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The Pearsall Estate

nziino — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:01:47 CST

The most famous home in Brentwood was that of Robert W.Pearsall and his family,which was completed in 1870.The Pearsall estate was located on twelve acres of land in the southern part of the village.Robert had grand plans for the house,and he modeled it after a famous French chateau.He sent an architect to France to get the plans of that chateau,and then filled the house with expensive European furnishings-beautiful draperies,period furniture,Persian rugs,oil paintings,and marble statues.Fellow Brentwood residents were amazed by the home's opulence.
Then Robert went to work on his estate.He brought in Frederick Law Olmstead,the most famous and highest priced architect in America,to make the estate beautiful(Olmstead had designed Central Park in New York and Brooklyn's Prospect Park).Olmstead installed flower beds,flowering shrubs,velvety lawns,hedges,walkways,lily ponds,an artificial lake,and even a "Lovers Lane".But unfortunately,Robert did not get to enjoy the fruits of his labor.He died in 1871.

The Mackay Radio Station

nziino — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:55:22 CDT

If you lived in Brentwood between 1936 and 1986,you may have noticed some blinking red lights just north of the village at night.These came from the towers of the Mackay Radio Station,owned and operated by the Mackay Radio and Telegraph Company.The station transmitted radio telegraph messages all over the world.It began operating out of an old Navy radio station at Sayville in 1927.But the station eventually outgrew that property,so Mackay purchased 1,100 acres of land near Brentwood .The new Central Station was thus established here in 1936.It contained over forty high frequency radio transmitters with highly directive antennas,which would transmit messages sent from the company's Central Opearting Department in New York City on tape or teletype over telephone line lines and radio links.
W.E.Moser was manager of the station,with C.S.Previti as assistant manager.The station had 100 employees.Its poles and towers ranged from 20 to 250 feet in height,all of them painted and lighted by both stationary and blinking
red lights to aid in airplane navigation.The lights were controlled by an electric eye,which would automatically turn them off at daybreak and on at sunset.The station was shut down when Mackay ended its radio operations on Long
Island in 1986.

The Watson Family

nziino — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:59:18 CDT

John L.Watson was born in New York City in 1842.He fought in the Civil War,then came to Brentwood.He intended to build a box factory here,so he bought property near Thompson's Station and moved his family there.But John was unable to get the title for that land,so he bought a home on Brentwood Road.The Watsons had two children,Harriet and Oscar.John became very active in the community,including being a faithful member of Christ Episcopal Church and the William Gurney Post of the G.A.R.He also had one of the village's first private telephone lines.He was school tax collector for the Brentwood district at the time of his death on January 2,1910.
Harriet Watson later became well-known in the village as the wife of Oliver Wittberg,who established a well-known dairy here(Oliver and John helped install the bell at Christ Episcopal Church).Her brother,Oscar,ran a successful livery stable on his father's property.He later had a local taxicab company,which was still operating in 1950.Harriet died in 1944.

William C.Schad

nziino — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:34:05 CDT

William C.Schad was born on August 24,1889,in Brooklyn,New York.He was educated at the New York College of Music and the Institute of Musical Art in New York City.He married May C.Rieber on November 2,1912,and they had one daughter.The Schads came to Brentwood,and were still living here in 1950.
William had an interesting musical career.He had engagements in Broadway and Off-Broadway theaters,and with the Ben Greet Players,Theatre Guild,and Winthrop Ames Opera Company.He also performed with many famous composers and artists,such as John Philip Sousa,Victor Herbert,Arthur Pryor,Southern and Marlow,Fay Bainter,
Geraldine Farrar,and Marie Dressler.He composed the opera "Plango",the concert overtures "A Legeandary Hero"
and "Samson",the symphonic poem "Americana",and forty other orchestral pieces.He was a member of ASCAP
and the Song Writers Protection Association.Walter was also an editor and arranger for several music publishers,
and was with NBC's Musical Research Department for a time.

