The Lace Mill in the th 20 Century

While the book Patchogue The Early Years dealt with the development of the mill up to the year 1918, this chapter shows the growth of the mill after 1918 and the gradual decline, which eventually led to the closure of the mill in 1954, the conversion of the mill to the Island Industrial Park, the big fire in 1972 and the slow deterioration of the remaining buildings. The demolition of the remaining buildings in 1983 paved the way for the construction of the new Swezey flagship store.

A beautiful aerial photo of the Lace Mill, taken by Jim Mooney July 4, 1960.

113

Engineer Fred Benkenstein in the engine room of the Lace Mill.

Dave Johnstone, chief engineer, in his element.

These men are, from left to right: Engineer Pete Piel, chief engineer Dave Johnstone and Mr. Paulman, a representative from Erie, Pennsylvania. Spike McCord, the plant engineer. .

Lace Mill employees in 1950.

Machinist Ed Ackermann at work. 114

The following group of pictures was taken in the 1950s. A group of mill employees. These men are, from left to right: Charles Springhorn, unknown, William Daft, Art Hammond, Edward Chambers, Artie Hooley, and Harry Clay.

David Johnstone on the left, Bill Fitchner, right and David Johnstone Jr., rear.

These Lace Mill employees are: Theodore R. Krim, the machine shop foreman for 47 years, on the left, Stanton Edwards in the center, and an unknown employee on the right.

A picture of the Plymouth Mills basketball team, taken at the River Avenue School gym in 1947. Front row, L to R: Pat Litterie, Henry Meyer, Howie Van Schaik. Back row, L to R: unknown, Danny Kemp, Lew Dutt Meyers, unknown, OBryan, unknown, Charles Keller. 115

In this 1920s picture a new pattern is inspected in the design department. The men are, from left to right: Frank Guttridge, Fred Varney and Charles N. Butler.

A 1926 picture taken at the Lace Mill. From left to right: John Van Pelt, president of the Chamber of Commerce, Doris S. Osman, Alfred Blum, Ambrose W. Page, secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, Rose Lichenstein, Ernest A. Guttridge.

June 2, 1941 five hundred and fifty mill workers walked out on strike, seeking a pay raise. The strike lasted 18 weeks. Here Mary Warden Blanding, on the right, and Adelaide Gazzola pose with their dog Skippy. We do not know what the dog was striking for, possibly a larger fire hydrant? 116

The north side of the Lace Mill, pictured here in 1950, before West Avenue was extended and connected to Waverly Avenue. The waters of the lake at that time came close to the mill buildings.

117

A copy of the letter sent to the employees of the Lace Mill on October 15, 1954, informing them of the impending closure of the mill.

The Lace Mill in 1956.

Some of the machinery in the mill was dismantled previous to the closing. Stan Edwards, E. Gregory, and A. LeBranch are removing a Perkins Roll for packing and shipping. The weight of the roll was 4,400 pounds. The date of this picture is April 22, 1950. Much of the machinery was shipped to plants in the south.

Here weaving machine number 27 is dismantled for scrap. 118

After all the machinery, foundations and other obstructions were removed, a new concrete floor was poured.

The new owners of the Lace Mill property, under the name of Island Industrial Park, offered this renovated spaces for rent. This postcard was sent to prospective clients.

There were many plans for the possible future use of the Lace Mill property. This is a display model for one of these plans. 119

The Island Industrial Park billboard, listing the names of all the firms renting space in the complex. Employment at the Island Industrial Park rose rapidly. As of December 31, 1957 there were only two industrial tenants: George Lueders and Co. with 15 employees and Red Mill Play Clothes with 35 employees. As of December 31, 1958 there were 11 tenants with 415 employees. 120

Monsanto, maker of essential oils and food flavoring, rented 65,000 square feet of space in the Island Industrial Park. Their products were shipped worldwide. These are three pictures of the Monsanto operation. 121

Pictures of various firms operating in the Island Industrial Park in 1962.

122

The Lace Mill Fire - 1972

These three Jim Mooney aerial photos show clearly the extend of the damage to the two buildings of the Island Industrial Park, caused by the biggest fire in Patchogues history.

123

Firemen from 38 fire departments fought this blaze for over 29 hours to get the fire under control. Water from the lake had to be used to supplement the water available from the water system.

The wall collapses. This fire spelled the beginning of the end of the former mill complex. The two large buildings on the west end, which housed most of the rented space in the Island Industrial Park, were totally destroyed.

A July 1989 picture of the old Lace Mill. Vacant, vandalized and with the windows boarded. 124

There were many other larger and smaller fires in the vacant mill complex over the coming years. This fire destroyed the large building on the north side, June 3, 1994

After the fires.

A July 1989 picture of the vacant and vandalized Lace Mill. This is the building facing Main Street. 125

Patchogue Village bought the Lace Mill site in February 1997 and the total demolition began March 3, 1998. All former employees and the family members of former employees were invited to be part of a last group picture in front of the mill.

March 3, 1998, the demolition begins.

March 8, 1998. The last building has fallen and the big clean-up is in full swing.

Patchogue Village had reached an informal agreement with Swezey for the development of the Lace Mill site in June 1997. The deal was finalized two years later, May 27, 1999, and the construction began in the summer of 1999. The site was elevated and leveled. Many large pilings were driven into the ground under the footprint of the future building. On the right the pile driver can be seen at work. 126

The framework of the new Swezey Department Store building is going up.

Summer 2000. Good progress is made

October 18, 2000. The building is completed. 127

The roof of the tower is swung into position.

