Thank You for an Unforgettable Evening!
We're so grateful to everyone who attended our presentation, sponsored by the Centerport Garden Club, on July 8th! The turnout was truly unbelievable and far beyond what we expected. A special thank you to Cindy for organizing this fantastic collaboration!
It was so lovely seeing so many people passionate and engaged in learning more about our community's rich history, as we explored the life of Herbert Gardiner, the last resident of the John Gardiner Farmhouse.
Please look forward to our presentation on
October 23rd at 7 PM, where we'll delve into the chilling story of the Smith Murders!
(Registration Opens Soon)
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Daniel Berry Austin's
Centerport
From the collection of the Brooklyn Museum
| | This month, we honor the remarkable life and legacy of Daniel Berry Austin, a Brooklyn native whose contributions to photography, history, and preservation continue to be felt through museum collections and family records. | | |
Daniel Berry Austin (Center)
with Assistants
| | Born on August 1, 1863, in Brooklyn, Daniel began working for the Standard Oil Company of New York in March of 1879 as an office boy. Over the next 52 years, he steadily advanced through the company, ultimately serving as a paymaster until his retirement in 1930. He married Florence Haven Nostrand on February 12, 1885, and together they raised four children: Winifred, Marshall, Ralph, and Mildred. | | |
Beyond his professional life, Austin was a passionate photographer and documentarian. Between 1898 and 1907, he captured thousands of photographs of Brooklyn, Long Island, Staten Island, and other areas across New York. His images, ranging from architectural details to street scenes and public celebrations, offer a vivid window into daily life at the turn of the century.
Over 1,000 photographic negatives were donated to the Brooklyn Museum in the 1940s, forming the foundation of the exhibit Brooklyn in the Early 1900s. This donation remains the museum’s largest photographic collection.
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The Brooklyn Eagle
March 10, 1901
| | Austin’s interests extended well beyond photography. He was an accomplished woodworker, known for building antique-style chairs by hand. He sourced and cut the wood himself, designed the furniture, polished it by hand, and wove the rush seats using reeds he gathered and cured near Babylon, Long Island. | | His home at 870 Rugby Road in Brooklyn was famously filled with items he collected over decades, including rare books, Navajo blankets, ginger jars, and one of the most extensive private collections of Native American artifacts in the country. Newspaper articles from 1901 and 1935 reported that his collection was believed to be the largest in the United States at the time. | | |
The Brooklyn Eagle
March 10, 1901
| | Many of these pieces were later donated to the Suffolk County Historical Society, with displays in both Riverhead and Orient. | | In addition to his collecting and crafting, Austin was deeply engaged in local history and genealogy. In 1946, he compiled a detailed genealogy of the Austin family, which has served as a foundation for ongoing research. He was also a skilled watercolor artist, with several of his paintings still preserved in family collections. | | |
On February 13, 1935, The Brooklyn Times Union celebrated Daniel and Florence’s 51st wedding anniversary, noting the success of their long marriage and Florence’s quiet patience in supporting her husband’s many pursuits.
That same year, their son Marshall honored the family by choosing their anniversary as the date for his own wedding.
| | | Daniel spent his final years in Massapequa, New York, living with his granddaughter Ann Gregory. He passed away on March 13, 1956, at the age of 92, from bronchopneumonia. He is buried at Old Springfield Cemetery in Queens, while many members of the Austin, Berry, and Gardiner families rest nearby at Purdy Cemetery. | |
All images are gelatin silver glass dry plate negatives taken from 1899-1909 | | | | "North Shore Road from Greenlawn, Foot of Hill" (Suydam House) | | "Crossroads" (Suydam House) | | "Mill at Centerport, Close View (Looking North)" | | "Mill at Centerport (Looking North)" | | "Mill at Centerport (Looking South)" | | | "North of Mill Pond or Lake" | | | "Deserted Farm (Looking North)" | | "Abandoned Farm in Centerport" | | "West Shore of Centerport Harbor" | | "West Shore of Centerport Harbor Boulders (Looking South)" | | "West Shore of Centerport Harbor (Looking North)" | | "Excavating Native American Artifacts on West Shore Bay" | | |
To explore the other images in the Brooklyn Museum's Daniel Berry Austin collection,
click the image below!
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100 Years Ago
July 1925 News Articles
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Ask for More Light from Town Board
The Long-Islander
July 3rd, 1925
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Notice - Resolution Passed
The Long-Islander
July 24th, 1925
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Centerport News
The Long-Islander
July 3rd, 1925
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Hydroplane at Abrams' Ship Yards
The Long-Islander
July 17th, 1925
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Eight-Ton Truck Crashes into Ford
The Long-Islander
July 24th, 1925
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1925 Mack Model AC Truck
Image from The Mack Trucks Historical Museum
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1924 Ford Model T Tudor Sedan
Image from Ford Motor Company
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Of Interest to Local Radio Fans
The Long-Islander
July 31st, 1925
*Photo from 1919
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GCHA Membership
Looking to Become a Member or Renew?
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Consider renewing your membership or joining, as 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 word and photographic history of his adopted home. The book was well received and was reprinted in 1991. At 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 ceded 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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