Rebecca Shallitt Turtletaub

nziino — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:31:45 CDT

Rebecca Shallitt Turtletaub was born in Nome,Alaska,on June 6,1909.She was eduacted at the University of Washington,graduating with a B.A. degree in 1931.She then pursued graduate studies at the University of Minnesota
in 1931-32.Rebecca and David Turtletaub were married on April 21,1933,in Seattle,Washington.Their daughter Ruth was born in Tacoma ,Washington,on March 5,1935.The family moved to New York that year,and then came to Brentwood in 1946.
Rebecca was a social worker for many years,but she retired in 1940 to pursue an interest in writing.She wrote many
successful articles and stories about the life and problems of teenage girls.Her stories were published in magazines all over the world,including Mademoiselle,Woman's Home Companion,Seventeen,McCall's,Chatelaine,Canadian Home Journal,and Charm.Many were also transcribed into Braille for the blind.She also wrote a novel called
"Pioneer Drive".

The Hall Family

nziino — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:31:49 CDT

Henry Hervey Hall was born in Spencer,NY,on June 19,1840,the first of the nine children of Henry Smith Hall and Cornelia Lucinda Fisher Hall.He was educated in the Spencer schools and at a private academy in the Hudson River Valley.He taught school in Spencer,then moved to New York City at 21 and became a printer.After serving in the Civil War,he worked with Horace Greeley(one of the religious reformers who helped found Modern Times).

He met Helen Williams Leonard,the daughter of Jessie Williams Leonard and Mary Abbott Leonard.They fell in love and were married on March 20,1873.The Halls had four children:Percy Ledyard,Gilbert Lewis,Mildred Helen,and Mary Cornelia.The Hall family came to Brentwood in August 1886.Thry first lived at the home of Charles Codman,an old friend of Henry's who had persuaded him to move here.In Febrauary 1887,they purchased Mark Pickup's store,which stood at the northeast corner of Codman's property.They continued to operate the store and also lived in the building
that housed it.Henry sold the store in the late 1890s,and it was moved to a building near the railroad depot.

Around that time,Henry and Frank E.Blacker took over the old Richardson nursery,which they ran for several years.
Henry bought the Islip Herald in 1900,and edited it until his death in September 1907.He served on the Brentwood School Board for many years,helped organize the first Village Improvement Society,and was the original clerk of the
Board of Assesors of the Town of Islip.

The Halls were very popular residents of Brentwood.Verne Dyson wrote in "A Century of Brentwood":
"Up to the middle of the eighties,the life of our village had been too often dominated by freakish,bizarre,and unstable social elements.Culture,conservation,and a steadying influence were brought into the community by Henry Hervey Hall and his family in the summer of 1886.To an aristocratic colonial lineage,Hall added learning,a friendly interest in his neighbors and and a devotion to civic affairs.His fine and well-balanced personality was a valuable asset to a community which had suffered from the behavior of erratic or eccentric citizens".

The four Hall children all had happy lives.Percy became successful in banking and real estate,and was active in politics and civic affairs.He married and had a family.Gilbert became a very successful teacher and lawyer.He also married and had children.So did Mildred,who became a teacher in New York City.Mary was also a New York teacher,
and lived with Mildred and her family after retiring.She never married.

Maggie Stillman,The Halls,and the blizzard

nziino — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 15:33:03 CDT

Maggie Stillman was the teacher at the Brentwood School in March 1888.She lived with the Hall family.Percy,Gilbert,and Mildred Hall were among her students.One morning.a major blizzard struck the village.That day,Henry Hall went to the schoolhouse and built a fire.Maggie and the three Hall youngsters were the only ones to show up for class.Henry went back to the school about 11 am to report that the storm had become too severe.He said the school should close,and he would take everyone home.Maggie agreed,and they all left the school yard via the east gate.They passed through a wooded area and came out on the square on which the Ottiwell buildings stood.

They tried to cross an open field to the northwest corner of the block.By now,the storm was so thick they couldn't see anything except the falling snow.The group ended up going around in a semi-circle,coming out at the Ottiwell barn just across the street from the Shutt residence and a little south of it.They followed the trees on the Shutt and Codman properties ,which helped them reach home safely.As a result of the storm,there was no train service to and from New York for ten days.

The Moore Family

nziino — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:40:38 CDT

William Moore was born in Liverpool,England(yes,that's the home town of the Beatles).He was a pianomaker by trade.
William came to the United States at the age of 14 and settled in New York City,where he quickly found work.He later married and had a large family.In the fall of 1890,New york was beset by serious labor problems.The Moores decide to leave,so one day they packed up a large horse-drawn wagon and headed for Long Island.
They came to Brentwood and liked the village immediately,so they started looking for a home.The family found a large,
unoccupied house in the southern part of town.They entered through an unlocked door and just moved in.When the owner turned up a few days later,he was very much amused and decided to let the Moores saty,since the house was too big to be much in demand.They stayed there for twenty years,with William commuting to work in New York.Of the Moore children,Harry,Anna,and Gertrude were all still living here in 1950.Gertrude married diamond cutter Frederick William Morch,and they lived near the railroad station on Suffolk Avenue for many years.