The sparkling interior of the new 108,000 square foot building, prior to the opening day.

Grand Opening Day of the new store October 22, 2000. Members of the Swezey family, Patchogue Village Officials, Legislator Brian X. Foley, Mayor Ed Ihne and Brookhaven Town Supervisor Felix Grucci at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Opening day inside the new store. 128

Unable to compete profitable with large chain stores, the Swezey board of directors voted on September, 4 to liquidate its five stores by mid November, 2003 after 109 years of operation. 129

Swezey negotiated a lease of part of the building with Briarcliffe College. This picture was taken at the Opening Day of the new college.

Opening ceremony of Briarcliffe College, July 10, 2004, Patchogues Mayor Paul Pontieri at the microphone.

On the northwest corner of the building the ground floor is leased to the Quiznos Sub restaurant. . 130

The ground floor on the west side of the building is occupied by the large Ultimate Fitness Gym.

The Patchogue Police Department

131

In the late 1800s Patchogues security was provided by night watchman Henry Miller, who served in this position for over 25 years. As Patchogue grew, so did the police force, which by 1958 employed 20 police officers. In 1958, by public vote of 1057 for and 926 against, the citizens of Patchogue elected to have the police force join the Suffolk County Police. The Fifth Precinct was established in Patchogue and the chief of Patchogue

Police, Dominick Chiuchiolo became the first Fifth Precinct commander. The first Fifth Precinct headquarters in 1960 was located on the south side of Roe Boulevard, just off Medford Avenue. The new Fifth Precinct Headquarters opened on Waverly Avenue August 3, 1964. A large modernization and expansion of the precinct was completed in June 1999.

The first Patchogue jail was located on the east side of Havens Avenue at the beginning of the century. No great comforts here, just a plain old lock-up. Children were naturally curious and full of mischief and most likely harassed the inmates a bit at times. It is said that their vocabulary was quite a bit expanded by replies from the interior of the lock-up.

As the population grew, so did the need for jail cells. A 1920s picture of the enlarged jail, which stood behind the old fire house on Lake Street. After the Town Hall on South Ocean Avenue was completed in 1926, cells became available in the basement of the building

The new Brookhaven Town Hall was built in 1926 on the northeast corner of Ocean Avenue and Baker Street. The dedication took place on June 5, 1926. The cost of the building was $47,000. The little tree in front of the Town Hall is now a large, beautiful tree.

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Patrolman Theodore Sedate in the 1936 patrol car.

A 1940 line-up of Patchogue police vehicles in the Baker Street parking lot. The former fire truck was used to transport a boat for emergency water rescues.

Police officers Walter Manning, on the motorcycle, and Adolph Morge. 133

The officers of the Patchogue Police Department, c. 1936. From left to right : Walter Manning, William Wiedemer, Samuel Perry, George Meyer, Vernon Tully, Reynold Wicks, Adolph Morge, Bryant Norton, Roland Baker, Otto Brauner, Hermann Mester, Theodore Sedate and William Cordes.

Patchogue police officers in front of the Village Hall in 1939.The names of the officers, from left to right, are as follows: (front row) Reynold Wicks, Weldon Logan. (middle row): Sam Perry, Winfield Corsten, Dan Gillette, Adolf Morge, Otto Brauner, Norris Gillman, Theodore Sedate, Vernon Tully, William Wiedemer, William Cordes. (top row): Austin Clowes, Roland Baker, Herman Mester, Bryant Norton. Patchogue police officers in the 1950s. Front row, left to right: Otto Brauner, Walter Manning, Dominic Chiuchiolo, George Meyer, William Wiedemer. Second row: Richard Benincase, Pat Rooney, William Coston, Stanley Vilot, Joe Hawkins. Third row : Arthur Benincase, Vernon Harris, unknown, Back row: Theodore Sedate, John Burns, John Drew, unknown, Warren Chamberlain. 134

Patchogue Police Officers in front of the Municipal Building in their summer uniforms in 1948. From left to right, front row: Dominic Chiuchiolo, Reynold Wicks, and Otto Brauner. Second row: Walter Manning and Norris Gilman. Third row: Al Morge, Vernon Tully, George Meyer, and Winfield Corsten. Back row: Roland Baker, Herman Mester, and Bryant Norton.

Patchogue police officers on the Taber Street pistol range. From left to right: Roland Baker, Bryant Norton, William Wiedemer, Austin Clowes, Norris Gillman, and Theodore Sedate.

Officers at a social meeting in the 1950s. From left to right : Otto Brauner, Richard Bennincase, Jack Wiedemer, Joe Hawkins, Walter Manning, Dominick Chiuchiolo and Mayor Bob Waldbauer. 135

Duke was a special kind of a dog and the best known animal in all of Patchogue. This magazine article tells his story.

Al Morge and the police mascot Duke in front of Swezeys. A plaque dedicated to the memory of Duke is embedded in the sidewalk in front of Swezeys, his favored spot. 136

The new 5th. Precinct building on Waverly Avenue under construction. The date of this Jim Mooney aerial photo is March 8, 1964. The precinct building opened August 3, 1964. The water of the lake is still close to the Lace Mill buildings, but in 1967 the south end of the lake would be filled in and the West Avenue extension would be routed around the north side of the mill to connect to Waverly Avenue, which was widened in 1967, easing the north south traffic flow in this part of Patchogue.

The Fifth Precinct buildings in 2004. This picture was taken from the parking lot on the north side of the buildings.

