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Christmas in Greenlawn
From an interview with Russell Brush
(Founder of GCHA)
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Last year, we digitized an oral history interview that had been preserved for decades on cassette tape.
In the recording, GCHA founder Russell Brush recalls Christmas traditions from his childhood in Greenlawn, offering a vivid portrait of a holiday shaped by family, faith, and farm life.
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Russell Brush
c. 1984
Taken in our first office in the Harborfields Public Library
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For children, Christmas anticipation began right after Thanksgiving. One of the most important events of the season was the annual Sunday School Christmas Entertainment, held on a weekday evening before Christmas. Every child had a part, whether reciting a memorized piece or participating in a pageant.
Russell fondly remembered his grandfather, Sam Smith, who served as Sunday School superintendent for forty years, formally announcing each child before they stepped onto the stage.
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Samuel & Zipporah Smith
Undated
Donated by Ethel Schulz
| | "Each youngster had some part, either in the pageant or had to recite a piece of some kind... [and my grandfather] would announce each one, you know, "we will now have a recitation by Russell Brush" and Russell Brush would try to find the stage and stand there, panic stricken." | | |
The church would also give out a special treat to the kids. Each child received a small box of hard candy, and sometimes an orange, which Russell noted was a true luxury at the time.
At home, Christmas preparations reflected the rhythms of farm life. Meals were planned days in advance and made almost entirely from homegrown food, including locally raised turkey or goose, homemade cranberry jelly, alongside pumpkin and mincemeat pies. Baking began three days before Christmas, filling the house with activity and anticipation.
| "...nothing came from the store... Everything came off the farm, really." | | The family’s Christmas tree was never store-bought. A few days before the holiday, they cut down a cedar tree from their own woods and brought it home on a sled. If you didn't have your own woodlands, you just went to your neighbors to get your tree. There was no need for payment; instead the community helped each other out, including people coming from Huntington into Greenlawn to chop down their family's tree. | "...it was a different kind of atmosphere at that time." | | The Brush family would decorate their tree about two days before Christmas. However, some families believed that the kids shouldn't see the tree decorated until Christmas morning. Decorations combined imported glass ornaments with handmade creations by the children, including paper chains, popcorn balls, and crayon-colored paper decorations. Wreaths were made from cedar, pine, bayberry, and laurel, all gathered locally. | | |
Christmas morning began early, long before daylight. The children quietly retrieved their stockings and examined them by feel in the dim light of kerosene lamps, since the house had no electricity.
Stockings held simple gifts such as oranges, nuts, pennies, and small toys. Presents under the tree were unwrapped and often practical, including sleds, skates, hockey sticks, dolls, board games, mittens, boots, books, or even a little express wagon.
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Huntington High School
Class of 1922
Donated by Russell Brush
(Fifth from left in back row)
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The days between Christmas and New Year’s were spent much as they were the rest of the winter. Farm work continued, and children filled their free time with sledding and skating on nearby ponds.
Preserved on tape and newly accessible through digitization, Russell Brush’s memories capture a Christmas defined not by excess, but by shared effort, handmade traditions, and a strong sense of community.
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Christmas Card to Alexander Gardiner from Biggs
c. 1911
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100 Years Ago
December 1925 News Articles
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Hall's Inn - Open All Year
The Long-Islander
December 4, 1925
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Plan New Year's Reception
Brooklyn Daily Times
December 9, 1925
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Francinians Prepare for Next Season
Brooklyn Eagle
December 8, 1925
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Hall's Inn - New Year's Eve Dinner
The Long-Islander
December 11 & 18, 1925
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Hall's Chop House Postcard
c. 1912
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Blank Plates
The Long-Islander
December 11, 1925
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Stolen Abandoned Car
The Long-Islander
December 11, 1925
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Squatter in Sammis Cellar
The Long-Islander
December 11, 1925
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Fire Wrecks Auto; Another Abandoned
Brooklyn Daily Times
December 11, 1925
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Icy Conditions
The County Review
December 31, 1925
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GCHA Membership
Looking to Become a Member or Renew?
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Consider renewing your membership or joining! Your annual dues allows us to continue maintaining our two historic properties, the John Gardiner Farmhouse, and the Suydam Homestead, alongside the preservation of paintings, photographs, documents, and ephemera at the Russell B. Brush Research Center.
An annual membership entitles you to a subscription to our quarterly newsletter and monthly e-newsletter, in addition to discounts on programs. You will also get early access to our digitized collection, and virtual exhibits/tours.
Senior/Student - $20
Individual - $25
Family - $40
Sponsor - $75
Patron - $125
Click a tier & pay online via Square
or
Mail a check to:
GCHA
31 Broadway, Greenlawn, NY 11740
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Gift Options
To Support Our Association
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Greenlawn-Centerport Historical Association Mug
$12.00
Click here!
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(Images of America)
Greenlawn: A Long Island Hamlet
From the archives of the Greenlawn-Centerport Historical Association comes this striking visual history of the north shore Long Island hamlet of Greenlawn.
Originally known as Oldfields, the area was settled in the early 1800s by farmers. The extension of the Long Island Railroad through the farmlands in 1867-1868 provided the impetus for the development of a profitable pickle and cabbage industry, the growth of the community, and the arrival of vacationers, many of whom soon became year-round residents. Greenlawn includes stories of the Halloween eve conflagration, the Adirondack-style vacation retreat, the opera house, the farmhouse murders, the vaudevillians, and the Pickle King, among others. Today, houses cover the old farmlands; yet Greenlawn with: one main street of small shops, a railroad crossing that halts traffic throughout the day, and many historical buildings-still retains its small-town charm.
$20.00
Click here!
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(Images of America)
Centerport
Discover the Deco estates, summer camp spots, and stunning landscapes that Long Island's North Shore coastal community of Centerport has to offer.
Once known as Little Cow Harbor, the coastal community of Centerport on Long Island's north shore is rich in natural resources, including a beautiful harbor with several freshwater streams surrounded by wooded hills. Centerport was originally the site of several important mills, but in the late 19th century, it became a summer retreat for both the rich and the not so rich. Youth camps, most notably the Franciscan Brothers' Camp Alvernia; guesthouses; and resorts as well as popular restaurants dotted the shoreline. In the early 20th century, large estates were established by the Vanderbilt, Van Iderstine, Burling, Morse, DeBrabant, Whitney, and Corbin families on the Little Neck peninsula. As the 20th century progressed, modest and generously sized houses replaced the small farms and many of the large estates. The unspoiled natural beauty and rich history has for centuries drawn residents whose love of Centerport continue to make our village a great place to live.
$20.00
Click here!
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Harvey A. Weber's Centerport
In 1990, Harvey Weber wrote, edited, designed and published Centerport, a written and photographic account of his adopted home. The book was well received and was reprinted in 1991. Upon his death in September 1991, the rights to his book about Centerport became the property of his widow, Madeline Weber. In 2001, as the book was about to go out of print, Mrs. Weber generously gave the rights to the Centerport book to the GCHA in loving memory of her husband. The Association has now re-issued Harvey Weber's book as a tribute to the great contribution he has made to preserve the history of Centerport through his own beautiful photographs and through the historic photographs that he assembled. The Association also acknowledges with heartfelt gratitude the generosity of Madeline Weber. Her gift has made it possible for our community to enjoy her husband's work for years to come.
Harvey Weber was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1917. He died in Centerport in 1991. During his lifetime he received many prestigious awards and honors, including the Joseph Costa Award from the National Press Photographers Association. He exhibited his work in six one-man shows. His photographs are included in museum, university, and private collections.
$5.00
Click here!
(Available only through the GCHA)
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