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The Harry Alexander Residence

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The Harry Alexander residence in Kings Point.  Alexander, an electrical engineer, invented the electric light dimmer and was founder and president of Alexander, Chamberlain Co.  It is unknown if the house is extant.

'Clench-Warton'

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'Clench-Warton', the Henry Francis Cook estate designed by Montrose W. Morris c. 1891 in North Haven.  Click HERE for more on 'Clench-Warton' which has since been demolished.

The Samuel V. Mann Residence

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The Samuel Vernon Mann residence in Kings Point with landscaping by Beatrix Jones Farrand (1929).  Mann was partner in the stock brokerage firm of Mann, Pell & Peake.  It appears the house has since been demolished.

The John F. O'Rourke Estate

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The John Francis O'Rourke estate built c. 1900 in Kings Point.  O'Rourke was an engineer and president of O'Rourke Engineering & Construction Company.  I believe the house has been demolished.

The William H. Erhart Residence

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The William H. Erhart residence built c. 1907 in Cedarhurst.  Click HERE for more on the Erhart residence which has since been demolished.

'Windbreak'

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'Windbreak', the Josiah Copley Thaw estate designed by Grosvenor Atterbury c. 1911 in Southampton with landscaping by Beatrix Jones Farrand.  Thaw, son of William Thaw, was a director of the Pennsylvania Railroad and brother of Harry K. Thaw, murderer of Stanford White.  The house, which sat on Gin Lane, was destroyed in the 1938 Hurricane (a cruel bit of irony for a house named Windbreak).

Gin Lane

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Gin Lane in Southampton as it looked around the turn of the 20th century.  Can anyone identify the houses in the distance?

The J. Sergeant Cram Estate

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The John Sergeant Cram estate built c. 1900 in Old Westbury.  Cram was an attorney and member of the Public Service Commission.  The estate was destroyed by fire in the 1980s, click HERE for photos.

TURN

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I was a little late to this new show but I highly recommend it to anyone interested in old Long Island history.  TURN, airing on AMC on Sundays at 9PM, focuses on George Washington's Culper Spy Ring during the Revolutionary War and Season 1 is set mostly in Setauket, Long Island where Abraham Woodhull resided (and who is the main character).  Woodhull would be known as Samuel Culper Sr. and if the show is renewed for Season 2 will also heavily focus on Oyster Bay's Robert Townsend, known as Samuel Culper Jr., and who resided at Raynham Hall.  Also present (and quite entertaining) is Captain John Graves Simcoe (later Lt. Col.).  While it is a television show and thus takes a bit of liberty with historical accuracy it is still quite entertaining nonetheless.  Episode 5 will be on tomorrow night.

The Thomas Nash Residence

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 The Thomas Nash residence designed by himself c. 1906 in East Hampton.  Nash was a Columbia trained architect who specialized in church architecture.  Click HERE to see the Nash residence on bing.







Photos from American Homes and Gardens, 1907.

'Vista Lawn'

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'Vista Lawn', the Henry Clay Weeks residence in Bayside.  Weeks was the arch nemesis of mosquitos everywhere, serving as Secretary of the American Society for the Extermination of Mosquitos and leading the early fight to rid the pests in Queens.  He also fought the New York and New Jersey Telephone Company in court over above ground telephone wires.  His 1910 NYTimes obituary headline read "Friend of Shade Tree and Enemy of Mosquito and Telephone Company" but Weeks also involved himself with the American Institute, the American School and Historical Preservation Society and the National Geographical Society.  He was also one of the first to organize a campaign against "speed maniacs" after the introduction of the automobile in Queens.

Ox Pasture Road

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Ox Pasture Road in Southampton.  Seen to the right is 'Williston House', the Judge Horace Russell residence designed by Bruce Price c. 1898.  Click HERE for more on 'Williston House' and HERE to see the residence on bing.

