Sunday, October 21, 2018, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Annual Meeting and Luncheon
"Dancing into History with the Castles"
Martha Griffin and Marc Casslar, dance historicans
Hendrick's Tavern, Roslyn

Annual Meeting: presentation of brief reports, and election of Board Members, will be conducted as per NCHS By-Laws. The meeting’s business will be conducted between luncheon courses. After dessert is served, Martha Griffin and Marc Casslar will present their program.

Irene and Vernon Castle were America’s leading dance couple in the 1910s who popularized the fox trot, tango and other social dances at “Castles by the Sea” on the Boardwalk in Long Beach, Long Island.

Dance historians Martha Griffin and Marc Casslar, who are members of the Vintage Dance “Polite Society,” will introduce us to these celebrities who lived in Manhasset. They will demonstrate their dances in period costume and explain the significant contributions of the Castles to dance history. Their program is brought to you by Kandie Carle of K&C Enterprises, East Haddam, CT.

We are looking forward to a very special afternoon commemorating this legendary couple who brought charm and much joy to society with their innovative elegant social dances at magnificent dance palaces. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers immortalized them in their 1939 film The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle. We will have music from the 1910s for your listening and dancing pleasure.

Hendrick’s Tavern, formerly the George Washington Manor Restaurant, has been beautifully renovated. It was the home of Hendrick Onderdonk when President George Washington visited on his tour of Long Island in 1790. A plaque from our Society by the front door attests to this history.

The menu includes a choice of: chicken paillard; seared salmon over garden salad; sliced steak sandwich with salad or French fries; omelet with spinach, tomatoes, and cheddar or plain, with salad or French fries; or vegetarian pasta primavera. Dessert is a choice of cheesecake, vanilla ice cream, or raspberry sorbet. Soda, iced tea, coffee, or tea is included and a cash bar is available.

A pdf copy of the meeting announcement is available here for you to view and print out and send in the RSVP portion with payment for your reservation. Please make your check payable to: Nassau County Historical Society. Or reserve and pay by credit card using the link below.
Cut off the form at the bottom, and return with your check to the luncheon chairperson: Madalyn Klein, 27110 Grand Central Pkwy, Apt. 24Y, Floral Park, NY 11005.

Any questions, call Madalyn at 917-742-5229. Early luncheon reservations closed on October 9th. There are still seats/tables available. We're looking for a minimum of 60 seats, and currently are just shy of this at 52. Reservations postmarked after the 9th are now $65.00. Tickets will not be sent; check-in at the door; open seating. Directions: Hendrick’s is at 1305 Old Northern Boulevard in Roslyn (click link for map). The entrance is just north of the Clock Tower (valet parking).

Luncheon Reservation(s)

Late (Wed., Oct. 10 and after) $65.00 USD

Weathervane designed by Architect Olive Tjaden

Sunday, September 16, 2018, 2:00 p.m.
“Architect Olive Tjaden: Designing Suburbia in Garden City and Beyond”
Millicent D. Vollono and Lauren V. Drapala, authors
Garden City Senior Center

Olive Tjaden (1904-1997) began her architectural career at a time when residential architecture was at the nation’s forefront. Graduating from Cornell University’s architecture program in 1925, Tjaden was the only female member of the American Institute of Architects for years. Although she achieved her greatest success as a residential designer, she created buildings for automobile dealerships, beauty salons, and religious organizations. Forming her own firm in the late 1920s in Garden City, Tjaden was able to promote her unique status as a female architect to promote her work and expertise to women, making use of the networks provided by women’s social clubs. Tjaden was a prolific designer, building over 2,000 commissions in the twenty years of her New York office and later in South Florida. Our speakers are the authors of an article on Tjaden in the 2016 Nassau County Historical Society Journal, v.71, pp.1-14. Their illustrated presentation will include additional information from their continuing research. We will celebrate Olive Tjaden’s life and career, with special emphasis on her many Garden City houses, as we uncover one of Long Island's little-known treasures.

Directions: This joint program with the Garden City Historical Society will be held in the Garden City Senior Center, 6 Golf Club Lane (click link for map), NW corner of Golf Club Lane and Eleventh St., across the street from Olive Tjaden’s own house. After the program, we will go next door to the Garden City Historical Society’s Apostle House Museum, for refreshments and a tour of their museum.

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Robert Moses, by GaryViskupic

Sunday, June 10, 2018, 2:00 p.m.
“The Land of Moses: Robert Moses and Modern Long Island”
Joshua Ruff and Jonathan Olly, Long Island Museum curators
Community Church of East Williston

The significance and impact of Robert Moses (1888-1981) on Long Island can hardly be overstated. Previewing their upcoming exhibition at the Long Island Museum in Stony Brook, opening June 22, curators Joshua Ruff and Jonathan Olly will provide a reappraisal of the extraordinary and controversial builder and planner. Prolific, brash, and strategically brilliant, Moses helped determine the environments in which we continue to live. Moses redefined transportation infrastructure and recreational and cultural possibilities for generations of Long Islanders and visitors. His legacies range from his largely realized Long Island State Parks Commission blueprintin 1924 to his late career challenges and failures.

Guests are welcome to attend; invite your friends. This program is free.
Light refreshments follow the illustrated program.

Directions: The Community Church of East Williston is located at 45 East Williston Avenue (click link for map), adjacent to the NW corner of Roslyn Road and East Williston Avenue/Hillside Avenue/Route 25B in East Williston. Enter the church parking lot from Roslyn Road or Ward Street (one block north of Route 25B). Please park in spaces closest to church (those near Roslyn Rd. are reserved) or on Ward St. Enter door on the east side for the parish hall.

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The Suffragents: How Women Used Men to Get the Vote

Sunday, April 22, 2018, 2:00 p.m.
“The Suffragents: How Women Used Men to Get the Vote”
Brooke Kroeger
Jericho Public Library

Note: This is a change of date and location from what was previously announced.

The Suffragents is the untold story of how some of New York’s most powerful men formed the Men’s League for Woman Suffrage, which grew between 1909 and 1917 from 150 founding members into a force of thousands across thirty-five states. Ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920 for women’s suffrage culminated more than 70 years of struggle.

Brooke Kroeger explores the formation of the League and the men who instigated it to involve themselves with the suffrage campaign, what they did at the behest of the movement’s female leadership, and why. She details the National American Woman Suffrage Association’s strategic decision to accept their organized help and then to deploy these influential new allies as suffrage foot soldiers, a role they accepted with uncommon grace. Led by such luminaries as Oswald Garrison Villard, John Dewey, Max Eastman, Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, and George Foster Peabody, members of the League worked the streets, the stage, the press, and the legislative and executive branches of government. In the process, they helped convince waffling politicians, a dismissive public, and a largely hostile press to support the women’s demand. Together, they swayed the course of history.

At least one of the suffragents had a Nassau County, Long Island connection. James Lees Laidlaw who had a country home in Sands Point was president of the state and national Men's League for Woman's Suffrage.

There will be limited copies of the 372 page book available for purchase, $25 per copy, and signing at the meeting. Respond to: webmaster@nassaucountyhistoricalsociety.org by April 5, 2018, if you wish to purchase a book(s), and a copy/copies will be reserved for you.

Guests are welcome to attend; invite your friends. Light refreshments follow the program.

Directions: The Jericho Library is at 1 Merry Lane (click link for map), off (south of) Rt. 25. From Rt. 106 (Exit 41N from the Rt. 495/LIE), go east on 25 a short distance; turn right (south) onto Merry Lane and the library will be on your left.

 

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SPIES! Exhibit Logo of the Three Village Historical Society

Sunday, February 11, 2018, 2:00 p.m.
“The Culper Spy Ring in the Revolutionary War”
Beverly C. Tyler
Community Church of East Williston

After George Washington suffered heavy losses at the beginning of the war, he realized that reliable information about British troop movements was vital. General Washington asked Major Benjamin Tallmadge from Setauket to organize a spy network. Now known as the Culper Spy Ring, it was most active during the years from 1778 to 1781.

Tallmadge first enlisted Abraham Woodhull (alias Culper, Sr.), who was also from Setauket. Later Robert Townsend (“Culper, Jr.”) from Oyster Bay (today’s Raynham Hall) who was living in Manhattan joined the group. SPIES! How a Group of Long Island Patriots Helped George Washington Win the Revolution is the Three Village Historical Society’s exhibition in their History Center (93 North Country Road, Setauket). The spy ring has been fictionalized in the AMC television series, Turn: Washington’s Spies.

Beverly C. Tyler is a writer, author, photographer, and lecturer on local history in Setauket. He conducts walking tours and field trips as Revolutionary War farmer and spy Abraham Woodhull and as a 19th century ship captain. Mr. Tyler has appeared on the History Channel’s Histories Mysteries production “Spies of the Revolutionary War.”

A 1778 document in the Three Village Historical Society collection that every man who stayed on Long Island after the British took control was required to sign to swear allegiance to the king.

Mr. Tyler writes a local history column History Close at Hand for the Village Times Herald. He has written more than 800 local history articles over the past thirty years and his articles have been published in a number of Long Island and regional newspapers and magazines.

Check this link for information about the Three Village Historical Society exhibit SPIES!

Guests are welcome to attend; invite your friends. This program is free.
Light refreshments follow the illustrated program.

Directions: The Community Church of East Williston is located at 45 East Williston Avenue (click link for map), adjacent to the NW corner of Roslyn Road and East Williston Avenue/Hillside Avenue/Route 25B in East Williston. Enter the church parking lot from Roslyn Road or Ward Street (one block north of Route 25B). Please park in spaces closest to church (those near Roslyn Rd. are reserved) or on Ward St. Enter door on the east side for the parish hall.