The Fifth Precinct Headquarters on Waverly Avenue after expansion. A 2005 photo. 137

138

The Patchogue Fire Department

139

In the 20th century the territory protected by the Patchogue Fire Department was expanded several times. In 1927 West Patchogue, the area from west of the Patchogue River to Atlantic Avenue and Highland Avenue was added. In 1933 sections in North Patchogue and in 1952 the area in East Patchogue, south of the railroad tracks, from Bay Avenue to Roe Avenue were added. With the added responsibilities the fire department grew accordingly. The old fire house on Lake Street, which had served the department well since 1905, was replaced by a new large Fire Headquarters on Jennings Avenue.The site of the old fire house became a much needed parking lot for the department.

The firehouse on Lake Street served the department from 1905 to 1970. The corner stone for this building was laid August 27, 1904.

A 1930s picture of three ex chiefs of the fire department : Louis Budd, Albert Lyman and Howard Smith. 140

The 1929 Buffalo hose wagon of the Euclid Hose Company in front of the fire department headquarters on Lake Street. The Euclid Hose Company members are from left to right: Captain Edward Phannemiller, Chief Saxton A.Wise, Lieutenant Joseph Cottel and unknown.

Chiefs of the Patchogue Fire Department, 1943: Geary Whitlock, Jack Barry, George Newhoff, Henry Shepherd.

Members of the Vanguard Hose Company in front of their headquarters: Walt Thomas, Francis Kearney, Tete Sedate, Ray Cabre, Jack Barry Sr, and Jim Sedate. 141

When the West Patchogue Fire Department was first formed at the beginning of the century their equipment was stored in the rectangular building, on the left in this picture, on West Main Street, opposite River Avenue. The building to the right is the former Union Church, which had become an apartment house. On October 24, 1914, the corner stone was laid for the new building of the West Patchogue Fire Department on the east side of River Avenue, a few feet south of the school. The gentleman standing to the left of the corner stone is Reverent Probst, chaplain. The men in the picture are, starting with the fellow in the white shirt: Seaman Jones, Paul Haase, William Stokem, William Underwood, Jack Stokem, George Jones, and Michael Weiner. This building is used today for industrial purposes. The West Patchogue Fire Department was disbanded in the early 1920s.

142

Dedication ceremony of the new Patchogue Fire Department Headquarters on Jennings Avenue, October 11, 1970.

A 1992 picture of the Jennings Avenue firehouse and parking lot.

After the Desert Storm Appreciation March, March 3, 1991, members of the Patchogue Fire Department assembled for this group picture. 143

144

The Patchogue Post Office.

In the 1800s Patchogue had no permanent location for a post office. Appointed postmasters were mostly local business men and their establishments would serve as the post office. The first permanent location for the Patchogue Post Office was in the upper floor of the Wedgewood building on West Main Street. Later on the post office was relocated to the Uscher building on the southeast corner of South Ocean Avenue and Terry Street. The reason for the move was, that the railroad would have to deliver the mail to the post office if it was within a quarter mile of the railroad station. In 1932 the construction of a new post office building began on East Main Street. This new, large building would become the first Federal building in Suffolk County. Ground breaking ceremony of the new Patchogue post office, July 4, 1932. Postmaster Harry T. Weeks with the first shovel full of soil. 145

Popular long time Patchogue postmaster, Harry T. Weeks, as he takes the first shovel full of soil from the ground during the ground breaking ceremony. The gentleman behind him in the dark jacket and light colored pants is Patchogues Mayor Foster.

In 1932 the construction of the new post office was started. This picture was taken December 14, 1932. R.W. Erikson was the general contractor assigned to the project and Nathan Abramson was the construction engineer. The building was designed by the well-known Patchogue architect John V. Von Pelt.

The Patchogue Post Office under construction. This picture was taken from the south. The Patchogue Hotel can be seen in the background. 146

Work on the interior of the post office, August 1, 1933.

Dedication ceremony of the post office, August 31, 1933. The original photo of this group was an ultra-wide photo, but the format of this book allows only the center portion of the photograph to be shown.

The completed post office in 1934. It was the first federal building to be erected in Suffolk County. 147

The Patchogue Post Office in 2006.

Four of the plaster models of the beautiful frieze above the entrance.

148

The New York Telephone Company

The first Patchogue telephone exchange was located in the Mills building. This is a 1916 picture of the switchboard with six operators. The supervisor, or chief operator, was Mary C. Warden, standing on the left.

149

Mary C. Warden, chief telephone operator, in her office. In 1917, when this picture was taken, Patchogues population numbered 7500 people and there were 762 telephones in use, including 316 business costumers.

The New York Telephone Company moved their operation from the Mills building in 1918 to this new office on South Ocean Avenue, next to the Methodist Church. Patchogue Village purchased this building in1956 with the proceeds from the sale of the Four Sisters Park.The Telephone Company moved their exchange to a building on the south side of East Main Street for several years till their new, large building on North Ocean Avenue was completed.

150

The office in the new New York Telephone Company building on South Ocean Avenue in 1919. It is a far cry from the first small switchboard installed in 1893 in John M. Conklins drugstore, where Mr. Conklins daughter Lila became Patchogues first telephone operator.

The telephone system in Patchogue grew so rapidly, that the Phone Company had to look for a larger building. In May 1949 the company moved from South Ocean Avenue to a building on East Main Street, opposite the Elks Lodge. The Phone Company stayed here till 1960. This is a 2006 picture of the building, which has changed much since 1960.

