Executive Director's Note | |
What a year it has been, full of events and programs, and this exciting new e-newsletter!! As I’m coming up with the Annual Appeal letter, I am struck by how many things we did.
If you have become a member, came to one of our events, sponsored the Pickle Festival, or volunteering, we thank you so much! Our not for profit are indebted to you—without you we wouldn’t exist, sharing in the history of Greenlawn and Centerport.
If you are looking for a gift for your history friend—look no further than the end of the email. There you can find books, a membership, or even a mug!!!!
The GCHA is doing an exhibit next year in August 2024, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Broadway School, now the Harborfields Library. If you have any photographs and things pertaining to the school, we will take them!!
Happy Thanksgiving!
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Donate to the Annual Appeal by click here.
Thank you!
Or if you would rather pay by check, click here.
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Spooky Train Rides & More! | |
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Spooky Train Rides & More was a great day!!
The weather that day was 80 degrees and sunny!!
Thank you to Greenlawn Farms and Makinajian Farm for donating the items at our Hot Chocolate Station and the Gourds!!
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Vaudevillians of Centerport and Greenlawn | Thank you to Toby Kissam and Deanne Rathke for the interesting lecture!! | | |
Historical Article: Post WWII Houses in Greenlawn
By: Robert C. Hughes, Town Historian
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After World War II, techniques of mass producing houses, pioneered on Long Island by Will Levitt, lowered construction costs and made it possible for thousands of middle-class families to own their own homes.
By the 1950’s, tract housing had reached the Greenlawn area. Developers, looking for level open land, upon which they could build most economically, found Greenlawn farms ideal and available.
Dozens of developments were built in the Greenlawn area the next three decades.
| In Post-war years, the “country” quality of Greenlawn together with its proximity to transportation, schools, shopping, and other amenities of “urban” life attracted many young families. The development homes offered lots of space, the opportunity to decorate from scratch, and a large plot of land for gardening and recreation- all at an affordable price. | |
South of Pulaski Road, “Robin Park” and “Fountainvale Estates” were constructed in the mid-50s. The Homes of “Fountainvale” were built on land which had been farmed by Alexander Gardiner. Six models were offered by the builders. J. F. Carillo and Sons of Huntington.
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In the early 50’s, the streets in the vicinity of Connolly Road were cut through. On the 19th Century farm of Samual Brush, a development of ranches, colonials, and the side-to-side split levels were built by Howard Rasmussen of Huntington. Further west, on the farmlands originally owned by Orlando Baylis and Walter Brush, Boris Gersten, beginning in 1952. Erected the 35 homes known as “Salem Ridge.” Gersten’s homes featured the then innovative “cathedral” ceilings. The eastern part of the Gersten tract was later sold. The homes of “Crown Estates” built on this property were large, rambling ranch and colonial models.
Below, are other developments in Greenlawn
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Greenlawn Centerport Historical Association Mug
$12.00
Click here!
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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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Greenlawn: A Long Island Hamlet
SOLD OUT!
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 Greenlawnwith -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
SOLD OUT!
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Join and Rejoin the GCHA!
Please renew your membership or join because your annual dues give 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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