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Colorized Postcard of Camp Mills in World War One

courtesy Jim McKenna

Sunday, December 3, 2017, 2:00 p.m.
“Camp Albert L. Mills in World War One”
Jim McKenna
Community Church of East Williston

This year is the Centennial of the U.S. entry into WWI. Camp Mills was a major training camp and embarkation point for US Army troops being sent to France. Built in less than a week in August 1917, Camp Mills was a major story for the New York and Brooklyn newspapers—the internet of the times. The soldiers of Camp Mills interacted with the local citizens of the surrounding villages of Hempstead, Mineola, Garden City, and Westbury, as well as New York City.

Troops at Camp Mills in World War One

courtesy Jim McKenna

The newspapers extensively covered the troops and the camp throughout the war and the demobilization afterwards. Jim McKenna is the former Director of Old Bethpage Village Restoration and currently the Assistant Director of Museum Operations at the Cradle of Aviation and a trustee of the Society.

Guests are welcome to attend; invite your friends. This program is free.
Light refreshments follow the illustrated program.

Directions: The Community Church of East Williston is located at 45 East Williston Avenue (click link for map), adjacent to the NW corner of Roslyn Road and East Williston Avenue/Hillside Avenue/Route 25B in East Williston. Enter the church parking lot from Roslyn Road or Ward Street (one block north of Route 25B). Please park in spaces closest to church (those near Roslyn Rd. are reserved) or on Ward St. Enter door on the east side for the parish hall.

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James Foote as Theodore Roosevelt

Joni Foote, photographer

2017 Annual Meeting
and Luncheon

Sunday, October 1, 2017, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Theodore Roosevelt
as portrayed by James Foote
Stewart Manor Country Club, Stewart Manor

Annual Meeting: presentation of brief reports, and election of Board Members, will be conducted as per NCHS By-Laws.
The meeting’s business will be conducted between luncheon courses. After dessert is served, Theodore Roosevelt, as portrayed by James Foote, will regale us with his particular zest for life through stories of his exploits in nature, the military, politics, and as a husband and father.
Information about menu, and cost has been mailed to NCHS members. A pdf copy of the meeting announcement is available here for you to view and print out and send in the RSVP portion with payment for your reservation.

As often is the case with our meetings, guests, friends, and the general public are welcome to attend this meeting. Since this our Annual Membership meeting, should space become an issue, preference will be given to NCHS members. If you wish to attend, and are not a currently an NCHS member, please consider an individual ($25), or family ($40), annual membership. Include the appropriate membership amount with your payment for the Luncheon and indicate this on the RSVP form. You'll be added to our membership list and receive a copy of our 2017 Journal when it is published at the end of this year.

Online Reservations and Payments accepted here. You will have the opportunity to select the number of reservations after clicking on "Add to Cart".
Your contact information will be requested as you enter your payment information.

Luncheon Reservation(s)

Early (by Fri., Sept. 22) $50.00 USDLate (Sat., Sept. 23 and after) $55.00 USD

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Book Cover for In The Service

Elly Shodell, author

Sunday, September 17, 2017, 2:00 p.m.
In The Service: Workers on the Grand Estates of Long Island, 1890s-1940s
Elly Shodell
Community Church of East Williston

This illustrated presentation focuses upon Long Island’s fabled Gold Coast estates from an unusual perspective—that of those who served as butlers, chauffeurs, dairymaids, gardeners, and cooks. Although there is no lack of documentation about America’s barons who emerged from the Industrial Revolution and their magnificent mansions, much less is known about the lives of the men and women who worked for them. Using oral histories, photographs, archival tools, and documents, Elly Shodell brings their past to life via her Port Washington Public Library Local History Center project. She curated an exhibition for the library and wrote In the Service about these workers on Long Island estates (copies available for sale and signing).

Guests are welcome to attend; invite your friends. This program is free.
Light refreshments follow the illustrated program.

Directions: The Community Church of East Williston is located at 45 East Williston Avenue (click link for map), adjacent to the NW corner of Roslyn Road and East Williston Avenue/Hillside Avenue/Route 25B in East Williston. Enter the church parking lot from Roslyn Road or Ward Street (one block north of Route 25B). Please park in spaces closest to church (those near Roslyn Rd. are reserved) or on Ward St. Enter door on the east side for the parish hall.

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Special Bonus Meeting for members.

Howard Kroplick who spoke at our meeting on the Vanderbilt Cup Races has invited us to view his car collection on Sunday, July 16, between 10:30 am and 1:00 pm. You’ll also be able to see more than a dozen vintage cars of the Long Island Sound Region Classic Car Club of America.

You can read more about Howard’s car collection at www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/car_collection

 

Directions: Exit 29 from Northern State – make a right turn north. From the LIE, it’s Exit 39 if you’re driving west, but stay on the service road for nearly a mile. Turn right at traffic light onto Roslyn Road (gas station on corner). If driving east, take exit 37 (Willis Ave.) and stay on service road ½ mile and left at the traffic light at Roslyn Road.
Take Roslyn Road to the end (it becomes Main Street) and turn right just before the clock tower onto short Tower Street, which runs into Old Northern Blvd. Make an immediate left onto Lumber Road (The Chase Bank is on the corner). Take Lumber Road to the very end and follow the signs, “The Waterfront at Roslyn.” Parking in adjoining lot at 45 Lumber Road.

 

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NCPD - Long Beach raid 1932

photo courtesy: Jonathan Olly

Sunday, June 4, 2017, 2:00 p.m.
“Midnight Rum: Long Island and Prohibition”
Jonathan Olly
Community Church of East Williston

Prohibition—the thirteen-year “noble experiment”—affected nearly everyone living on Long Island during the years from 1920 to 1933. Brooklyn breweries switched to “near beer,” many residents made their own wine and liquor, and rum running was rampant in the waters off Long Island’s shores. From cocktails to crime, the era left an indelible impression on American culture. Jonathan Olly, curator of the recently opened exhibition on Long Island and Prohibition at the Long Island Museum in Stony Brook will speak on this fascinating topic.

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Alco Black Beast wining 1909 Vanderbilt Cup Race

photo courtesy: Howard Kroplick

Sunday, April 2, 2017, 2:00 p.m.
“My Hunt for the Vanderbilt Cup Races and the Long Island Motor Parkway”
Howard Kroplick
Community Church of East Williston

“Chain your dogs and lock up your fowls!” heralded posters throughout Long Island in announcing the first international road race ever to be held in America. From 1904 to 1910, six Vanderbilt Cup Races were held on Long Island roads. Developed from the imagination of William K. Vanderbilt, Jr., these races were the most prestigious and thrilling auto races of their day, drawing hundreds of thousands of spectators to Long Island. Town of North Hempstead Historian Howard Kroplick has researched the Races for more than 13 years, written two books on the Parkway, and maintains an excellent website (VanderbiltCupRaces.com). His talk will feature photographs from the private archives of Willy K. Vanderbilt, rare race films, and an assortment of “Vanderbilia.” A book signing follows; proceeds go to local charities.

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Book Cover for Images of America: Long Island’s Gold Coast

Paul J. Mateyunas, author

Sunday, February 5, 2017, 2:00 p.m.
“Gatsby’s Gold Coast: Then and Now”
Paul Mateyunas
Community Church of East Williston

Travel back in time to the days of Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby learning about the real families and homes that inspired F. Scott Fitzgerald. An illustrated presentation by North Shore historian Paul J. Mateyunas about the history of the Gold Coast and the grand old estate houses. Author of North Shore Long Island: Country Houses, 1890-1950 and Long Island’s Gold Coast, Mr. Mateyunas will autograph copies of his books; his paperback, Long Island’s Gold Coast, will be available for purchase. The snow date (if needed) is one week later, Sunday, February 12 — same time and location.

 

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Book Cover for Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates

Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger, authors

Tuesday, December 6, 2016, 7:30 p.m.
(Note: the date and time of this event has been changed from what was originally announced.)
“Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates”
Brian Kilmeade
Cradle of Aviation Museum, Museum Row at Mitchel Field, East Garden City

Long Islander, Brian Kilmeade is co-author of Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates, as well as a co-host of the morning television show, Fox & Friends on Fox News. Come hear him discuss one of our newly independent nation’s first wars -- a war which saw the founding of both the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. (The Marine Hymn even notes: “... to the shores of Tripoli.”) His book will be available for sale and the talk will be followed by a book signing.

Guests are welcome to attend; invite your friends.
This program is free. Light refreshments follow the program.

Directions: The Cradle of Aviation is located on Charles Lindbergh Blvd.(click link for map) at Mitchel Field in East Garden City/Uniondale. Take the Meadowbrook Parkway to exit M4. Follow signs to Coliseum/Museum Row and Charles Lindbergh Blvd. Stay on Charles Lindbergh Blvd., go through the traffic light at Earl Ovington Blvd. and turn right when you see the life-size figure in a space suit. Parking lots are on both sides of Museum Drive.  

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Book Cover for Historic Haunts of Long Island

Kerriann Flanagan Brosky, author

Luncheon and Annual Meeting

Sunday, October 16, 2016, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
“Historic Haunts of Long Island”
Kerriann Flanagan Brosky
Davenport Press Restaurant, Mineola

Annual Meeting: presentation of brief reports, and election of Board Members, will be conducted as per NCHS By-Laws.
The meeting’s business will be conducted between luncheon courses. After dessert is served, Kerriann Flanagan Brosky, author, will present a program based on her book Historic Haunts of Long Island; Ghosts and Legends from the Gold Coast to Montauk Point.
Information about menu, and cost has been mailed to NCHS members. A pdf copy of the meeting announcement is available here for you to view and print out and send in the RSVP portion with payment for your reservation.

Due to the size of the venue and limited seating, prior reservations will be required for this event with preference given to NCHS members. If you wish to attend, and are not a currently an NCHS member, please consider an individual ($25), or family ($40), annual membership. Include the appropriate membership amount with your payment for the Luncheon and indicate this on the RSVP form. You'll be added to our membership list and receive a copy of our 2016 Journal when it is published at the end of this year.