The large New York Telephone Company building on North Ocean Avenue, north of the Sunrise Highway, was built 1959 1960. This 70,000 square foot building provided workspace for 450 employees that were working in previous years in small offices scattered over Suffolk County. 151

152

The Patchogue Electric Light Company

153

The first electricity in Patchogue was generated in 1887, when miller Edward Terry converted his gristmill to a small power plant by installing turbines. A group of Patchogue businessmen formed the Patchogue Electric Light Company in 1888 and bought out Terry. Since the amount of electricity that could be produced in the Terry

Mill on the Patchogue Lake was very limited, a new power plant was needed. Construction of the new plant began in November 1899 near the end of the Patchogue Harbor, just north of Division Street and the railroad tracks. A steam powered dynamo, producing enough electricity for 1000 lights, went into service in August 1900.

The original small power plant on Division Street, 1904.

The demand for electricity increased rapidly and the original power plant had to be enlarged several times. In 1912, a 600kw generator with steam turbine drive was installed. In the following years the generating capacity was upgraded several more times. Large extensions to the building were constructed in 1923 to house a large boiler that could produce 1,000 horsepower, thereby doubling the capacity of the plant. This is the final size of the power plant in 1962. 154

The large generating equipment inside the plant. The Patchogue Electric Light Company was sold in April 1925 for $1,100,000 to the Associated Gas and Electric Company, which took control, but the plant kept operating under the name Patchogue Electric Light Company, or Pelco, as it was commonly known. In 1964 the Long Island Lighting Company added Pelco to its system.

155

For many years Pelcos offices were located on South Ocean Avenue, next to the Union Savings Bank. These facilities were becoming too small as the company grew. In 1951 new office and service facilities for the company were constructed on the southeast corner of East Main Street and Conklin Avenue. This is the show room.

Officers of the Patchogue Electric Light Company. Top row, from L to R: H.C. Hayden, Personnel Manager, Robert Hazard, Supt. Customer Acct, George Vedder, Mgr. Sales Promotion, Ira Rogers, Mgr. Area Development, Robert Allen, Purch. Agent, Wesley Darbee, Auditor. Bottom row, from L to R: William Glatzel, Mgr. New Services, C.N. Wade, Treasurer, Leslie Weiss, President, W.S. Oxley, Mgr. Operations, H. Sylvester, Supt. of Service. N. Fleischmann, Supt. Overhead Lines.

The new office building on Conklin Avenue. 156

The warehouse and shops on Conklin Avenue, 1952.

A picture of LILCO employees , October 1980. First row: Gus Alevas, Dobber Witte, Harry Torgersen, Al Philips, Jim McMahon, Henry Densing, Ed Gandorf, Jan Porter, Charlie Meyer, Forest Carter, Mike Canary. Second row: Bill Grube, unknown, George Densing, Larry Sanwald, Ray Strom, Andy Murphy, Joe Weeks, John Baldwin, Jay Wolff. Third row: Bill Cervenka, Bob Niebling, Bill Halada, Stan Byziwski, Henry Morris, Doug Cargil, Ralph Franklin, Marty Ferguson, Bud Kapfer, Bill Fredricks, Warren Bonner, George Mitchel. 157

158

Aviation in Patchogue

159

Patchogue had an airfield in the 1930s, located on the west side of Roe Avenue in East Patchogue. The plane in this picture apparently was used only as a backdrop for this group of people. There is no pilot in sight.

In the summer of 1934 this Waco biplane, piloted by Henry Sieger of Patchogue, developed engine problems on takeoff and crashed from a height of 150 feet between Pine Neck Avenue and Swan Creek. Hermann Maez, a passenger , had to spend a week in the hospital, but Henry Sieger and the other passenger, Gilbert Trimmer, walked away with only minor injuries. The plane dove at a 45 degree angle into a muddy field, which softened the impact somewhat. They say that any landing that you can walk away from is a good landing.

A plane arriving on a trailer at the Patchogue Airport, August 18, 1933. 160

A tragic accident in Patchogue took the lives of the two occupants of this plane. On Wednesday, March 4, 1937, this plane crashed in the empty lot on Division Street, across from the Patchogue railroad station. Apparently there was a malfunction of the engine and the pilot tried to make a forced landing in the small field, which nowadays is the school yard of the Holy Angels Regional School.

A bet was made between Fremont Abrams, a Blue Point florist and owner of the speediest boat on the bay, and Herb Austin, president of the Patchogue Wing of the Suffolk Flyers, who could cross the Great South Bay in the shortest time. To give the race some meaning, it was decided to give each of the contestants a sack of mail, each containing 1750 pieces of mail, to be delivered from the Patchogue post office on South Ocean Avenue, corner Terry Street, to the Cherry Grove post office on Fire Island. The boat departed from the South Ocean Avenue dock and the plane from the Bayport airfield. The race started 10:25 a.m. July 4, 1929. The plane won only by seconds, because it had to make three passes before it could drop the mail bag successfully on the beach.

The plane over Cherry Grove. This race was watched by many thousands of people on shore and on boats. 161

162

The Patchogue Theater

163

The Ward & Glynnes theater on East Main Street. Mike Glynne opened this new theater on May 23, 1923. The theater had seating for 1330 people. The interior was richly decorated and it was one of the most beautiful theaters on Long Island.

Ribbon cutting ceremony on May 23, 1923. The three gentlemen in light coats in the center of the group are, from left to right: John Tuthill Jr, Edgar Sharp, and John Swezey. Behind John Tuthill stands Dave Weissberger and Herb Austin.

