-lattingtown.html. 

“History of St. Josaphat's Monastery.” + ST. JOSAPHAT'S MONASTERY +, www.stjmny.org/history-of-st-josaphats-monastery.html.

Alvin Cohen

 Alvin Cohen was born on May 26, 1926 in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Cohen attended Boston University, where he graduated in 1946 with a degree in Chemistry. Cohen intended to continue his education in medical school, but due to the death of his father, he had to take over the failing family appliance business.

In 1953, Cohen moved his family to Plainview, NY, so he could work for his uncle in Manhattan. His new job was as a shipping clerk for a dress manufacturing business in the Garment District. In 1960, he realized he was tired of a desk job, which he never truly wanted, and decided he was going to buy a six-acre chicken farm on Route 110. This six-acre parcel of land was going to allow him to create a family amusement park on Long Island.

Although Cohen’s vision was new and exciting for the area, the banks were not as excited about the idea and would not give Cohen a loan for $20,000. Cohen and an unnamed business partner decided to convince family members to give them small loans each that would amount to the total they needed, and they succeeded. After obtaining their loans, they purchased the land. Shortly after their purchase, New York State extended the Long Island Expressway to Route 110, which finally allowed for the boom of Suffolk County. This was big for their business due to its convenient location and close proximity to the expressway.

The park eventually opened in 1962 under the name: Adventureland 110 Playland. The park consisted of a restaurant, four rides, mini-golf course, and an indoor arcade. This park was a true family business with many members of the family pitching in to help run the park, including operating rides. With the success of the parks opening, Cohen was able to expand the park and had 16 rides.

Sometime in the early 1970s, Cohen became sole owner of the park. During this time, Cohen purchased 6 more acres of land that was attached to the property. This allowed him to expand the park even more, including an increase in the number of rides to 30. Following the success of his park, Cohen purchased another park in Rhode Island, and he also became a global consultant in the amusement park industry.

In 1977, Cohen decided to sell his park for an undisclosed amount of money and moved to Florida. After the move, he became a housing developer and philanthropist. Cohen was said to be a people person, which showed in his successful business, as well as becoming a philanthropist to help those he could. His success also allowed for his children and nephew (that he raised) to follow their dreams, as well as his dream, and all three of his children became doctors. Cohen lived out his the remainder of his life in Florida until his death in June of 2020, due to complications from COVID-19.

 

Source:

Barker, B. (2020, December 04). Alvin Cohen: Visionary founder of Adventureland. Retrieved December 21, 2020, from https://www.newsday.com/news/health/coronavirus/obituaries/adventureland-founder-alvin-cohen-obituary-1.46537685