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Luna Park Tower at Night

Jennifer Garland, archivist

Sunday, September 18, 2016, 2:00 p.m.
“The History of Coney Island”
Jennifer Garland
Community Church of East Williston

Explore the legendary and colorful past of Coney Island, the “World’s Playground.” Jennifer Garland is the archivist of the Coney Island History Project. Her illustrated presentation draws from the book by the History Project’s director, Coney Island: Lost & Found, as well as many other sources. The talk covers the settlement of Coney Island, the rise of the resort and amusement area, and the decline and comeback of the neighborhood. Visit Coney Island History Project to learn more about the Project.

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Book Cover for Peconic Bay: Four Centuries of History on Long Island’s North and South Forks

Marilyn E. Weigold, author

Sunday, June 12, 2016, 2:00 p.m.
“Peconic Bay: Four Centuries of History on Long Island’s North and South Forks”
Marilyn Weigold
Community Church of East Williston

This illustrated presentation examines the fascinating evolution of the East End, including its social, economic, and environmental history. The program will acquaint you with colorful characters of yesterday and current challenges facing what has been called “one of the last great places.”
Dr. Weigold is professor of history at Pace University, the author of Peconic Bay (2015), Long Island Sound: A History of its People, Places, and Environment, and Silent Builder: Emily Warren Roebling and the Brooklyn Bridge.

For more information about this book and its author please follow this link: Peconic Bay: Four Centuries of History on Long Island’s North and South Forks at the Long Island History Journal.

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Book Cover for Long Island Food: A History from Family Farms & Oysters to Craft Spirits

T. W. Barritt, author

Sunday, April 3, 2016, 2:00 p.m.
“History of Long Island Food: From Family Farms & Oysters to Craft Spirits”
T. W. Barritt
Community Church of East Williston

A native of Nassau County, T.W. Barritt is a food writer and trained amateur chef whose recent book traces the history of Long Island’s agricultural and maritime past and how factors of sustenance, ethnic diversity, commerce and economy have influenced today’s new local food sensibility.

Grossman Farm Stand

Jacob Skoglund, photographer

This will be an interesting discussion ranging from pickles, ducks and oysters to roadside joints and fine dining. He will discuss Long Islanders, past and present, to provide a broader context and understanding about where our food culture is headed today.

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Luigi Lucioni, Laurelton Hall, 1927

Long Island Museum collection

Sunday, February 7, 2016, 2:00 p.m.
“Gilding the Coasts: Art & Design of Long Island’s Great Estates”
Joshua Ruff
Community Church of East Williston

While some of the earliest of Long Island’s grandest homes were built after the Civil War, their heyday was from 1890 through the 1920s. The years since World War II and continuing to the present have seen the destruction of many of these palatial estates. Joshua Ruff, Chief Curator of the Long Island Museum in Stony Brook, in his power point presentation will focus on the artistry of design and detail of these “elegant vessels of history,” including Louis Comfort Tiffany’s Laurelton Hall, Stanford White’s Box Hill, and William de Leftwich Dodge’s Villa Francesca in Setauket. Snow date (if needed) will be Sunday, February 21st.
Joshua Ruff’s program will be based on the recent exhibit, of the same title, at the Long Island Museum in Stony Brook.

Guests are welcome to attend; invite your friends. This program is free. Refreshments will be served.

Directions: The Community Church of East Williston is located at 45 East Williston Avenue (click link for map), adjacent to the NW corner of Roslyn Road and East Williston Avenue/Hillside Avenue/Route 25B in East Williston. Enter the church parking lot from Roslyn Road or Ward Street (one block north of Route 25B). Please park in spaces closest to church (those near Roslyn Rd. are reserved) or on Ward St. Enter door on the east side for the parish hall.

 

Sunday, December 6, 2015, 2:00 p.m.
“Gardens of Eden: Long Island’s Early Twentieth-Century Planned Communities”
Robert B. MacKay
Bethpage Public Library

Long Island’s first wave of suburbanization was in the early 20th century when ambitious real estate developers created “residential parks.” Robert B. MacKay, Director Emeritus of the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities (SPLIA), will discuss how the ideals of the Garden City Movement were used to attract a growing middle class in search of country living. Dr. MacKay edited SPLIA’s new book, Gardens of Eden, and wrote 5 of its 21 chapters. Among the Nassau County communities featured in this book are Garden City, the Plandomes, Munsey Park, Beacon Hill, and several on the Great Neck peninsula, as well as other planned communities in Queens and Suffolk County. Copies of Gardens of Eden will be available for purchase ($65).
Guests are welcome to attend; invite your friends. This program is free. Light refreshments will be served.
 

Directions: The Bethpage Public Library is located at 47 Powell Avenue (click link for map), just off Rt. 135. Our program is downstairs in the meeting room. From Rt. 135 (Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway), take exit #8 and turn right onto Powell Ave. Go about 2 blocks to the library which is on the left. Parking is adjacent or in the lot across the street. The library has an elevator.

 

Linda Singing Colonial Ballads at Federal Hall National Memorial

lindarussellmusic.com

Centennial Anniversary
Luncheon and Annual Meeting

Sunday, October 18, 2015, 12:00 noon
“Catching the Tune: A History of Long Island in Society”
Linda Russell, Balladeer
Milleridge Inn, Jericho, New York

Annual Meeting: presentation of reports, election of Board Members, and general business will be conducted as per NCHS By-Laws.
The business will be conducted between luncheon courses. After dessert is served, Linda Russell, Balladeer, will present her musical program of historical songs, “Catching the Tune: A History of Long Island in Society.” NCHS members will likely recall Ms. Russell performing at past NCHS Annual Meetings. We looking forward to welcoming her back for another glimpse of songs we know from yore, and learning the fascinating stories behind those songs.

Information about menu, and cost has been mailed to NCHS members.
A pdf copy of the meeting announcement is available here for you to view. A pdf copy of the RSVP card is available here for you to print out and send in with payment for your reservation.

Directions: The Milleridge Inn is located in Jericho, entrance on northbound Rt.106/107 immediately before exit ramp to Jericho Turnpike (Rt. 25 east).
 

Sunday, September 20, 2015, 2:00 p.m.
“The German Settlements of Nineteenth-Century Long Island”
Paul van Wie
Community Church of East Williston

Today’s Elmont, Franklin Square, New Hyde Park, Hicksville, Wantagh, and Massapequa Park are among the Long Island villages founded or settled by German immigrants. Some were even predominantly German-speaking by 1900. A diverse group, the German immigrants were merchants, professionals, farmers, and hotel owners. They became Americans, made Long Island their home, and their numerous descendants remain here to this day. Dr. van Wie is a Professor of History and Political Science at Molloy College and President of the Franklin Square Historical Society. Copies of his book on German settlements will be available to purchase.
Guests are welcome to attend; invite your friends. This program is free. Refreshments will be served.
 

Directions: The Community Church of East Williston is located at 45 East Williston Avenue (click link for map), adjacent to the NW corner of Roslyn Road and East Williston Avenue/Hillside Avenue/Route 25B in East Williston. Enter the church parking lot from Roslyn Road or Ward Street (one block north of Route 25B). Enter door on the east side for the parish hall.

 

Sketch by Peter Townsend of his uncle Robert (aka Culper Jr) 1813.

Collection of the Friends of Raynham Hall, Inc.

Sunday, June 7, 2015, 6:00 p.m.
“George Washington’s Secret Six”
Brian Kilmeade
Cradle of Aviation Museum, Museum Row at Mitchel Field, East Garden City

Brian Kilmeade is co-author of George Washington’s Secret Six: The Spy Ring That Saved the American Revolution, as well as a co-host of the morning television show, Fox & Friends on Fox News. Four of the “Secret Six” were Long Islanders and the Culper Spy Ring is an important part of Long Island history. (The current television series Turn: Washington’s Spies has also increased interest in the topic, though Turn has often taken dramatic license.) Come hear Brian Kilmeade discuss the history of the Spy Ring and its crucial role in America’s War for Independence. His book will be available for sale and the talk will be followed by a book signing.
Preferred seating for Nassau County Historical Society members at 5:30 pm.; please bring the announcement card mailed to your home to expedite admission.
Guests are welcome to attend; invite your friends. This program is free. Refreshments will be served.

Directions: The Cradle of Aviation is located on Charles Lindbergh Blvd.(click link for map) at Mitchel Field in East Garden City/Uniondale. Take the Meadowbrook Parkway to exit M4. Follow signs to Coliseum/Museum Row and Charles Lindbergh Blvd. Stay on Charles Lindbergh Blvd., go through the traffic light at Earl Ovington Blvd. and turn right when you see the life-size figure in a space suit. Parking lots on both sides of Museum drive.
 

Sagamore Hill.

Public Domain

Sunday, April 12, 2015, 2:00 p.m.
“The Rehabilitation of the Roosevelt Home at Sagamore Hill”
Susan Sarna
Community Church of East Williston

The Theodore Roosevelt home at Sagamore Hill has been closed to visitors the last three years while it has undergone a major rehabilitation; planning for the project began in 2011. Our speaker, Susan Sarna, is the Sagamore Hill museum curator who has been the on-site coordinator of the comprehensive interior and exterior rehabilitation and restoration. She will give an illustrated presentation on the planning and implementation of the project, including re-installation of the furnishings (18,000 historic artifacts!). The home is scheduled to reopen on July 13, 2015; this program will provide a fascinating behind the scenes look at the procedures involved in the rehabilitation.
 

1904 image of Wardenclyffe Tower located in Shoreham, Long Island, New York. The 94 by 94 ft (29 m) brick building was designed by architect Stanford White.

Public Domain

Sunday, February 22, 2015, 2:00 p.m.
“Tesla at Wardenclyffe: Past Hopes and Future Plans”
Neil Baggett and Jane Alcorn
The Community Church of East Williston

Nikola Tesla, an inventor and electrical engineer, began construction of Wardenclyffe, his wireless telegraphic transmission station in Shoreham in 1901. Though Tesla’s Shoreham laboratory lasted only a few years, the building designed by architect Stanford White survives and was purchased by the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe (TSC) in 2013. Our speakers are officers of the TSC. Neil Baggett, a retired physicist, will talk about Tesla’s life and work, especially his plans to transmit information and energy around the world from Wardenclyffe. Jane Acorn will discuss saving the site and TSC’s plans to restore Tesla’s last laboratory into a center for science, education, and innovation.
Snow date is Sunday, March 1.