The Alkier Family

nziino — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 08:40:49 CDT

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Aliker came to Brentwood with their four children-Gertrude,Clara,Herbert,and Arthur-on a Sunday in May 1914.While waiting for their host to pick them up,they met Emerson H.McWhorter.He took them around the village,and told them a lot about it.The family liked what they saw and heard.In July,they rented the home of Edward Cummings on Washington Avenue,and stayed there for the next ten summers.
Then,on February 1,1924,Arthur bought Charles Codman's old home,the "Hermitage Of The Red Owl",form Robert Lee Dunn.The family moved in,and immediately became very popular and active members of the community.Arthur was a faithful member of the school board.Herbert helped organize the fire department,and Clara was an original member of the Brentwood Golf and Country Club.
Arthur Jr. died in May 1921,and Herbert in April 1934.Arthur Sr.passed away on April 25,1939.But as of 1950,
Gertrude and her mother were living in Floral Park.Clara was also still alive at the time,and living in the "Hermitage of the Red Owl" with her husband,Louis C.Geiss,whom she married in 1935.Inthe front yard,they had two rows of the tall,beautiful cathedral pune trees planted by Charles A.codman almost one hundred years earlier.

Suffolk ststion

nziino — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:07:50 CDT

Suffolk Station was a similar building to Thompson's Station,but located a few miles east of it.It was part of the railroad extension to Yaphank,which was built in 1844.The telegraph office moved there,and a post office was established on June 15,1857,with Ira L.Hommedieu as postmaster.It also had "the Smith Hotel",according to an old map.Years later,Mrs.Frank E.Nichols recalled that this hotel was operated by in the old railway building by Captain Lay Smith,
who came to Long Island after many years at sea.The hotel featured a popular bar service.
Suffolk Station survived for several years after Thompson's Station closed down in 1869.The telegraph office and railroad depot closed in 1873.The post office remained open until January 7,1874,when its operations and records were transferred to Central Islip

Jospeh Colson

nziino — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:44:20 CDT

Modern Times once had a famous inventor.His name was Jospeh Colson.He was a pioneer resident of the village,having come here as a young man.He owned the original house on what was later Kate McCurdy's estate,located on Washington Avenue.Colson was a carpenter and builder by trade.His shop was located by the railroad track,near the lumber yard.He later built another home on Third Street and Second Avenue,near the old
O'Rourke home.He married Fannie Thompson,and they raised eight children.
Joseph Colson was most famous as the inventor of an incubator,which he patented on August 9,1881. A promotional brochure published at the time said that "the Suffolk Incubator has simplicity,durability,and economy",and that it "hatched all the eggs".Colson himself said,"I claim it for several new and essntial features for perfect incubation".

Katherine M.Gallagher

nziino — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:57:45 CDT

Mrs.Katherine M.Gallagher was born in Brooklyn and attended the public schools there.She came to Brenwtood in April 1914 with ther parents,Mr.and Mrs.Charles Doering,and her sister,Evelyn.Katherine's first job here was with Central Islip State Hospital at a salary of $19 a month.She was also active in civic associations for many years,
and was an inspector with the Board of Elections for over a decade.
She later joined the Post Ofiice,and was appointed Postmaster on June 18,1934,succeeding Nicholas Reilly.She served with distinction for many years,during which the Brentwood Post Office was raised from third to second class.
Among other things,Katherine also increased the number of emloyees from one to five(including her sister,Evelyn),and brought home mail delivery to Brentwood.During World War II,she was also in charge of military post offices at Pilgrim State and Edgewood Hospitals,as well as Pilgrim's regular post office.
Katherine married and had a son,Charles,and a granddaughter,Patricia Katherine.She lived in a lovely home on Fifth Avenue,near Brentwood Road,built by her father on what had been the Greeley estate,and was still living there in 1950.She also owned the Brentwood Hotel at one time.