164

East Main Street and the Patchogue Theater in 1927.

The Ward and Glynnes Theater in the early 1930s. 165

Another famous personality, Philip Sousa, performed here with his band.

A 1936 program.

The Patchogue Theater was sold in 1929 to the Prudential Theater chain, which discontinued the vaudeville shows in the early 1930s. Only movies were shown after that time. This is a playbill for the Patchogue and the Granada theaters, which were both owned by Prudential. 166

The Patchogue Theater Weekly issue from September 13, 1926. Many famous stars and personalities made appearances on this stage. Some of these stars included Rudolph Valentino, Sophie Tucker, Pat Rooney, Paul Whitemann, Gloria Swanson and Pola Negri. The leader of the orchestra was Ben Nelson. 167

In addition to famous performers, local talents also took to the stage of the theater. These are the little students of Barbara Maxwells dance class of 1938.

168

A 1940s interior view of the theater.

169

The theater was remodeled in 1955. These pictures show the theater prior to 1955.

170

The look of the theater after the remodeling

171

The 1958 Fire

A spectacular blaze destroyed the lobby of the Patchogue Theater and also 4 stores and 4 offices October 2, 1958. The fire apparently originated in the basement under the Hamburger Cho Cho restaurant. Only the lobby of the theater was destroyed and the auditorium was unharmed. The theater resumed operations the next day. The new temporary entrance was from the Oak Street parking lot.

172

The rebuilt entrance and the new marquee. The theater closed from November 22 to December 17,1982 to remodel it into a Triplex Theater. Up to this time the theater had shown only first rate movies, but from now on it would show only second rate movies at a much reduced price. The conversion of the theater into a triplex theater was still not enough to compete with the multiplex theaters in the area and the theater closed its doors in 1988. TCI Communications purchased the theater.

Mayor Waldbauer welcomes Bette Davis and Olivia De Havilland to Patchogue in 1965. The occasion was the opening of the film Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte, in which both had leading roles. 173

The Renovation of the Patchogue Theater

Patchogue Village purchased the Patchogue Theater in 1996 for the sum of $300,000 with the help of three local businessmen, who provided a $400,000 loan. The rehabilitation of the theater started in August 1998. Here the much widened foyer is under construction in 1998.

The conversion of the theater to a triplex did much damage to the interior. Here the dividing wall and the large I-beams supporting the balcony are being removed.

A view of the rear section of the theater. All these long i-beams that supported the extended balcony had to be removed. 174

During renovations of the theater the walls were covered with new material without removing the old wall panels. These panels apparently are the original wall coverings, which appeared after other layers were removed.

Work on the foyer and entrance, December 15, 1998. This part of the theater was partially finished first to be ready for the opening of the Nutcracker On Ice performance of the St. Petersburg State Ice Ballet Company, December 17 to December 29.

The completed lobby, January 2001. 175

Members of the St. Petersburg Ice Ballet in scenes from the Nut Cracker on Ice show.

176

While Phase 1 of the restoration of the auditorium included all the preliminary work and the installation of 750 seats from the Imperial Theater on Broadway, Phase2, starting in 2001, included all the artistic work and fine details of the restoration. For the work on the ceiling and the fries, scaffolding covering the whole area of the theater had to be installed.

On the top of the scaffolding a complete decking was installed to allow free movement to any part of the ceiling.

177

An artist applying a gold covering to the fries on the upper part of the walls.

Some of the ornamental work on the upper part of the walls near the stage.

A view of the finished auditorium and stage from the balcony, taken with a ultra wide angle lens, which creates an apparent curvature to the picture.

The rear part of the auditorium, taken from the stage, March 16, 2001. The chandelier was installed in July. 178

Workers assembling the new chandelier, imported from Europe. This $19,500 chandelier replaced the one installed 2 years previous, which did not provide enough illumination.

With the installation of the chandelier in July 2001, the restoration of the auditorium was completed.

179

The Main Street entrance of the Patchogue Theater. The large electronically controlled billboard strip on the marquee was installed in 2004 to better advertise coming events.

A large extension was added to the rear of the theater to provide space for dressing rooms, storage space for stage props and equipment and a loading ramp.

180

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Parades, Entertainment and Sports in th the 20 Century.

183

The 1919 Decoration Day Parade entering the Four Corners in Patchogue. The officer in the center, leading the parade, is Ludwig Brall and the sailor carrying the flag is Jimmy Brooks.

A 1918 Liberty Bond drive truck on the Four Corners. Many Liberty Bond drives were held to help finance the war efforts in World War 1.

A 1926 parade on West Main Street. 184

185

The 4th of July parade in 1936, celebrating the 300 year anniversary of Suffolk County.

This group of four pictures was taken at the 1936 Fourth of July Tercentenary Parade on East Main Street. Of special interest also are the buildings to the left of the Patchogue Theater, which together with the lobby of the theater were destroyed in a 1958 fire. Very few pictures of this group of stores exist.

186

The 1940 Fourth of July Parade on South Ocean Avenue. The Fourth of July always was celebrated with big parades in Patchogue, drawing large crowds.

Tommy Benkenstein and Billy Rose and their decorated wagon, ready to participate in the 1940 Fourth of July Parade.

This Pelco float in the 1948 Fourth of July Parade won first prize in the industrial category, showing the latest appliances available in comparison to the equipment of many years ago. The modern kitchen is attended by Anita Scale and the old fashioned kitchen by Doris Horning and William Glatzel. 187

This is the first float that the Patchogue Chamber of Commerce entered in a parade. The float won first prize in the 1951 Fourth of July Parade.