Light refreshments will be served after the program.
Guests are welcome to attend; invite your friends.

Directions: The Community Church of East Williston is located at 45 East Williston Avenue (click link for map), adjacent to the NW corner of Roslyn Road and East Williston Avenue/Hillside Avenue/Route 25B in East Williston. Enter the church parking lot from Roslyn Road or Ward Street (one block north of Route 25B). Enter door on the east side for the parish hall.

 

Chromolithograph, The Union Iron Clad Monitor, "Montauk" 1863.

Library of Congress collection

Sunday, December 7, 2014, 2:00 p.m.
Long Island at War: Battle Front and Home Front
Joshua Ruff
The Community Church of East Williston

Joshua Ruff, who has presented many programs to the NCHS in the past, returns to speak on the current exhibit which he curated at the Long Island Museum at Stony Brook. This exhibition traces Long Island’s involvement from the Revolutionary War through Iran and Afghanistan. His illustrated presentation will explore some of the subjects contained in the exhibition, including the history of the island’s military forts and encampments, its 20th century role in industrial war production, and the participation of its residents in each major military conflict in American history. The Pearl Harbor anniversary is a fitting date for this program.

Did you know (from the LI Museum web site):
- Long Island has been a crucial and often unsung actor in nearly every war in our nation’s history.
- Battle of Long Island in 1776.
- The “arsenal of democracy” created by Grumman and other Long Island-based companies in World War II.
- Calverton (the largest national cemetery in the United States).
 

Robert Small in his 42nd Royal Highland Regiment Uniform.

Sunday, October 5, 2014, Time: 12:00 noon
NCHS Annual Meeting and Luncheon
Davenport Press Restaurant, Mineola

Our annual meeting this year will again be held at a luncheon at the historic Davenport Press Restaurant in Mineola. The building was built in 1862 as a bank, it later became a printing company and was the official county printer for years. A restaurant since 1976, it is decorated with antiques and historic photographs.

Our speaker will be Robert Small, a Revolutionary War re-enactor of the 42nd Royal Highland Regiment, which landed on Long Island in 1776. Major Small will speak about the Revolution on Long Island and explain his impressive Black Watch uniform and equipment.

We will have a choice of four entrees: broiled salmon; chicken francaise; sliced London broil with mushroom sauce; or rigatoni a la vodka (entree selections made at the table). The meal includes tossed salad, dessert, and coffee or tea (cash bar). Our room will be available from 12 noon and the food will be served beginning at 12:30 p.m. The luncheon is $35 ($40 for checks postmarked after Saturday, September 27th) and we will have open seating rather than assigned tables. We can guarantee good food, an interesting program, and an enjoyable afternoon.

Reservation information has been mailed to NCHS members. Non-members are requested to contact the luncheon chairperson, Betsey Murphy at 627-8674 or Natalie Naylor at 538-7679 for seating availability. We cannot guarantee space will be available if you come without a reservation.
A pdf copy of the meeting announcement is available here for you to print out and send in your reservation form and payment.

Davenport Press Restaurant is located at 70 Main Street in Mineola, south of 2nd St., and between Willis Ave, and Mineola Blvd. Because of one-way streets, we suggest taking Roslyn Rd. south and turning right (west) onto Old Country Rd. Turn north on Main St. (just after Willis Ave.). The restaurant is on the right, just before the LIRR tracks. Parking is on the south side of the restaurant or on the street (parking at meters is free on Sunday).

 

North Hempstead Town Hall

Sunday, September 21, 2014, 2:00 p.m.
North Hempstead: Celebrating its 400th Anniversary
Howard Kroplick
The Community Church of East Williston

Town of North Hempstead historian Howard Kroplick will speak on the history of the town in celebration of the 400th anniversary of its European discovery. His powerpoint presentation spans the history of the town, including the people, places, and landmarks that have created its identity. He is sure to mention the Vanderbilt Cup Races which are one of his passions. Copies of his recent pictorial history, North Hempstead, will be available for signing (published by Arcadia, it is a $20 paperback).
Light refreshments will be served after the program.
Guests are welcome to attend; invite your friends.

Directions: The Community Church of East Williston is located at 45 East Williston Avenue (click link for map), adjacent to the NW corner of Roslyn Road and East Williston Avenue/Hillside Avenue/Route 25B in East Williston. Enter the church parking lot from Roslyn Road or Ward Street (one block north of Route 25B). Enter door on the east side for the parish hall.

 

 

Ethel Roosevelt Derby

Sunday, May 18, 2014, 2:00 p.m.
Women in Long Island’s Past
Natalie A. Naylor
The Community Church of East Williston

Nationally notable women and local leaders have been part of Long Island’s history, though nearly invisible in most accounts. Authors and artists, sunksquaws and suffragists, pioneering pilots and the Janes who made the planes, and innumerable other women have all left their mark on Long Island’s past. Even "ordinary" women have played important roles throughout our history. The speaker is a retired Hofstra University professor and president of our Historical Society. Following the talk, Dr. Naylor will sign copies of her recent book, Women in Long Island’s Past: A History of Eminent Ladies and Everyday Lives.
Light refreshments will be served after the program.
Guests are welcome to attend; invite your friends.

Directions: The Community Church of East Williston is located at 45 East Williston Avenue (click link for map), adjacent to the NW corner of Roslyn Road and East Williston Avenue/Hillside Avenue/Route 25B in East Williston. Enter the church parking lot from Roslyn Road or Ward Street (one block north of Route 25B). Enter door on the east side for the parish hall.

 

 

William Floyd in front of his Long Island manor house (reproduction of 1792 painting by Ralph Earl).

NPS photo

April 13, 2014, 2:00 p.m.
"He Dared to Sign [in 1776]: William Floyd"
a talk and slide presentation with MaryLaura Lamont
The Community Church of East Williston

William Floyd, one of four signers of the Declaration of Independence for the state of New York, was born and raised in Mastic, Long Island. In addition to being one of the Founding Fathers, Floyd ran his plantation of 4,400 acres and had a long and interesting life. Generations of his descendants lived in the house, and the family donated the 25-room "Old Mastic House" and more than 600 acres of land to the National Park Service in 1976. The Floyd house is interpreted as it changed and grew with the family over the years.

Our speaker, MaryLaura Lamont, has been a ranger for the Park Service at the Floyd estate for more than three decades.

Guests are welcome to attend; invite your friends.

Directions: The Community Church of East Williston is located at 45 East Williston Avenue, adjacent to the NW corner of Roslyn Road and East Williston Avenue/Hillside Avenue/Route 25B in East Williston. Enter the church parking lot from Roslyn Road or Ward Street (one block north of Route 25B). Enter door on the east side for the parish hall.

 

February 9, 2014, 2:00 p.m.
Elizabeth Kahn Kaplan: "Poking Fun: Political Puns and Social Satire in the Genre Paintings of William Sidney Mount"
The Community Church of East Williston

William Sidney Mount, Farmers Nooning, 1836.

Courtesy The Long Island Museum.

Art historian Elizabeth Kahn Kaplan combines art and history to take a close look at the use of humor and political satire in selected genre paintings of Long Island artist William Sidney Mount. Nineteenth-century relations between the sexes, abolitionist rhetoric, and political chicanery were all grist for the visual puns Mount incorporated into seemingly simple scenes of country life on Long Island. Mount’s neighbors and city patrons readily "got" his subtle--and not so subtle--jokes. In this illustrated talk, Ms. Kaplan explains Mount’s "insider" jokes, double-entendres, puns, and political humor, which help us better understand his paintings in the context of the political and social themes of his time.
What is represented by the boy tickling a sleeping black man with a straw in Farmers Nooning, 1836? (image above)
What does the trap represent in Catching Rabbits, 1839?
Answers to these and other questions will be shared during this program. Discovery of Mount’s sharp wit adds another dimension to appreciation of his art.
This program is co-sponsored by the New York Council for the Humanities; it is free and open to all.

Elizabeth Kahn Kaplan is an educator, writer, and lecturer about art, artists, and American history to both adult and school-age audiences. Formerly the Director of Education with the Three Village Historical Society in Setauket, NY, Mrs. Kaplan curated their exhibit, Spies! How A Group of Long Island Patriots Helped General Washington Win the Revolution. She is a co-editor of the Society’s publication, William Sidney Mount: Family, Friends and Ideas, about the world-renowned 19th century American genre artist.

Guests are welcome to attend; invite your friends.

Directions: The Community Church of East Williston is located at 45 East Williston Avenue (click link for map), adjacent to the NW corner of Roslyn Road and East Williston Avenue/Hillside Avenue/Route 25B in East Williston. Enter the church parking lot from Roslyn Road or Ward Street (one block north of Route 25B). Enter door on the east side for the parish hall.

 

Sunday, December 8, 2013, 2:00 p.m.
Rebuilding the Historic Jones Beach
George Gorman, Jr.
The Community Church of East Williston

Jones Beach State Park was hard hit by superstorm Sandy in October 2012. George Gorman, Jr., the Deputy Regional (Long Island) Director of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, will explain how Jones Beach State Park has been reconstructed -- while maintaining the historic integrity of the facility -- after the major damage it sustained.
Light refreshments will be served after the presentation.
Guests are welcome to attend; invite your friends.

Directions: The Community Church of East Williston is located at 45 East Williston Avenue (click link for map), adjacent to the NW corner of Roslyn Road and East Williston Avenue/Hillside Avenue/Route 25B in East Williston. Enter the church parking lot from Roslyn Road or Ward Street (one block north of Route 25B). Enter door on the east side for the parish hall.