The Arthur B. Claflin Estate

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The Arthur Brigham Claflin residence designed by Grosvenor Atterbury c. 1898 in Southampton.  Click HERE for more on the Claflin residence and HERE to see the house on bing.

Old Westbury Scandal

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Aby Rosen, real estate developer, art collector and owner of the A. Conger Goodyear house in Old Westbury has stirred up controversy after the installation of a 33 foot tall Damien Hirst statue titled The Virgin Mother on the estate grounds.

The mayor of Old Westbury, Fred Carillo, has called it "out of character with the neighborhood" because the neighbors "have to preserve their bucolic views".  This is the same mayor who has overseen the wholesale destruction of anything historic in Old Westbury.  Frankly I am shocked that this guy is the mayor, but now I understand why Old Westbury looks like it does.  

Leaving aside the fact that Aby Rosen saved the Goodyear house and chose to make it a place to house part of his art collection, any neighborhood should be lucky to have a resident like that in their community who could afford a Damien Hirst statue that some people are lucky enough to see from their houses.  How anyone can claim this statue is "graphic" given what is on basic cable and the internet in this day and age is truly insane (I see more graphic stuff walking down Sixth Avenue in Manhattan).  Clearly there are residents of Old Westbury who have little appreciation for art, including the guy who calls himself the mayor.  

My suggestion to them is this: Old Westbury has been butchered by developers in coordination with the Village of Old Westbury for years.  The notion that this statue destroys bucolic views is utterly absurd.  What has destroyed Old Westbury's bucolic views are the actions of Fred Carillo.  If the statue really offends you...don't look at it.  This is a Nontroversy.

Click HERE to see the story on CBS News and HERE for the Daily News story.

And just for a bit of historical perspective, Wheatley Road (along which the Goodyear estate sits) was home to sculptors Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney and Charles Cary Rumsey (not to mention the Goodyear house itself was built for the founder of MoMA).  The irony is thick.

The Clinton Van Vliet Residence

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The Clinton Van Vliet residence built c. 1899 in Douglaston.  Van Vliet was president of the Goodyear Rubber Goods Company.  He began working for Goodyear as a salesman in his early twenties and three years later had become vice president.  Van Vliet collected stones from all over the world which he shipped back to New York and incorporated into his home at Douglaston.  Following Van Vliet's death the house served as P.S. 98 until it was demolished in 1930 and replaced with a modern schoolhouse.

'Devon'

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'Devon', the Richmond Levering estate built c. 1908 in Amagansett.  Click HERE for more on 'Devon' and HERE to see the residence on bing.

The Van Vliet Residence / P.S. 98

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The Clinton Van Vliet residence built c. 1899 in Douglaston pictured after the transformation of the residence into the local schoolhouse.  For reasons I assume had to do with the fire code, children who attended class on the second floor were required to use the exterior staircase seen to the right.  The house was demolished in 1930 for a new, modern P.S. 98.  Click HERE for more on the Van Vliet residence and HERE to see the school on google street view.

'Nirvana'

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'Nirvana', the William Gould Brokaw estate designed by Little & O'Connor c. 1900 in Kings Point.  Brokaw's father was William Vail Brokaw, co-founder of Brokaw Brothers, clothiers.  His brother Clifford resided at 'The Elms' in Glen Cove, his sister Mrs. Henry B. Gilbert at 'Sunshine', and other sister Mrs. James E. Martin at 'Martin Hall', both in Kings Point.  'Nirvana' was demolished c. 1932 following a fire.

'Sherrewogue'

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'Sherrewogue', the Devereaux Emmet estate enlarged by Stanford White c. 1895 in St. James.  Click HERE and HERE for more on 'Sherrewogue'.  Click HERE to see the residence on bing.

'Burrwood'

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The rear of 'Burrwood', the Walter Jennings estate designed by Carrere & Hastings c. 1899 in Cold Spring Harbor.  Click HERE and HERE for more on 'Burrwood'.
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