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Hello, I am Claudia Fortunato-Napolitano, your new Executive Director. I am replacing Deanne Rathke, whom we recognize and honor after 20 years of service as our new Director Emeritus. We are pleased that she will remain close by to answer questions about the history of Greenlawn and Centerport. I am excited to be here to share and celebrate our rich history.
Let me tell you a little about me. I have a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree in History. My career as a Museum Professional has taken me to the city and Long Island. I am a Huntington native, and my passion is the history of Long Island, particularly the Gold Coast Mansions.
For 10 years, I was the Assistant Historian for the Town of Huntington, and I went on to become the Executive Director of the Huntington Historical Society. I also have experience working in the Development Office for the Long Island Children’s Museum, the Huntington Chamber of Commerce, the Seaman’s Church Institute, and the Museum of the City of New York. I was an author of a history article called “Historic Half Hollow Hills” for the Patch and worked as an Event Manager for BidPal.
I had a stroke while I was working for the Huntington Historical Society, and I had to leave my job to recover. It has been six years of recovery, and I am now ready to take on the challenges of the GCHA and look forward to doing many exciting new things!
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Celebrating Deanne!
Deanne Rathke has had a life- long connection to Huntington’s history. She and her husband, John grew up in beach communities in Huntington Bay. In 1987 they purchased a home in Huntington Beach Centerport, where they raised their daughters Andrea and Samantha.
In 2000, Deanne’s interest in local history brought her to the GCHA office to purchase the newly published “Greenlawn: A Long Island Hamlet”. Michelle Chirappa, now Athanas, was Executive Director, and she encouraged Deanne to volunteer. Deanne received a degree in Art History from SUNY Geneseo; and enjoyed doing research. Her first undertaking was creating an index to John Deans Scrap Book, 1905- 1940. The book filled with newspaper articles and ephemera had to remain in the office, so she photographed the newspaper pages, brought them home, read them, and that is where she got the categories for the index! She was more than a volunteer, she was an asset.
In 2001 Deanne became a board member and spent many hours a week in the office. The director, Michelle Athanas, was moving on with her career as a librarian and had taken a full- time job. Deanne was offered the position of Executive Director and started April 25, 2003. We are grateful that she did so and has served for 20 years.
That spring, the GCHA had just taken ownership of the John Gardiner Farm. “The House was a fascinating time capsule, and I couldn’t wait to discover all its hidden treasures,” she remarked. She went on, “The Brands had recently gifted us the 1908 Hay Barn across the street. This Gardiner gem was no longer on the Gardiner property and had to be moved. It was a slow process, but amazing to watch, as the barn was moved intact across Little Plains Road.”
In 2006, GCHA expanded the Pickle Festival and moved it from the Harborfields Public Library to the Gardiner Farm. The GCHA went from selling 20 pails of pickles, to 100! Now the festival has a Hay- Ride, a corn maze, crafts vendors, and the Lollipop Farm Train. “I’m proud of how successful and how well-known the Greenlawn Pickle Festival has become,” she said. (Save the Date—September 16 for the Pickle Fest)
Deanne was a founding member of The Historic Huntington Partnership, an organization that meets once a week to promote Huntington’s history. Also, she was Director when the Lollipop Train came into the GCHA holdings. Over time, she was a co-manager of the Antiques Show. It was high quality and had a stellar reputation.
From Deanne: “One of my favorite projects was collecting all the photos of Herbert Gardiner I could find and creating a PowerPoint presentation for Tony Guarnaschelli. His first-hand recollections of Herbert have now been recorded as a video.
A few of my personal achievements were adding three historical markers to our communities. One for Rice and Barton in Centerport, and in Greenlawn, one for Fay Kellogg, the foremost woman architect in the U.S., and one for Christine Frederick, a home economist.
My favorite research project documenting more than 50 individuals who made up the theatrical colony living in Centerport and Greenlawn during the summer.”
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Yes, Deanne has retired, but as our Director Emeritus, she will continue to research our history and share her many years of knowledge. She has stepped aside, not for her, but for the organization’s benefit and growth hoping that the abilities and skill set of a younger generation will attract new members. I, (Claudia), call her every day to ask her about something. I am thankful that she is there for guidance and support.
I also asked her what she would do in retirement, and she will volunteer with GCHA projects, travel, spend time with her family, and enjoy her first grandchild, Sophie.
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The Charcuterie Workshop is a Fundraiser!