 

 

Sunday, October 20, 2013, 12:00
NCHS Annual Meeting and Luncheon
Davenport Press Restaurant, Mineola

Our annual meeting this year will be at a luncheon at the historic Davenport Press Restaurant in Mineola. The building was built in 1862 as a bank, it later became a printing company and was the official county printer for years. A restaurant since 1976, it is decorated with antiques and historic photographs.

Peter Bales, author of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the 20st Century: A Factual and Irreverent Survey of American History,will speack on "Alfred E. Smith: Let's Look at the Record." Al Smith is most remembered today as the defeated candidate for president in 1928, but he had served four terms as New York State governor. During his administrations in the 1920s, Robert Moses had Smith's support to create a dozen state parks on Long Island. A professor in the CUNY system, Dr. Bales is an entertaining speaker (he spoke at our 1996 dinner meeting; see his website, peterbales.com

We have streamlined the luncheon this year, with a more affordable price of $35 and open seating at smaller tables. There is a choice of four entree selections: sliced London broil with mushroom sauce; broiled salmon; chicken francaise; or rigatoni alla vodka. The luncheon, which will be served at 12:30 p.m., includes tossed salad, desert, and coffee or tea (cash bar). We can guarantee good food, an interesting program, and an enjoyable afternoon. Guests are welcome; invite your friends.

Davenport Press Restaurant is located at 70 Main Street in Mineola, south of 2nd St., and between Willis Ave, and Mineola Blvd. Because of one-way streets, we suggest taking Roslyn Rd. south and turning right (west) onto Old Country Rd. Turn north on Main St. (just after Willis Ave.). The restaurant is on the right, just before the LIRR tracks. Parking is on the south side of the restaurant or on the street (parking at meters is free on Sunday).

 

Saltzman house, East Hampton, Long Island.

Courtesy Ezra Stoller ©Esto.

Sunday, September 22, 2013, 2:00 p.m.
LI's Modern Architecture
Jericho Public Library

Long Island has many historic houses and Gold Coast mansions, but we rarely think about its modern houses. Many internationally renowned modern architects, including Frank Lloyd Wright, I. M. Pei, Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer, and Edward Durell Stone, designed buildings on Long Island. Many were on the East End, but some were in Nassau County. Architectural historian and preservationist Caroline Rob Zaleski, author of Long Island Modernism, 1930-1980 (W.W. Norton), surveyed hundreds of significant modernist buildings for the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities (SPLIA). Her talk, illustrated with archival and contemporary photographs, uncovers this hitherto forgotten past and includes some genuine surprises. The program is co-sponsored by our host, the Jericho Library (516-935-6790). Refreshments will follow the program.

 

Saturday, June 22, 2013, 11:00 a.m.
Talk and Tour: Oheka Castle
Oheka Castle, Huntington

When Otto Herman Kahn built Oheka in 1917-1919, it was (and still is) the second largest private residence in America, with 127 rooms and 109,000 square feet. Designed by architects Delano & Aldrich in the French Renaissance style, the Olmsted Brothers landscaped its 443 acres. Gary Melius began restoration of this magnificent estate in 1984 and recreated the formal gardens with reflecting pools and fountains. Oheka is on the National Register of Historic Places and a premier locale for weddings and special events.
We will tour Oheka and learn about its history. Note the change in date and time from that previously announced. Please dress appropriately-country cub casual attire (no shorts or jeans).
Directions: Oheka is just over the Suffolk line at 135 West Gate Drive, Huntington, off Jericho Turnpike. Take Round Swamp Road north, either from the Northern State Parkway (exit 39) or the LI Expressway/Rt. 495 (exit 48N). Continue north on Round Swamp Rd. 2 or 3 miles. Turn left (west) on Rt. 25/Jericho Turnpike. At the first traffic light, make a sharp right turn at the stone-walled entrance onto West Gate Drive. Bear left to the front gate entrance to Oheka.

Sunday, April 14, 2013, 2:00 p.m.
Constance Haydock: "Gatsby and Beyond: The Fabled Gardens of Long Island's Gold Coast"
Jericho Public Library, 1 Merry Lane, Jericho

Landscape architect Constance Haydock will speak on the gardens of Long Island's Gold Coast at our April 14th meeting. Originally comprising vast areas of the North Shores of Long Island, the Gold Coast was a favorite retreat of the rich and famous. Beginning around the turn of the century and through the 1920s, the North Shore was the place to be for some of the most notable Americans. Along with grand houses, they built elaborate gardens, hiring such notable architects and landscape architects as Delano and Aldrich, Carrere and Hastings, the Olmsted Brothers, Beatrix Farrand, and Ellen Biddle Shipman. Discover the gardens, as they were originally built, and learn about their history, landscape design, and present condition. This illustrated lecture is co-sponsored by our host, the Jericho Public Library.
Guests are welcome to attend; invite your friends.
Directions: The Jericho library is located at 1 Merry Lane, just south of Jericho Turnpike and east of Rt.106/107. From the Long Island Expressway, take Exit 41N or Northern State Parkway to Exit 35N (Rt.106/107). Proceed north 1/4 mile to Rte.25 (Jericho Turnpike). Drive east on Jericho Turnpike 1 block to Merry Lane. Turn south on Merry Lane, and proceed 100 feet to the library on the east side of the street.

 

Sunday, February 10, 2013, 2:00 p.m.
Denward W. Collins, Jr. "Goldbeating in Hicksville: Producing Gold Leaf"
The Community Church of East Williston, East Williston

Goldbeating panel from WPA Mural painted by Joseph Allen Physioc in 1936, in Hicksville Middle School Auditorium, Hicksville, Long Island.

Goldbeating, the craft of producing gold leaf, dates to biblical times. Beginning in 1850, German immigrants brought this craft to the rural hamlet of Hicksville. At its peak, this cottage industry employed one-third of Hicksville's population in more than twenty shops. Gold leaf was used to decorate many objects, including leather-bound books, picture frames, dinner plates, and carriages. Hicksville's last goldbeating shop closed in 1942. Learn the interesting history of goldbeating from Denward W. Collins, Jr., past president of the Historical Society, whose own family was involved in this industry.

 

Sunday, December 2, 2012, 2:00 p.m.
Edward J. Smits "New Yorkers Re-imagineer Santa Claus in the 1880s"
The Community Church of East Williston, East Williston

A presentation by Nassau County Historian Edward J. Smits of how leading New York and Long Island writers and publishers transformed the European legend of St. Nicholas into a folk superstar-Santa Claus. Washington Irving, Clement Moore, Thomas Nast, and members of the Harper and Onderdonk families created and popularized a new image of Santa Claus that eventually swept the growing young country providing a major permanent influence on American social and commercial life. Ed will display from his personal collection actual original copies of period books, prints, and newspapers that created this significant transformation.

 

Sunday, October 14, 2012, 1:00 p.m.
Annual Meeting
Cherry Valley Club, 28 Rockaway Avenue at Third Street, Garden City

This year the board has decided to change the annual meeting from a dinner to a luncheon in the hope that more members and guests will be able to attend and to reflect the preference expressed by members during the meeting at the Webb Institute. Upon arrival at 1:00 PM wine and cocktails by script (cash) will be available. Soft drinks are complimentary. There will also be fresh garden crudites and a cheese presentation. A sit down luncheon will follow at 1:30 PM with Minnesota wild rice soup, a choice of three entree selections (Montauk shrimp salad platter, stuffed breast of chicken and jumbo lump petite crab cakes) and dessert. The cost for the luncheon is $50 for reservations postmarked by October 1st, $60 for reservations postmarked after October 1st and $65.00 at the door.

After the luncheon Shirley Romaine, an accomplished actress and television personality, will present an informative and entertaining program, "That Place, Those Times: Long Island Voices." Walt Whitman, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ring Lardner, and George M. Cohan are just a few of the literary voices that she will bring to life in her program on aspects of Paumanok's history. Shirley Romaine has appeared extensively on and off Broadway in plays and has been featured on daytime and prime time television. For the past twenty-five years she has been the host of the award winning "Artscene on Long Island" on Cablevision. She has created this program for our luncheon meeting. Please join us for the delicious luncheon and wonderful presentation and be sure to bring your friends.

Announcements and RSVP cards will be mailed to NCHS members in early September. Please contact us if your announcement does not arrive.
If you are not a NCHS member and wish to attend the Annual Meeting, contact us and we will send the information and membership form to you.

This YouTube link is provided as an introduction to Shirley Romaine. The link is an interview from December 19, 2011,
"Art Scene with Shirley Romaine:Spinney Hill: The African American History of Manhasset & Great Neck"
where she interviews the Editor and Writer of this documentary on local Long Island history.

 

Sunday, September 23, 2012, 2:00 p.m.
Ray Lumpp "Memories of the 1948 Olympics"
The Community Church of East Williston, East Williston

The 2012 Olympics in London have concluded, but we'll have an opportunity to go back in history. At the 1948 Olympics in London, Long Islander Ray Lumpp played on the U.S. basketball team, which won all eight of its games and an Olympic gold medal. The coach of the U.S. 2012 basketball team invited him to return to London to see the team play in this year's Olympics. For nearly forty years, Ray Lumpp was athletic director of the NYAC, which produced 230 Olympic medal winners-more than any other athletic club in the world! He'll share his memories with us at our Sept. 23d meeting.

 

Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 7:30 p.m.
Natalie A. Naylor "The Legacy of New Deal Art on LI"
Hicksville Middle School Auditorium, 215 Jerusalem Avenue, Hicksville

Farming panel from WPA Mural painted by Joseph Allen Physioc in 1936, in Hicksville Middle School Auditorium, Hicksville, Long Island.

The Hicksville Middle School has five WPA murals painted by Bayville artist and stage designer Joseph Allen Physioc in 1936. These and most of the fifty surviving New Deal era murals in Nassau and Suffolk counties depict various aspects of local history. Our president, Dr. Natalie A. Naylor, will speak about the art programs of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and show slides of all the extant murals and sculptures in Long Island schools, post offices, and other public buildings. You will be able to see the original five murals in the auditorium. Articles on the murals are in the 2004 NCHS Journal and in the Long Island Historical Journal (vol. 17:2005).
Guests are welcome to attend; invite your friends.