Isaac Gibson

nziino — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:54:24 CDT

Isaac Gibson was born in New Jersey in 1819.He moved to the Western Reserve,Ohio,with his parents at the age of five.Isaac contracted tuberculosis in 1849.His doctor suggested that he come to Long Island for health reasons.Gibson had heard of Modern Times and was impressed with the teachings of Josiah Warren,so he moved here in 1854.
Isaac fooled everyone and completely recovered from his illness.This became a famous incident in the village,and it was frequently mentioned by local hospitals and health resorts in their prosepectuses over the years.Gibson was also
famous as a fruit grower.He was especially noted noted for his large strawberries,which were said to be "as large as apples" and nearly enough for a full meal.Theodore H.Freund vouched for the strawberries,and later said of Isaac:
""He was a good man,always ready to lend a helping hand.He lived alone most of his time here and died without a struggle,being found dead in bed on the morning of March 15,1898".

The Peck Farm

nziino — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 15:32:46 CDT

The Peck farm was located just west of Brentwood,in the area where Pine Aire Drive is now.It was the home of William L.Peck,who came to Brentwood from Connecticut in 1887.He purchased over one thousand acres of land
(which was part of the old Francis M.A. Wicks homestead)from Edward A.Lovell in September of that year,and thus the farm was born.
It was very successful.But there were labor problems in 1893.Nine workers at the fertilizing dumps went on strike for a raise of twenty-five cents a day(they were annoyed by the mosquitos which the dumps attracted).A settlement was reached,with the men getting a twenty percent raise.
William Peck died on November 12,1903,and the farm was inherited by his two sons,Benjamin and William.They were both politicians and horse manure magnates in New York City.Under them,the farm became a center of the City's manure business.They had exclusive contracts with the City departments,which gave them a monopoly(The manure
was shipped from the farm to New York via a special ten-can spur built by the Long Island Railway Co.It went to a slip owned by the brothers on East 34th Street).The Pecks charged $4.43 a ton for manure and $3.50 a ton for fertilizer,
both with a freight charge of 93 cents a ton.They sold sheep and horse manure,as well as Canada ashes and agricutural lime.All this made them very wealthy,but the business ended around 1922.
Meanwhile,the Pecks consigned their farm land to the William L.Peck Realty comapny in June 1914.It was then subdivided and sold.The brothers both married,but had no children.They died at about the same time,in their thirties.
By then,their money and assets had somehow vanished,leaving their widows in modest circumstances.No one ever
found out what had happened.

The McCullough Family

nziino — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:14:56 CDT

The McCulloch Family
Like the Taylors,the McCullochs were Brentwood residents who came here from the British Isles.The first to arrive was Alexander McCulloch,in 1868.He was joined by his brother,John,in 1872.Together,they bought the land owned by Phillip Lindenmeyer on Wicks Road,near the Taylor farm(Phillip,a struggling music teacher,was forced to sell the property because he could not keep up the mortgage payments on it),and divided it as a farm.

John McCulloch came here with his wife and son,John(who died shortly afterward).They later had two daughters,
Helen and Janet,who were born in Brentwood and attended the Public School.John was a baker,but could not find work as one here and joined the Long Island Railway Company,serving in various positions.Janet McCulloch later
inherited his farm,and lived there with her husband,Ernest Franke,specializing in strawberries.

The Taylor Family

nziino — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:22:20 CDT

Malcolm Taylor and his wife,Marion Clendenning Taylor,came to Brentwood from Scotland with their children in 1865.For a few years,they lived with her brother,John Clendenning,on his farm at Crooked Hill(John had also come here from Scotland several years earlier).Malcom was a soldier and farmer;he also later worked on the railroad.His son,John Taylor,bought what became the Taylor family farm on Wicks Road in 1883.He lived there with his wife,
Elizabeth,and children.John Taylor was a progressive farmer.He developed a large red seedling potato that got
attention in the county.Malcolm and Marion left a large clan in Brentwood,including their own children and many grandchildren.Of all these,their daughter Margaret Levina was still living here in 1950.

