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Local Architect Couple
Norman B. Baker & Florence Baker
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Norman B. Baker
Architect, Active Community Member and Husband
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Norman B. Baker (1885-1968), designed the Broadway School in Greenlawn which opened as the new Greenlawn Grammar School in September 1924.
Originally there were five classrooms, an auditorium, a principal's office, and a library. Expecting that the community would continue to grow, Baker designed the building to allow for future expansions.
He was correct as the building has undergone two renovations since its construction. The school costs $77,430 or roughly $1.4 million today, plus a 6% architect's fee ($4,645.80 or $85,327.59 today).
Alongside the Broadway School, Baker also designed and built many Colonial-style buildings. In 1967, Norman Baker published his first and only book, Early Houses in New England which explored his idea of adapting the Colonial Style into 20th century homes.
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Notably, Baker was not only a prominent Greenlawn architect but also made a name for himself in New York City under the firms George V. Post and Sons, Delano & Aldrich, and Harrison & Abramowitz.
While working under these firms, Baker would design and supervise the construction of major landmarks, such as the Daily News Building, the United Nations Building, Lincoln Center, Oheka Castle, and Rockefeller Center.
Norman Baker was also active in his local community as the secretary of the Men's Club of the Washington Avenue Baptist Church, and actor in his spare time.
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Various Articles from the Brooklyn Eagle (Which never mention his architecture besides the Greenlawn School)
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Florence Baker
Landscape Architect, Active Community Member and Wife
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Meanwhile, his wife, Florence Baker, remained very active in the community. Interestingly, Florence Baker is mentioned more than her husband in various articles in the Brooklyn Eagle.
Florence Baker was a notable landscape architect, founder and chairman of the Huntington Roadside Committee, chairman of the Suffolk County Roadside Committee, secretary of the Woman's Guild of the Church-in-the-Gardens, chairman of the program committee for the Asharoken Garden Club, and Captain of the Girl Scouts of Forest Hills.
Her activity was not only local, but national in community planning, beautification projects, and conservation efforts.
Below are various articles from the Brooklyn Eagle that show how active Florence Baker was amongst the community.
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Postcards from our Collection
Greenlawn Edition
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Juneteenth - June 19th
Last Wednesday was Juneteenth, a federal holiday that celebrates the announcement of freedom to more than 250,000 enslaved black people in the state of Texas on June 19, 1865.
Despite the Thirteenth Amendment ending slavery throughout the United States through the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, the policies were not implemented in places still under Confederate control, bringing us back to Juneteenth.
In 2021, ABC 7 News did a segment on Juneteenth in which they honored Samuel Ballton. Ballton was born into slavery in Virginia in 1838 before escaping during the beginning of the Civil War. As a promise Ballton made to his wife, he later returned to rescue her. Ballton served as a member of the Union Army until the war's conclusion and settled in Greenlawn in 1873.
After working as a tenant farmer under Alexander Gardiner, Ballton could purchase land of his own for farming and also got into real estate with many of his houses surviving today in Greenlawn.
Ballton serves as a cornerstone example of the importance of Juneteenth because his opportunities were directly tied to his freedom.
The Town of Huntington embraced the holiday with Freedom Day on Saturday, June 22nd. At Manor Field Park at Huntington Station, the celebration included historic reflections, music, dancing, food trucks, giveaways, raffles, cultural experiences, and more.
"Come Home to Huntington Where History is Not Forgotten, It's Celebrated!"
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Pride Month - June 26th & 28th
June is Pride Month, a time to celebrate the diversity of love and honor the ongoing fight for LGBTQIA+ civil rights worldwide.
Pride Month commemorates the early struggles for LGBTQIA+ rights, sparked by events such as the Stonewall Riots in New York City. These riots, which occurred on June 28, 1969, were a response to police harassment and brutality against patrons of the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar. Key figures like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera emerged from these events, advocating for change and justice.
In the aftermath, the first Pride march was organized in Manhattan on June 28, 1970, to commemorate the Stonewall anniversary. This event laid the groundwork for the global Pride movement, symbolizing a unified demand for equal rights and protections for LGBTQIA+ individuals of all backgrounds.
On June 26, 2015, in the landmark case Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in the United States.
Today, pride is celebrated across Long Island including Long Island Pride's 34th annual Pride Parade, Festival, and Live Concert which returned to Huntington Village on June 9th. Upcoming is the New York City Pride Parade and Festival on June 30th beginning at noon from 25th Street and 5th Avenue.
For more info on NYC pride
Click here
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2024 Pickle Festival
Actively Seeking Volunteers
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Due to the popularity of the pickle festival last year, we are already seeking out volunteers! If you are interested please either
email us at info@greenlawncenterporthistorical.org
or call us at (631) 754-1180!
The Pickle Festival will be on Saturday, September 21st, starting at around 10 AM and concluding around 4 PM.
Please include:
First and Last Name
Phone Number
Email Address
Availability
Great for completing volunteer hours for high school students and scouts!
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Returning to Broadway this Summer
Greenlawn Summer Nights
Wednesday, July 24th
&
Wednesday, August 7th (Community Night)
from 6:30-9:30 PM
Both nights, Broadway from Pulaski to Fenwick Street will be closed from 6:15 to 9:45 PM, and vehicular traffic will be prohibited. There are no rain dates. For more information click here.
The GCHA will have a table so stop by!
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Support our Association
Gift Options
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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!
(Only 5 remaining)
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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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Looking to Become a Member
or Renew?
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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