Mary Barter is the owner of Cheese and Crackers, but she is also a mother. Her son Nick loves coming to the Gardiner Farm to volunteer his time at the Farm Stand and Pickle Fest. He does this volunteering to help support the farm. As a quiet person who also has a hard time speaking, once he got to know everyone, especially Tony, he felt comfortable and had a great summer at the Farm! He looked forward to seeing everyone, and he even loved the pickles!
“You made our whole family feel so welcome. We all look forward to helping out this summer,” Mary said. She continued, “I can do the charcuterie workshop as a fundraiser because it is my way of saying thank you for the opportunity GCHA has given Nick.”
Mary started the small business, Cheese and Crackers, out of a love for celebrating special times with delicious food and lovely parties like the ones she was surrounded with as a child. As she grew up, she really appreciated the time she took preparing every food dish, and the love that was put into every gathering. Cheese and Crackers will teach you how to create meat and cheese masterpieces!
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Reservations required.
Click here if you are a member.
Click here if you are a non-member.
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Annual Meeting
Calling all active members!
Tony is operating the 100 years old vacuum at the John Gardiner House! Want to see more? Come to the Annual Meeting and Tour the House!
Meeting, Election of Officers,
Gardiner House Tours
Join Us Saturday, June 3rd
3pm-5pm
At The John Gardiner Farm
900 Park Avenue
Huntington, NY
Pot Luck Supper
To follow.
We’ll supply the
Burgers & Dogs-
You bring the sides
Or a dessert!
Not A Member? Join!
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Historical Article: Hall's Hotel and Archie Hall
In the first part of the 20th century, Centerport attracted people who enjoyed visiting the hotels and relaxing by the water, much as they do today. If you look at the Centerport Post Office today, you are looking at the site of Hall’s Hotel. It opened in the summer of 1906, and many celebrities, society people, and the political elite came to Hall’s to taste its famous seafood at the restaurant. Archie Hall, the owner, labeled it as a “famous automobile resort” since the guests traveled in expensive cars. This image is from 1910.
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The entrance to Hall’s was a convenient place to stop as you were traveling down Route 25A in your car. In the 1920s and 1930s, more and more people came out on Sundays to have dinner at the restaurant. Add something. In May 1941, Hall’s became the Geide’s Inn and more than 1,200 people came to the opening. It operated as a restaurant and catering hall until it was burned down by a fire in January 1966. According to the New York Times, “A dozen patrons rushed from their meals shortly before 10PM when employees smelled smoke. Damages were estimated at $750,000. Five volunteer fire departments fought the blaze into the early morning.” | |
Archie Hall Conner was the man who opened Hall’s Hotel. He was the manager of Doty’s Hotel when it closed in 1902. Doty’s Hotel was located across the street from Hall’s Hotel. | |
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However, before Archie was (according to The World newspaper) a respected man with a business, he was a trapeze performer. He left his parents at age 16 and went to Louisville, KY, to work with his best friend, Harry Leonard, at the circus!!
Connor and Leonard became trapeze artists. They quickly learned how to work the bars and do gymnastics. The trapeze duo were hired by Robbins Ringling Brothers and Sells Brothers Circus.
“But one night in 1890, the team was broken up. It was at Pike’s Opera House, Cincinnati. Connor and Leopard had nearly finished their act before a crowded house. Only the great finale- the flying leap—was to
come. The people sat breathless as young Conner swung through the
air from one trapeze to catch the hands of Leonard, who hung head down from the other. By a hair breadth no missed, and the people hid their faces in their hands as the boy flashed like lightning down through the air and struck the stage, a quivering, almost lifeless thing.” (The World, Feb, 2,1898, Page 5)
He spent weeks in the hospital with broken arms and legs. When he left the hospital, he made the decision not to return to the circus and studied law instead. He never forgot his woman, Lillian, and wrote her while he was involved with the circus. Archie married her, and they had four children.
He owned Hall’s Hotel for 27 years when he died at 61. According to the Huntington Station Times, he was a charitable and benevolent man. He was a member of various organizations, and he was a founding member of the Long Island Chamber of Commerce. (June 11, 1931)
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Volunteer
It is hard work making your house ready for the tours. Deanne, Director Emeritus, is cleaning the kitchen. Interesting in helping the GCHA? Volunteer! We are in need of volunteers! Email me!
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Join and Rejoin the GCHA!
This May, we ask you to renew your membership because your annual dues gives the future of Greenlawn Centerport Historical Association a steady foundation to maintain its two historic properties, the John Gardiner Farmhouse, and the Suydam homestead, and the preservation of paintings, photographs, documents, and ephemera at the Russell B. Brush Research Center. As members, you get a discounted admission rate on every one of our programs. We thank you for your continued interest in helping us to preserve your history for the future.
Click here to join!
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