Patchogues first Saint Patricks Day Parade, held in 1962. Eileen McKenna was Patchogues Colleen of the Day.

Students from Seton Hall High School marching in the 1962 Saint Patricks Day Parade. 188

This is the Patchogue Fire Department marching in the 1962 Fourth of July Parade.

The Patchogue Village Recreation Department float in the 1963 Fourth of July Parade.

This beautiful Patchogue Recreation Department float won second prize in the 1964 Fourth of July Parade. The girls on the float are: Marie Pontieri, Judith Dioguardo, Susan Yax, Barbara Poulos and Carol Waldbauer.

189

The beautiful Lions Club float in the 1960s parade in front of the Patchogue Hotel.

A group of pictures from the 1967 Fourth of July Parade, taken on East Main Street.

190

The 1976 Fourth of July Parade

Village of Patchogue float.

Patchogue Chamber of Commerce float.

Another beautiful float.

Town of Brookhaven float.

Patchogue parades always drew large crowds, especially in this year. 191

The Patchogue Village Recreation Department organized many parades and other activities under the leadership of director Pete Poulos. This is a section of the 1961 Pet Parade on Main Street.

The leading float of the 90th Anniversary Parade of the Village of Patchogue.

Dignitaries leading the 1977 Memorial Day Parade. From left to right: Patchogue Mayor Jim Reese, Legislator John Foley, Assemblyman Bill Bianchi, State Senator Ceasar Trunzo and Congressman Otis Pike. 192

Christmas Parades became a beautiful Patchogue tradition. This 1972 parade drew a tremendous crowd.

Leading the 1972 Christmas Parade.

The 1976 Christmas Parade. 193

The 1993 Fourth of July Parade

The beautiful weather drew a large crowd of spectators. This is East Main Street in front of the Patchogue Theater.

The favored place for the grand stand always was in front of the Elks Lodge on East Main Street.

The prize winning Patchogue Historical Society float in the 1993 Fourth of July parade.

194

Fourth of July Parade 1996 on East Main Street.

Fire trucks in the 1995 Memorial Day Parade.

1995 Fourth of July Parade, East Main Street

195

Dodge City Amusement Park

From the late 1950s to the early 1960s Patchogue had an amusement park, called Dodge City, located on the southwest corner of the Sunrise Highway and Waverly Avenue. Wild West shows, train rides and stagecoach rides were available to entertain the young and old.

This Jim Mooney 1959 aerial photo shows the Dodge City park in the top right corner of the picture, just south of the Sunrise Highway. The Pepsi Cola plant is the white building to the left of the park.The Patchogue Village Municipal Garage and the incinerator are in the center of the photo. 196

Scenes from Dodge City.

The store section staged shoot outs, and naturally sold as many souvenirs as possible. The stage coach ride was a real thrill for the youngsters.

The hanging of the bad guy attracts the curious.

The train ride, a favored of the small folks. 197

The Smithport Beach and the Patchogue Municipal Pool

The Hotel Montauk, a few hundred feet west of South Ocean Avenue, at the turn of the century.

The Patchogue Public Bathing Beach, just west of South Ocean Avenue, 1933. This was the site of the Montauk Hotel near the turn of the century. This hotel was destroyed by a fire after only a few years of operation. Ruth Smith purchased this property and donated it to the Village of Patchogue.

Prior to the opening of the pool, the Smithport Bathing Beach was Patchogues swimming facility. The beach was used for several more years after the pool opened, Attendance in 1952 was 33,920 people. In this 1954 picture the fence of the pool can be seen on the right. 198

The 125 by 50 foot Patchogue Municipal Pool was opened in August 1953. The opening of the pool was rushed to salvage some of the season and the final touches were completed in 1954.

In the first few years the pool had a 6 foot diving board, where divers could demonstrate their expertise, and also a 8 foot high waterslide on the shallow end of the pool. These were later removed for safety reasons.

1955 was the first year with a full season for the pool, when 31,226 paid admissions and 2,400 free admissions were registered. 199

In the 1960s and 70s very popular annual Aqua Shows were organized at the pool by the Village Recreation Department under the leadership of Superintendent of Recreation Pete Poulos.

One of the night Aqua Shows at the pool.

Swimming lessons at the pool in 2002. 200

Many people will remember this nice beach on the West Lake in Patchogue: it is the Mount Carmel Beach on the upper east side of the West Lake. The beach was established by Father Cyrus Tortora, the well known and beloved priest of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel church and opened July 19, 1947.

This was a pleasant and very busy beach, but is existed for only a few years.

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The Ocean Beaches on Fire Island

Although a main attraction for the tourists in the first part of the century, many Patchogue people also visited the ocean beaches on Fire Island. A visit to Fire Island included a pleasant ferry trip across the Great South Bay, which is 5 miles wide in front of Patchogue. The destinations in these years were Cherry Grove and Water Island, where hotels and other accommodations were available. Shortly after the end of the Second World War, Davis Park and Leja Beach were developed, which now became the main destination for ferries traveling from Patchogue and for boat owners. The Davis Park community grew over the years. Many rental homes, wide sandy beaches, a large boat basin, the Casino restaurant and a motel attract many visitors.

Water Island on Fire Island was a popular place for vacationers. The White House Hotel is the large building on the left in this view from the bay side.