Directions:
The Hicksville Middle School is located at 215 Jerusalem Ave. in Hicksville (click on link for map), east of Rt. 106 and one (double) block south of Old Country Road. The school is between 2nd and 4th Streets on the east side of Jerusalem Ave. Turn left at the first traffic light south of Jerusalem onto 2nd Street to park. Enter the building through the doors on the left wing (near 2nd St) with the columns facing Jerusalem.

 

Sunday, March 18, 2012, 2:00 p.m.
John E. Hammond "Searching for the Civil War Records of the Town of Oyster Bay"
Community Church of East Williston

In continuing observance of the Civil War Sesquicentennial, John E. Hammond, Historian of the Town of Oyster Bay, will speak on "Searching for the Civil War Records of the Town of Oyster Bay." Last year John Hammond compiled and published Civil War Records: Town of Oyster Bay. He will speak about his quest, share some of his interesting findings, and have copies of booklet available for those attending. We are in the midst of the ongoing 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Come to learn about some of the local young men who served in the war. Snow date, if necessary, Sunday March 25th, same time and location.
Guests are welcome to attend; invite your friends.

 

Sunday, January 29, 2012, 2:00 p.m.
Professor Richard C. Harris "William H. Webb & Webb Institute"
Webb Institute, Glen Cove

In 1889 in the Bronx, William H. Webb, considered the greatest American shipbuilder of the nineteenth century, founded what is today the Webb Institute of Naval Architecture. Webb moved in 1947 to the former estate of Herbert L. Pratt, the Braes, in Glen Cove. At this small select college on a 26-acre campus, all students receive full tuition scholarships and pursue double majors in Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture. Richard Harris, Professor of Humanities at Webb, will speak about the extraordinary life of William Webb, the role of the school he founded, and the history of the magnificent 1914 Pratt mansion that is the main building on the Webb campus today. A short tour of the mansion will follow the presentation. The snow date is February 5. Guests are welcome to attend; invite your friends. Refreshments will be served after the program.
Directions: Webb is located at 298 Crescent Beach Road in Glen Cove. Take Glen Cove Road north into Glen Cove (bear left at fork and follow Rt. 107 to end). At the firehouse, turn right onto Brewster St.; turn left just before school onto Dosoris Lane (4 traffic lights). After about 1 mile, turn left at New Woods Rd. and go to the end. Turn right onto Crescent Beach Rd. Go about 1/4 mile to the end where you'll see the entrance to Webb.

 

Sunday, December 4, 2011, 2:00 p.m.
Ms. Peter G. Rose "Joyful Traditions: How the Dutch Brought Us Santa, Presents, and Treats"
The Community Church of East Williston

In this slide-lecture, food historian Peter G. Rose delves into the early history of the life of Saint Nicholas; explains the various changes in his veneration; and relates how he was brought to America by the Dutch in the 17th century, and again, transformed into Santa in the 19th century. The talk encompasses such subjects as literature, religion, the fine arts, and Dutch food ways to describe the extraordinary story of Saint Nicholas' generosity, which has had a lasting impact on American culture. The event, which is free and open to the public, is made possible through the support of the New York Council for the Humanities. Guests are welcome to attend; invite your friends. Refreshments will be served after the program.

 

Thursday, October 13, 2011
Annual Dinner Meeting
Westbury Manor, 1100 Jericho Turnpike (Route 25), Westbury, New York

Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres at six p.m.
Dinner at six forty-five p.m.
Program by Larry Moser and Mary Nagin, "Rally Round the Flag" Tunes & Songs of the Civil War as we reflect on the sequicentenial of this turning point in our nation's history.
Announcements and RSVP cards will be mailed to NCHS members in early September. Please contact us if your announcement does not arrive. If you are not a NCHS member and wish to attend the Annual Dinner, contact us and we will send the information and membership form to you.

 

Sunday, September 25, 2011, 2:00 p.m.
Amy Verone "Preserving Sagamore Hill"
The Community Church of East Williston

Amy Verone has been the Curator at the Sagamore Hill National Historic Site for many years and is the authority on the Roosevelts at Sagamore Hill. Theodore Roosevelt and his family lived in this house for many decades, and their home is unique for having so many original furnishings. Learn about the history of the house, the Roosevelts, and planned renovations. Note: TR's home will be closing this fall for extensive rehabilitation. If you have not been to Sagamore Hill recently, visit soon since the main house will be closed for up to two years. Guided house tours ($5) are offered on the hour, from 10 AM to 4 PM, Wednesday through Sunday. Guests are welcome to attend; invite your friends. Refreshments will be served after the program.

 

Wednesday, May 25, 2011, 6:30 p.m.
John Norbeck "History of the Phipps Estate"
Old Westbury Gardens, Old Westbury

John Norbeck is President of Old Westbury Gardens and will speak to us about the history of the Phipps Estate, today's Old Westury Gardens. The 70-room Westbury House, completed in 1906, is on the National Register and the formal gardens and extensive landscaped grounds are a national treasure. A special bonus is that our program will be in Orchard Hill, Peggie Phipps Boergner's former home on the estate grounds. Orchard Hill is a nineteenth-century Quaker farmhouse, which is not regularly open to the public. Members can arrive at Old Westbury Gardens anytime after 4 PM to stroll the gardens. Refreshments will be served after the 6:30 talk. Because space is limited at Orchard Hill, this program is limited to Nassau County Historical Society members only; bring this announcement as your ticket of admission. If you arrive after 5 PM (when the main gate closes), use the entrance at 55 Old Westbury Rd., just south of the main gate. Program will be held rain or shine.

 

April 10, 2011, 2:00 p.m.
John Ellis Kordes "A. T. Stewart and the Origins of Garden City" and Tour of the Cathedral, including the Crypt
Cathedral of the Incarnation, Garden City

John Ellis Kordes will speak and be our tour guide at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Garden City. He is Garden City's Village Historian and a professional photographer, who has produced a documentary film, A. T. Stewart's Garden City, and a book, Visions of Garden City. Stewart, one of the wealthiest men in the world at the time, purchased almost 10,000 acres of the Hempstead Plains in 1869 to create Garden City. After Stewart died on April 10, 1876 (yes, it's the 135th anniversary of his death), his widow Cornelia Clinch Stewart had Henry S. Harrison design an imposing Gothic Revival cathedral as a memorial to her husband, having convinced the Episcopal Diocese to move its headquarters from Brooklyn to Garden City. Her other memorials included the Bishop's House, St. Paul's School for Boys and St. Mary's School for Girls. Guests are welcome to attend; invite your friends. Refreshments will be served after the program.

 

February 20, 2011, 2:00 p.m.
Linda Russell "Songs America Voted By: Campaign Songs of the 19th Century"
Community Church of East Williston

Presented with the support of the New York Council for the Humanities. The political campaigns of the past were fueled by song. Tunes like "Jefferson and Liberty," "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too," "Grover's Veto," and "You're All Right, Teddy" were sung with great gusto from porches and taverns across the land. They livened up street corners and torchlight parades. Campaign wordsmiths, often using popular melodies of the day, wrote catchy ditties that got stuck in our heads as we went to the polls. Balladeer Linda Russell traces our elections, from Jefferson's victory song through the Whigs Great Singing Campaign of 1840, to the ragtime melodies of Teddy Roosevelt's term. This lively program casts a unique look at how we got to know the candidates for political office in the days before mass media.
Ms. Linda Russell Balladeer/Musical Historian For 30 years, Linda Russell has explored America's past through song. She served as 18th century balladeer at Federal Hall National Memorial in NYC. Now, her performances are in demand at historic sites, schools and community centers around the country. New York venues have included Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center Out-of Doors, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing. She has recorded eight albums of traditional and historical music, including: Stephen Foster Songs on Albany Records, The Good Old Colony Days on Prairie Smoke Records and Christmas Past, on Helicon Records.

 

Sunday, January 9, 2011, 2:00 p.m.
Eva Greguski "Rustic Refinements: The Musical Genre Paintings and Prints of Long Island Painter William Sidney Mount, 1830-1860"
Community Church of East Williston

Eva Greguski was formerly art curator at the Long Island Museum of American Art, History and Carriages in Stony Brook which has the largest collection of William Sidney Mount paintings. Mount is America's foremost genre painter. Mount played the violin and music is integral in many of his paintings.
N.B. The snow date is March 14 (same time and place).

 

Wednesday, October 13, 2010, Cocktails at 6 p.m.; Dinner at 7 p.m.
Annual Dinner Meeting
Westbury Manor, 1100 Jericho Turnpike (Route 25), Westbury, New York

Note: this will be a Wednesday evening, instead of our usual Thursday evening.
Lion's Pride: John Cranford Adams and Hofstra University
Hofstra University is celebrating its 75th Anniversary this year. Bob Spiotto, the Executive Producer, Hofstra Entertainment and Artistic Director of the Hofstra Cultural Center's Performing/Community Arts Program, has created for us a special theatrical presentation. Lion's Pride: John Cranford Adams and Hofstra University will have its premier at the Society's Annual Dinner on October 13th (starring Bob Spiotto!).
John Cranford Adams was President of Hofstra from 1944 to 1964 and the decisive formative influence in the University. An eminent Shakespeare scholar who researched the Globe theatre, Dr. Adams initiated Hofstra's Shakespeare Festival in 1950. The plays are often presented on the 5/6th life-size replica of the Globe stage, which is now erected in Hofstra's John Cranford Adams Playhouse for the annual Shakespeare Festival.
The Nassau County Historical Society has had many ties to Hofstra. During the Adams presidency and for the past 25 years, its collection of books and manuscripts has been housed at Hofstra, currently in the Long Island Studies Institute in Hofstra's Axinn Library. The Institute is the premier resource for researching Nassau County history.
Please join us as Bob Spiotto makes John Cranford Adams "come alive" on Wednesday evening, October 13th.

