Holland Torpedo Boat Station

During the Civil War, John Philip Holland, an Irishman, knew that iron shipbuilding would render the British fleet invincible, thus preventing Ireland from achieving freedom from British rule. With visions of thwarting British naval supremacy, Holland began designs for a self-propelled submarine. Settling in New Jersey, Holland continued work on his plans. He brought his novel designs to the Secretary of the Navy. 

Through most of the next two decades, Holland continued to upgrade his designs and build prototype subs – none of which were ever commissioned by the Navy until his sixth design, the “Holland” in 1897. 53 feet long carrying a crew of five, the Holland had a dual power system and a torpedo tube.

The redesigned sub underwent testing in New York Harbor; while the seas were calm enough, shipping traffic, safety concerns, nosy onlookers and foreign spies deterred proper trials. In spring of 1899, Holland and Rice moved the sub and all operations to New Suffolk, leasing the Goldsmith and Tuttle shipyard for $10 per month. 

Submarine trials continued through the rest of 1899 within a three-mile course plotted in Cutchogue Harbor and Peconic Bay. On April 11, 1900 – considered to be the founding date of the U.S. Submarine Force – the Navy purchased the Holland for $150,000. The USS Holland (SS-1) was put into service on October 12, 1900 as the first commissioned submarine in US Naval history. Subsequently, the Navy ordered six additional Holland-type submarines, all of which underwent trials at the submarine base in New Suffolk, known as the “Holland Torpedo Boat Station.” Holland Torpedo Boat Station had engineers, mechanics, draftsmen, machine shops, housing and all the supplies needed to operate the seven submarines at Holland Torpedo Boat Station.

The base remained in operation from 1899 through 1905, when Electric Boat Company moved to Groton, Connecticut. A historic marker was placed where the station was by the Cutchogue-New Suffolk Historical Council.

Sources:

“Holland Torpedo Boat Station.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Nov. 2023, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holland_Torpedo_Boat_Station

Philips, Alice. “New Suffolk: The First US Submarine Base.” North Fork Real Estate Showcase, 25 Oct. 2021, northforkrealestateshowcase.com/new-suffolk-first-us-submarine-base

Long Island Automotive Museum

 Henry Austin Clark, Jr. opened the Long Island Automotive Museum in 1948 to store his burgeoning collection of antique cars. It was located on about 8 acres along County Road 39 in Southampton. Early on, Clark tended to focus on thoroughbreds and other significant American cars of the early 20th Century. Later, he amassed a collection of fire trucks and hosted brass-era flea markets at the museum among other auto-centric events. 

Henry Austin “Austie” Clark Jr. was a Harvard freshman when he acquired his first early auto, a Ford Model T made in 1915, two years before he was born. After leaving the Navy, where he served as a radar technician in World War II, he began collecting vintage vehicles in earnest. Clark owned some 250 autos and countless other motorized devices (a gas-powered pogo stick). What separated him from other collectors was his role as a one-stop shop. His museum hosted “The Iron Range,” a sporadic flea market of rare parts, many made of brass from the 1890s to World War I.  Clark filtered his encyclopedic knowledge into The Standard Catalog of American Cars: 1802-1945, a bible for collectors and historians. He was the chief researcher for writer Beverly Rae Kimes.

The museum closed in 1980 due to declining revenues. Clark auctioned many of the vehicles when he closed the museum. In 2017, Skip Norsic bought the property to use as storage for his company.

Sources:

“Remembering Henry Austin Clark Jr. and the Long Island Automotive Museum.” Hemmings.Com, www.hemmings.com/stories/2014/08/19/remembering-henry-austin-clark-jr-and-the-long-island-automotive-museum. Accessed 11 Apr. 2024

Strohl, Daniel. “Site of Former Long Island Automotive Museum Sells Decades after It Closed.” Hemmings.Com, www.hemmings.com/stories/2017/08/31/site-of-former-long-island-automotive-museum-sells-decades-after-it-closed. Accessed 11 Apr. 2024