George B.Studley

nziino — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:01:55 CDT

George B.Studley was a popular and very influentail resident of Brenwtood in the late 1800s.He was the son of Hiram Studley,who cofounded the New York Transfer Comapny with his brother,Warren.After Hiram's death in 1875,George took over the company and looked after his father's interests.He also was a lawyer in New York City.He came to Brentwood for his health.
George also went into the real estate business,just as a diversion at first.But it ultimately led to what he is best remembered for in Brentwood:the Austral Hotel.George formed a syndicate with Arthur B.Hart and Clinton W.
Kellam.Together,they bought the large,well-developed Pearsall estate and an additional 250 acres of land.on this property,they built the legendary Austral Hotel.The toatl cost was $200,000.The hotel had 135 rooms and could accommodate 225 guests.But it was doomed from the start.Whilr the hotel was large,comfortable,and very
impressive,it was also extremely expensive to run and maintain.It never attracted enough customers to be
profitable,and so it failed.The hotel building was later sold to the Sisters of St.Joseph,who turned it into what is now St.Joseph's Academy.
George was elected a Justice Of The Peace in 1891,and held the office for three years.That same year,he married
Mary Spaulding.They had two children,Barrett and Grace.Incidentally,George's aunt was Mrs.Charles A.Codman.

Nicholas Reilly,Postamaster

nziino — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:43:58 CDT

Nicholas Reilly was born in Ireland on August 26,1871.He came to America in 1887 at the age of sixteen and settled in Mill Neck,Long Island.He decided to become a nurse,and received his training at the Nurses' Training School in Central Islip,from which he graduated in 1894.For the next fifteen years,Reilly was a nurse in Central Islip and Wards Island.During this time,he moved to Brentwood and was a popular resident.
Reilly later tired of being a nurse,and he decided to try a different career.He took the Post Office Civil Service examination in 1909,and was appointed Postmaster at Brentwood in 1910.He was very successful in the job ,
and served for twenty-four years,finally being succeeded by Katherine H.Gallagher on June 18,1934.Reilly was also a founding member of the Fire Department,and was its first secretary.

Ben's Pill Box

nziino — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:03:45 CDT

Benjanin Van Nostrand had a very successful "pill and ointment business" (today we call it a drugstore or pharmacy)in Brentwood during the 1870s.The small shop was located next to his home on Washington Avenue,just north of the railroad station.It was known as "Ben's Pill Box".There,Ben made large quantities of a laxative called "Grafenberg's Pills" and an ointment called "Green Mountain Ointment.
Ben did strong business for many years.Janet Mcculloch Franke,and Margaret Elizabeth Taylor were among the large and loyal clientele,many of whom later remembered buying medicine from him.But Van Nostrand's most notable customer was Dr.J.F.Bridge,whose thirty-acre estate was later home of the Ross Sanatarium. It was largely due to Dr.Bridge's support that Benjamin Van Nostrand became such a huge success.

George Graham Ayling And The Ten Thousand Trees

nziino — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 09:38:25 CST

A man named Charles Graham Ayling came to Brentwood
with his wife,Jessie May,and their children,George Graham and Mary S.,from their native London in May
1893.The Aylings built a home on Madison Avenue,an area where there were only about eight other homes
at that time.George Graham Ayling became a contractor.He was hired by the Brentwood Realty Company
in 1908 to plant ten thousand white pine trees along Washington Avenue just north of Clark Street,as well
as on Jefferson and Madison Avenues,along with Thomas,Hale,and Clark Streets.Many of these beautiful
trees were later destroyed by forest fires,but others remained for many years.They gave beauty and distinction
to the village.
George joined the Long Island Railway Co. in 1909 at the Brenwood
Station.At the time,he was living where the Long Island Expressway and Washington Avenue now intersect.He
learned the freight and express business,along with telegraphy.George became a very fast and prolific telegraph
operator.When he moved to the Central Islip station in 1919,he built a home nearby and lived there for the rest of his life.George loved his job and worked hard at it,and it paid off.He eventually became station agent at Central Islip in May 1923,and stayed there until his retirement in December 1964.George loved photography,and would oftentake pictures
of the LIRR.
He married Emma Cordingly on September 22,1915.Jessie May Ayling
died in Brenwtood on November 6,1917,at age 66.The Aylings sold their home to Henry Kopf and his son Philip in 1924.Charles died here on October 5,1928,at age 79.George's sister,Mary,died on September 11,1943.And then there was a cruel twist of fate in the mid-1970s.Emma fell and broke her hip one day.While she was in the hospital,their
children hired a nurse to look after George.Ironically,he also then fell and broke his hip!So husband and wife ended up in the same hospital,on different floors.She came home;he didn't.George suffered kidney failure and died on July 5,
1977,at age 89.Emma died in February 1983,also at 89.