 

September 19, 2010, 2:00 p.m.
Natalie A. Naylor "Daring and Intrepid Airwomen: Long Island's Pioneer Women Aviators"
Cradle of Aviation Museum, Mitchel Field

Natalie A. Naylor, NCHS President, presented a program illustrated with slides on the over two dozen women aviators who called Long Island home.

 

Thursday, June 17, 2010, time 7:00 p.m.
Nunley's Carousel at Museum Row
Museum Row, Mitchel Field, Garden City, New York

Members and their guests are encouraged to join us for this special visit to Nunley's Carousel. Society board member. and Nassau Country Historian, Ed Smits will give a talk on the history of this local amusement ride. You'll also be able to take a spin on the carousel. (See web site, Nunley's Carousel.)

 

Thursday, April 15, 2010, 7:00 p.m.
"A History of St. John's Episcopal Church, Lattingtown"
St. John's Episcopal Church, 325 Lattingtown Road, Locust Valley, New York

Fr. Simon Foster, Rector, St. John's Lattingtown will talk about the history and architecture of this north shore congregation spanning just over 150 years.

 

Sunday, March 7, 2010, 2:00 p.m.
"Painters of Long Island's North Fork"
The Community Church of East Williston, East Williston, New York

Geoffrey Fleming, Director of the Southhold Historical Society and co-author, A Shared Aesthetic: Artists of Long Island's North Fork" will share a slide presentation.
Artists have lived and worked on the North Fork since the 18th century. The "Peconic colony" included such artists as Benjamin Fitz, Edward Bell, Irving Wiles, Henry and Edith Prellwitz, and many others. Our speaker, Geoffrey Fleming, is the co-author of the widely acclaimed book, A Shared Aesthetic: Painters of Long Island's North Fork. As Amei Wallach concluded in her Foreword to the book, the landscapes and other paintings of these artists celebrate "a place, a history, and a way of living and making art." Learn about the artists and their paintings in this illustrated presentation.
The snow date is March 14 (same time and place).

 

Sunday, January 17, 2010, 2:00 p.m.
"Claimed by the Sea: Long Island Shipwrecks"
Joint meeting with the Farmingdale-Bethpage Historical Society
Farmingdale Public Library
116 Merritts Road
Farmingdale, New York

Adam Grohman is the author of a number of books on shipwrecks and other maritime subjects, including Claimed by the Sea: Long Island Shipwrecks. (See web site, Underwater Historical Society.) As a diver, he has explored many shipwrecks in the waters around Long Island.

 

Thursday, October 15, 2009
Annual Dinner Meeting
Westbury Manor, Westbury, New York

The evening's program featured Michael Goudket, Master of Music of the Huntington Militia, instructing and entertaining us about "Instrumental Music in Colonial America" with demonstrations on period instruments.

 

Thursday, September 10, 2009
"Images of the LIRR Through 175 Years"
The Community Church of East Williston, East Williston, New York

The Long Island Rail Road was first chartered in 1834. In recognition of its 175th Anniversary, this special meeting is on the history of the LIRR. David Morrison is a railroad historian and authority on the history of the Long Island Rail Road. He gave an illustrated presentation.
Did you know that the LIRR was begun as a short cut to Boston? The railroad has played a vital role in the development of Long Island throughout its history. Today it is the largest commuter railroad in North America, serving 87.4 million passengers on more than 700 miles of track on its eleven different branches.

 

Thursday, June 4, 2009 7:30 p.m.
North Shore Estates
Hoffman Center, 6000 Northern Boulevard, Muttontown

Paul Mateyunas, author of North Shore Long Island: Country Houses, 1890-1950 will be speaking on North Shore Estates. (clicking on the book title will take you to the publisher's website for more information about this book)
The Hoffman Center is the former Brewster Estate. Clicking on Hoffman Center: Nature Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary will take you to the center's web site which includes information about the center and its former history as the Brewster Estate.
Please note that there will be no charge for NCHS members to attend this program meeting. Be sure to bring the program announcement card for this meeting which will be mailed out in mid-May. There will be a $10 (cash or check) per person charge at the door for guests of members and non-members.

 

Thursday, April 16, 2009 7:00 p.m.
"Changing Times: North Hempstead History"
and a tour of the North Hempstead Town Hall
Town Hall of North Hempstead, 220 Plandome Road, Manhasset, New York

Our evening program focuses on the early 20th century when North Hempstead's Town Hall was built. (Town Hall was refurbished last year in celebration of its 100th anniversary.) Leslie Gross, North Hempstead Town Clerk, will present an illustrated history of the Town, assisted by Joan Kent, the Town Historian. Following the program in the Town Board Room, we will tour the building. Historical photographs are in the hallways, showing various scenes of the past in the Town of North Hempstead.

Follow this link to a press release: Town Traces Origins on North Hempstead Day: Ribbon cutting ceremony unveils renovated Town Hall with photos and information about the Town Hall renovation in September 2008.

 

Sunday, February 22, 2009 2:00 p.m.
"Exploring African-American Culture and Community at Lloyd Manor:
The Archeology of an Eighteenth-Century Slave Quarters"
The Community Church of East Williston, East Williston, New York

In observation of February as Black History Month, the NCHS welcomes Jenna Coplin who will discuss the discoveries from the archaeological excavation Hofstra University's Center for Public Archaeology has been conducting on Lloyd Neck at the Joseph Lloyd Manor, the home of Jupiter Hammon, America's first published black writer. Professor Coplin's topic is "Exploring African-American Culture and Community at Lloyd Manor: The Archaeology of an Eighteenth-Century Slave Quarters." The excavation is one of the first archaeological studies of slave quarters in New York and has been featured in several newspaper articles. Learn how archaeological discoveries enhance written records.

Follow this link to an article from Hofstra Horizons, Fall 2007 The Archaeology of Captivity and Freedom in Early New York detailing the work of Professors Matthews and Coplin at King Manor and Lloyd Manor.
An article from the New York Times, Dig Seeks to Unearth an Identity at Slave Site about the dig at Lloyd Manor.
This link will take you to Hofstra researchers dig into times of slave poet Jupiter Hammon an article in the New York Daily News about the Lloyd Manor excavation.

 

Sunday, January 11, 2009, 2:00 p.m.
Jones Beach: An Illustrated History
The Community Church of East Williston, East Williston, New York

John Hanc, author of "Jones Beach: An Illustrated History" will present a lecture.

From the publisher's web site:

"Jones Beach opened inauspiciously amidst a howling sandstorm on August 4, 1929. In the years since, it has attracted 500 million visitors and become hallowed ground to generations of New Yorkers. Today Jones Beach evokes cherished memories of long-spent youth, old friends, and departed loved ones. In this evocative illustrated book, author John Hanc explores the traditions, institutions, controversies, and characters of this beloved seaside resort, now a state historic landmark. Vintage photos show buildings rising, parking lots filling, and generations of beachgoers having a good time.

Going all the way back to the British Empire days of pirate Thomas Jones, for whom the beach is named, John Hanc tells the stories of those who have shaped Jones Beach into a cultural icon - including Robert Moses, who promised to provide a refuge to the "teeming masses" from America's great city; a young Ronald Reagan, who starred in a Hollywood depiction of Jones Beach; and beloved entertainer Guy Lombardo, who revived Jones Beach Theater and created famously elaborate shows."

 

Thursday, October 16, 2008,
Annual Dinner Meeting
Westbury Manor, Westbury, New York

We welcome Gene Horton, who will be speaking to us about: William Floyd, Long Island's Signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Thursday, June 26, 2008, 7:30 p.m.
Visit to the restored Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building
Mineola, New York

NCHS Board member Edward Smits began his presentation History and Architecture of the Old Courthouse with a brief tour of the restored building. The tour began on the front steps, proceeded through the Rotunda to the second floor main courtroom. Ed's recollections of working in the building, and the personages he encountered there added spice to the historical narrative and drama which this building has witnessed in our county's history. We were also treated to hearing NCHS Board member Natalie Naylor provide a brief recap of her research into the historic WPA Murals in Nassau County. She focused on the four murals located in the rotunda's stairways.

Sunday, April 20, 2008, 2:30 p.m.
"A Sense of Place; Long Island History and Heritage"
The Community Church of East Williston, East Williston, New York

Dr. Natalie Naylor presented an overview of Long Island's history from the Native American Indians and early Dutch and English settlements in the seventeenth century to Levittown and the suburban metropolis in the twenty-first century. Both the land and sea have shaped the lives of Long Islanders from Brooklyn to Montauk in agricultural, maritime, and other activities. The slide presentation included genre and landscape paintings by William Sidney Mount and William Merritt Chase, Currier and Ives lithographs, WPA murals, as well as contemporary photographs of historic houses and sites which illustrate Paumanok's history.

Sunday, February 17, 2008, 2:00 p.m.
Houses of the Hamptons 1880-1930
The Community Church of East Williston, East Williston, New York

A slide presentation by Gary Lawrance, the co-author of "Houses of the Hamptons, 1880-1930." Mr. Lawrance, AIA, is an architect from Stony Brook, New York. He wrote his 1982 architectural thesis on the country house architecture of Long Island's Gold Coast. He also consults with preservation groups, scholars, and homeowners in researching the historical background of their properties.
A short video clip, approx. 8 minutes, from "The Morning, Noon & Night" show on PlumTV, is available here and features Mr. Lawrance and his co-author Anne Surchin.

Sunday, January 6, 2008, 2:00 p.m.
"Planting Fields: A Long Island Gold Coast Story"
The Community Church of East Williston, East Williston, New York

Ellen Cone Busch, former Director of Coe Hall and Planting Fields Foundation, presented an illustrated talk on the William Robertson Coe family and their Planting Fields estate in Oyster Bay. Now the Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park and Coe Hall House Museum, this is one of the treasures of Long Island. Coe Hall, the 65-room mansion designed by Walker and Gillette, was built for the Coes between 1918 and 1921; it is open from April to September. The gardens, greenhouses, grounds, as well as the new Visitor Center are open year round. Learn about the family who created this magnificent 400 acre North Shore estate and donated it to the State of New York in 1949.