The White House Hotel, as seen from the ocean side in 1905. The proprietor of the hotel was Edward O. Ryder, who lived on Ocean Avenue in Patchogue. 202

Captain Ed Swezeys Edna A. provided ferry service to Water Islands White House Hotel, a large hotel on Fire Island. This boat apparently had been converted to a power boat after 1900, Because captain Ed took out sailing parties from the Clifton Hotel in the 1890s.

The ferry Patchogue on the way to Fire Island. The Patchogue was built in 1912 on City Island for $20,000. The boat was 106 feet long and could carry 300 passengers. She was in operation for only two years, 1912 and 1913. Business was not as good as expected and the boat was sold in the spring of 1914 for $15,000.

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Many ferries from Patchogue were busy transporting vacationers to the Fire Island beaches in the first part of the century. This small boat provided the service to Long Cove.

Leja Beach and Davis Park

In the early 1940s Curtis Davis donated to the Town of Brookhaven a 300 foot wide strip of barren land on Fire Island, stretching from the bay to the ocean. The town named this piece Davis Park and it became a town beach. Four owners of a construction and trucking firm, Lee Coffin, Edward Sembler, Joseph Gerard and Albert Brown purchased the land east and west of Davis Park for development. The first letters of their first names spelled Leja, which became the name for the development. A casino was constructed on top of the dunes, using part of an existing former Coast Guard structure, which was enlarged with used lumber from an dismantled mainland home. A motel was also built in 1946. For the service to and from Davis Park, two ferries were built in West Sayville for the Gerard Ferry Corporation; the Leja Beach in 1945 and the Davis Park in 1946. These ferries were sold in 1947 to John P. [Hobby] Miller and Fred Sherman. This ferry company expanded over the next sixty years, adding many new ferries to their fleet. In the 1950s, a former navy PT. boat was converted and became the Highlander, the ferry Machinac came from the Great Lakes, the Bayberry Mist was converted from a former Navy target towing boat. The company built the steel-hulled ferry Meshomac on the Patchogue River. The 65 foot hull of the ferry Quiapen was built on Rhode Island and finished here in Patchogue, as was the ferry Kiki in 1982. The Bay Mist party boat was also built in Rhode Island in 1985. Later the ferry Mathabanks was added to the fleet. The Davis Park Ferry Company to this day is providing an important service, linking Fire Island to the Mainland.

Patchogues favored ocean beach on Fire Island, Davis Park. This photo from the 1950s still shows plenty of beach in front of the dunes and the casino in the center of the picture. By 1996 so much of this beach disappeared that a winter storm was able to wash the casino into the ocean.

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The ferries Davis Park and Leja Beach docked at the Sandspit in 1947, the departure point on the mainland for the trip to Fire Island.

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The ferry Quiapen loaded to the max with happy vacationers.

The ferry Highlander on the way to Davis Park.

This is the ferry Kiki.

The Davis Park boat basin in the 1950s. Over the next 50 years the boat basin was much enlarged and improved. 206

A view of Ocean Ridge, east of Davis Park, taken from the casino in the 1960s.

The Leja Beach Casino, a photograph taken in 1965.

Weekends on the beach would attract large crowds, but during the week the beach could provide solitude for visitors. 207

The quiet east corner of the boat basin in 1970, a favored spot for families with children.

The new Davis Park Casino, 2006

A beautiful summer day on the beach. An aerial photo of the Smith Point County Park and beach in Shirley. Although not in Patchogue, this ocean beach is very popular with people from Patchogue, because it is accessible by car. This 1960s photo shows a wide beach, but now, 40 years later, the beach is reduced to one sixth of the size shown in this photo. The loss of beach area was caused by storms, which also reduced the lawn area in front of the pavillion.

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The winter of 1976 77 was the coldest winter on record for the previous fifty years. The ice on the bay was thick enough to allow cars to travel on it. Most of them made it alright, but a few did not make it back to shore. When the ice broke up in spring, the southwest winds pushed the ice ashore and formed huge walls of ice, as can be seen in this picture.

In some places the ice came close enough to homes to make the owners wish for a fast heat wave. 209

The very cold winter of 1976 77 gave ice boaters a rare opportunity to practice their sport on the frozen bay. Ice boating was almost an annual winter sport at the turn of the century, when the bay froze over in most winters.

Patchogues West Lake always was a favored place for ice skating, because it is the most accessible of the Patchogue lakes. 210

The Patchogue Roller Skating Rink on Railroad Avenue was a very popular place from the 1930s to the1950s. The building became the Knights of Columbus Hall in later years.

The Mike Prudent Carnival at the east side of the Swan Lake in East Patchogue, 1940. Mike Prudents Carnival, based in Patchogue, traveled all over Long Island. A ferris wheel, merrygo- round, and other rides and booths, provided fun for young and old. Under the name of Island Amusement Shows, this carnival had its beginning, in the 1890s and continued well into the second half of the century. This is a 1940s picture. 211

An 1920s advertisement.

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The Patchogue River and the Bay Front.

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The Patchogue River is an important part of Patchogue. It was always a very busy place, starting with the fishing and clamming industries in the 1850s. The dredging of the river and the channel in the bay between 1870 and the year 1900 allowed larger boats to enter the river. Boat yards, especially the ones constructing larger boats, which in previous years had to build their boats on the shoreline of the bay, now could open up new yards on the river. Other industries also profited from the dredging, as the shipments of coal and lumber. In the 1920s, when more and more

homes switched to oil heat and the demand for gasoline also rose, the Patchogue River , the only deep water port on the south shore of Long Island, became the ideal place to erect tank farms that could receive shipments of oil from small coastal tankers. These tank farms lost their importance when new, large tank farms sprang up on the North Shore, and the Patchogue facilities were closed down in the 1970s. The Patchogue River is now mainly a port for recreational boating, the home for several boat yards and gateway to Fire Island ferry service.

