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