Thursday, October 11, 2007, 7:00 p.m.
Annual Dinner Meeting
Westbury Manor, Westbury, New York

Following the dinner and business parts of the annual meeting, Dr. Peter Bales presented the program "George Washington Schlepped Here: A Lighthearted Look at America's (and Long Island's) History". Professor Peter Bales is the author of "How Come They Always Had the Battles in National Parks?" Dr. Bales (Ph.D. in history SUNY Stony Brook 1992) is a member of the faculty of the Queensborough Community College of the City University of New York, and has worked as a writer/researcher for the History Channel.

Thursday, June 21, 2007, 7:30 p.m.
"Washington's Spies, The Story of America's First Spy Ring"
Doubleday Babcock Senior Center
corner of East Main Street and White Street (directions)
Oyster Bay

A program co-sponsored with the Oyster Bay Historical Society. Author Alexander Rose will talk about his book, "Washington's Spies, The Story of America's First Spy Ring". The Culper Spy Ring existed from 1778 and disbanded at the war's close in 1783.
For more information read a review in Newsday and an interview with the author in National Review. Hardcover published in 2006, paperback to be released May 1, 2007.

Sunday, April 29, 2007, 2:00 p.m.
Living the American Dream: Levittown and the Suburban Boom
First Presbyterian Church
Wantagh Avenue, Levittown
Directions: the church is located on the west side of Wantagh Avenue,
one mile south of Hempstead Turnpike, or
one mile north of Southern State Parkway.

In recognition of the 60th Anniversary of Levittown, Joshua Ruff, History Curator of The Long Island Museum of American Art, History & Carriages will present a slide and DVD lecture drawn from the currently running exhibit Living the American Dream: Levittown and the Suburban Boom from February 10 through July 8, 2007. Many of the items in the exhibit are on loan from the Levittown Historical Society collection.

March 18, 2007, 2:00 p.m.
Mineola--The Nassau County Seat
Recognition of its Centennial in 2006 as a Village

Mineola Village Hall
Washington Avenue (one block south of Jericho Turnpike, and west of Willis Avenue)
Mineola

A panel discussion by Village Trustee John S. DaVanzo, Village Historian Neil Young and Nassau County Historian Edward Smits will explore the village's unique history, growth and character.

Sunday, January 7, 2007, 2:30 p.m.
"The Wrecks of the Bristol and Mexico, 1836-1837
Community Church of East Williston
Hillside Avenue and Roslyn Road
East Williston

Arthur E. Mattson's slide presentation about the more than two hundred immigrants who drowned or froze to death during the winter of 1836-73 when the Bristol and Mexico were wrecked off the south shore of Long Island. This was before the days of women and children first. Amazing acts of heroism and cowardice surrounded both wrecks. Walt Whitman included references to these disasters in his poem "The Sleepers". Mr. Mattson, historian of Lynbrook, has written a book on the wrecks which will be published in the spring.

October 20, 2006
Annual Dinner Meeting
George Washington Manor Restaurant
Roslyn

Reports were presented from the past year, and the Board of Trustees Class of 2011 were elected.

The brief, but necessary routine business matters were dispensed with during dinner. After our meal, we were entertained by a group demonstrating English Country dancing. Dr. Orly Krasner, who narrated, explained that the dancers used various means to silently convey their feelings to their partners. She invited members of the audience to join the dancers for the concluding dances. President George Washington could have participated in dances such as these during his 1790 tour of Long Island in a setting very much like that of our meeting. In fact, Washington did eat breakfast at Hendrick Onderdonk's house, which is the core of today's Washington Manor.

June 13, 2006
Down the Isle: Wedding Traditions on Long Island
St. Bede's Episcopal Church
Syosset

During this program, we "attended" the weddings of more than a dozen Long Islanders. "Down the Isle: Wedding Traditions on Long Island" was presented in the sanctuary of St. Bedes Episcopal Church in Syosset by Joshua Ruff, curator of the exhibition on weddings at The Long Island Museum of American Art, History & Carriages. The styles and details followed the social and economic conditions from the simple wedding, attended by six or eight in the family parlor, to the extravagant affairs of the high Victorian era, and then back to simplicity of the early thirties and World War II. A "reception" followed in the church parlor where the "wedding guests" enjoyed tea sandwiches, small cakes, and punch.

April 27, 2006
The Art of Tiffany
Jericho Public Library
Jericho

Eva Greguski, curator of the exhibition on Tiffany at The Long Island Museum of American Art, History & Carriages. She used slides of lamps, windows, vases, and artifacts from the exhibit. Her program was an excellent introduction for those of us who later visited the exhibit in Stony Brook. Those interested in Tiffany will want to visit the exhibition, "Louis Comfort Tiffany and Laurelton Hall: An Artist's Country Estate," at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City through May 20, 2007. This exhibit includes leaded and stained glass windows, lighting fixtures, vases, pottery, and enamelware from Tiffany's home. It features the first showing of Tiffany's Daffodil Terrace, which has painstakingly been restored during the last two years.

February 19, 2006
Black Long Islanders: Community, Church, and Family
Uniondale Public Library
Uniondale

In commemoration of Black History Month, our February program was presented by Lynda Day, Professor of Africana Studies at Brooklyn College, CUNY. Dr. Day, author of Making a Way to Freedom: A History of African Americans on Long Island, spoke on Black Long Islanders. Her slides showed photographs of notable black leaders, old documents, and sites, and she also discussed the Underground Railroad organized by abolitionists. This very interesting and informative program concluded with dialogue with members of the audience who knew descendants of some of the individuals and families mentioned. This meeting was co sponsored by the Uniondale Public Library and held in their recently enlarged and renovated building.

Thursday, October 14, 2004
Annual Meeting
North Shore Country Club
Glen Head

Reports were presented from the past year, and the Board of Trustees Class of 2009 were elected.

Sampawams Creek performed instrumental and vocal selections from nautical history.

Thursday, June 15, 2004
Clark Botanic Garden
Albertson

A late afternoon picnic was followed by a garden tour where attendees enjoyed the visual splendors of the Clark Botanic Garden before sunset. A presentation about the gardens took place inside as the sun set on a glorious summer day.

May 6, 2004, 8:00 p.m.
From Basic Training to Basic Research
Camp Upton in World War I & II and the Brookhaven National Laboratory
Main Terminal of Republic Airport
Route 110
East Farmingdale

Jeanne Marie Petschauer
BNL Community Involvement Representative

Many army recruits trained at Camp Upton in Yaphank during the Great War, including Irving Berlin who wrote "Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning" about his experiences there. Camp Upton was an induction center in World War II. In 1947, the site became Brookhaven National Labratory (BNL), which investigates peaceful uses of the atom.

April 18, 2004, 2:30 p.m.
The Human and Natural History of the Hempstead Plains
Tackapausha Museum
Washington Avenue
Seaford

Carole Neidich-Ryder, Curator of Tackapausha Musem and the South Shore Greenspace Preserve in Nassau County will present a program about the prairie grasslands of the Hempstead Plains which once covered central Nassau County and were considered one of the ecological "wonders" of the New World. Learn how prairies are formed and maintained in nature, what kind of plants and animals are found there, and how the prairie has influenced life on Long Island and particularly in Nassau County.

The program is at Nassau County's Tackapausha Museum, which has nature trails and exhibits of wildlife and plants. Before the meeting, you may want to reread the article by Henry Hicks, "The Hempstead Plains and its Flora, 1891," in the 2003 issue of your Nassau County Historical Society Journal. It includes excerpts from various historical descriptions of the Plains.

Thursday, October 16, 2003
Annual Meeting
Cherry Valley Club
28 Rockaway Avenue at Third Street
Garden City

Reports were presented from the past year, and the Board of Trustees Class of 2008 were elected.

Soprano, Molly Watson, wearing a period flapper dress, presented "Five Foot Two..." a program of popular music from the Roaring Twenties, songs drawn from venues as varied as speakeasies and Broadway's stages. The rhythms of the Machine Age -- pulsing, powerful, provocative filled the hall following the Annual Dinner. Society members enjoyed hearing again the music from the beginning of the Golden Age of popular music, the music of Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, Richard Rodgers, Cole Porter and the Gershwins. The costumed Ms. Watson evoked the freedom and fun associated with the Roaring Twenties. Anecdotes about the creators -- composers, lyricists and perfomers, brought new life to these now old favorites. The audience sang along on the more familiar pieces and remembered days gone by.

Thursday, April 24, 2003
8:00 p.m.
Grumman--A Look at the Past and Future
Cradle of Aviation Museum
Mitchel Field

As part of the 100th Anniversary of Aviation at the Cradle of Aviation Museum, the Nassau County Historical Society is co-sponsoring with the Museums at Mitchel, the first of a Long Island Aerospace Lecture Series "Grumman--A Look at the Past and Future" by Richard Dunne, former Director of Public Affairs for Grumman Corporation and Northrup Grumman. There will be a sneak preview of the Museum's "Centennial of Flight" exhibit opening that weekend.
Announcement cards mailed to NCHS members will permit admission to the Museum for members and their guests.

Sunday, December 1, 2002
2:00 p.m.
Hicks Nursery
100 Jericho Turnpike
Westbury

Fred Hicks, a life member of the NCHS, has graciously agreed to take time during a very busy season to present our December program. Hick's Nursery will celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2003. The family has traced the founding of the Nursery to the first sale of trees in 1853. The Hicks family traces its ancestry in Westbury to the 1670's. The Hicks family and their Nursery business is a most interesting story. Hear how sociological concerns, the changing economy, immigration, the great estates, Norther State Parkway and modern technology affected this family and their business. We will meet in the Henry Hicks Learning Center at the Nursery.

NCHS members may wish to arrive early or stay after our program to walk through the Nursery and enjoy the holiday plants, flowers and decorated wreaths and trees. Members may bring guests. Holiday refreshments will be served.