This view of the Patchogue River was apparently taken from the smokestack in Baileys lumber mill, looking towards the southwest. Part of Baileys yard can be seen on the foreground and Gil Smiths Boatyard and shed are located in front of the long dark building.

Another photograph of the river, now looking west. These pictures were taken around 1913. The white building on the left is Weeks boatyard, started in 1898 and still going strong today. The large boat on the right is the ferry Patchogue, which operated on the bay for only a few years before she was sold in 1914. 214

A picture of Weeks boat yard in 1904. This boat yard is the oldest yard on the river, still as busy today as ever.

A 1923 aerial picture of Gil Smiths Boatyard on the eastside of the Patchogue River. Its just behind the large, dark building in the center of the picture. The buildings in the upper part of the picture belong to the Bailey Lumber Mill.

Gil Smiths boat shed was dismantled in 1968. Gil built boats here until 1936, when a stroke ended his working days at the age of 93. 215

A hundred years ago, boats delivering goods to Patchogue in the wintertime some times were unable to enter the river because of the thick ice. Sometimes they froze fast on the bay. The ice was often strong enough for horse and wagon teams to go out to the boat and retrieve the cargo.

The New Mascot Hotel, at the foot of South Ocean Avenue. This 30 room hotel, built in 1882, was owned by Ruth N. Smith and was originally called the Rogers House The hotel added a saltwater swimming pool for its guests in 1925 a first in Patchogue. The hotel burned July 19, 1933.

The building of the South Bay Yacht Club at the foot of Cedar Avenue, about 1900. This building was sold in May 1921 to the Sayville Golf Club and the Sayville Yacht Club and moved by barge to Sayville.

The Patchogue Public Bathing Beach, just west of South Ocean Avenue, in the 1920s. This was the site of the Montauk Hotel near the turn of the century. . 216

A beautiful Jim Mooney aerial picture of the Patchogue River, taken September 4, 1957. The street in the foreground is Division Street. The building with the smokestack below Division Street is the PELCO power plant. In the left lower part of the picture remnants of the former Bailey Lumber Mill are visible.The street on the right side is River Avenue. The Patchogue River at this time was an important harbor for oil deliveries to the south shore of Long Island. Three tank farms are visible in this picture.

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A Jim Mooney picture A look at the Patchogue River, this time from the south. The date is March 9, 1973. The boating season has not started yet and the river looks a little deserted. In the foreground is the Brookhaven Town owned Sandspit and Beach. Three oil tank farms are visible on this picture: The Patchogue Oil Terminal on the left, was built in 1931. Twelve large storage tanks on this tank farm had a storage capacity of over 2,000,000 gallons. The tanks in the center of the picture belong to the Swezey Fuel Oil Company. Permission was granted to Swezeys in 1956 to erect 9 storage tanks here. On the right, or east side of the river, are the tanks of the Marran Heating Oil Company which had a storage capacity of close to 1,000,000 gallons. Oil deliveries to all these tank farms by boat stopped in the 1970s, and all have been dismantled by this time. A large fire at the Patchogue Oil Terminal in 1949, involving a truck and the loading platform, nearly turned into a disaster. Quick action by the manager and the Patchogue Fire Department and the use of tons of foamite prevented the total loss of the facility and possibly the whole harbor, since none of these tanks had protective berms around them to contain any spillage.

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An empty tanker leaving the Patchogue River. In the background the Rite Fuel Oil terminal.

A tanker on the Patchogue River, delivering fuel. The largest ship believed to ever have entered the Patchogue Harbor was the 615ton, M.J. Derby II, a 185 foot tanker, in March 1951. Most of these ships could not deliver a full load because of insufficient depths of the channels and the Fire Island Inlet and shoaling in the river entrance. 219

A Jim Mooney Picture

The Marran oil terminal on the east side of the river, a picture taken February 14, 1959. The Marran Heating Oil Company was founded in 1891. The company stopped using this oil terminal in the 1970s, when it outgrew this facility. The fuel oil tanks, which had a capacity of close to one million gallon, were removed in the late 1980s.

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The loading platform of the Swezey Fuel Oil Companys river terminal. In this 1940s picture the loading platform was still close to the tanks. Safety regulations in later years required an increase of this distance.

The Swezey oil terminal, 1940.

After the Davis Park Casino fell victim to a blizzard on January 7, 1996 and was washed out to sea, a new casino was built on the river and floated by barge to Davis Park. This Jim Mooney picture, taken April 20, 1996, shows the completed casino on the barge, ready to go to Fire Island. This method certainly cut down the replacement time, an important factor with the summer season approaching. 221

The large fire in the SGL Marina on the Patchogue River, September 7, 1985, destroyed 21 boats and a boathouse.

The Brookhaven Town Sandspit Park at the mouth of the Patchogue River, an August 20, 1977, picture by Jim Mooney. The parking lot for the ferry costumers to Davis Park on Fire Island is filled, indicating a day on the weekend. 222

The busy Patchogue River in 2006 a haven for pleasure boaters.

Nearly 2,000 pleasure boats are docked or stored on the Patchogue River

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A Select Group of Patchogue Businesses in 1957

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