Update: Beutenmuller Family Collection #1: Searching for the Port Washington Seaplane Terminals
After receiving hundreds of photos of Long Island seaplanes and airplanes from Jennifer Robinson from her grandfather's collection, I have become obsessed with the history of seaplanes in Port Washington located less than six miles from my home. My first post in the series: Searching for the Port Washington Seaplane Terminals.
Be Safe, Stay Home, Save Lives,
Howard Kroplick
Beutenmuller Family Collection
William Beutenmuller (1915-1987) worked as a mechanic, flight mechanic and foreman of maintenance for various Long Island aviation firms including the Port Washington Marine Base, Grumman Engineering and the Sperry Gyroscope Company. He trained with Wright Aeronautical Corp, Pratt & Whitney, Allison and Sikorsky aircraft and engines.
In 1938 he served as the flight mechanic for pilot Cliff Kernochan. Together they traveled with railroad magnate and financier E. Roland Harriman and his family in Harriman's Grumman Goose "Duckling" to Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, British Columbia and Harriman Ranch Idaho (now Harriman State Park). In 1957, William joined Radio Corporation of America in New Castle, Delaware working with company and military aircraft. He documented many of the airplanes that he worked on and observed and also collected photos from other seaplane and airplane enthusiasts of the period.
Jennifer Robinson, William's granddaughter, has scanned almost 500 negatives from the family collection and has graciously agreed to share them on VanderbiltCupRaces.com . Many of these historic images will be posted over the next few months with additional background on the amazing career of William Beutenmuller.
Location of the Port Washington Seaplane Terminal
Update May 3, 2020: Craig Romain has forwarded this amazing done video of the terminal area. Check out the girders and the condition of Manhasset Bay.
Eric Sloane Metal Map of Port Washington
Eric Sloane, one of my favorite artists of the era, created this humorous metal map of Port Washington around 1938. .
The two seaplane terminals/factories were built originally for Pan Am (1933) and American Aeronautical Corporation in 1929. The framework for another building was being constructed.
Sloane gave a shout-out to the many personalities involved in Port Washington including Willie K. and Bill Beutenmuller's Grumman Goose NC-16912 owned by E. Roland Harriman and piloted by Cliff Kernochan.
These images from the Beutenmuller Family Collection show the wide variety of seaplanes with the buildings in the background
Willie K's Sikorsky S-43 NC-16925
Imperial Airlines' Caledonia S23 Empire G-ADHM
Imperial Airlines' Cabot S23 Empire G-AFCU
The Cabot and Caledonia were built by Short Brothers of Great Britain.
A large crowd can be seen in the background.
This photo documented another large crowd and film crews for one of Port Washington's historic landings.
Pan Am's Boeing B-314 "American Clipper" NC 18606
The amazing Boeing B-314 Clipper on the terminal's loading ramp loaded on a beaching cradle.
Joel Friedman (Volunteer Archivist and Docent- Cradle of Aviation): NC-18606 “American Clipper” was delivered by Boeing in June, 1939 served in the Atlantic. Pan-Am moved to the Marine Air Terminal in March of 1940. Their first flight to Europe was March 31, 1940 from the new facility. It was sold to the US Navy in 1942 crewed by Pan Am pilots, flew route to Lisbon, Portugal ( Portugal Neutral in WWII) via the Azores. Sold after the war and scrapped in 1950.
I believe the picture of NC-18606 in Port Washington was taken after the outbreak of WWII on Sept. 1, 1939. Photos from before that date and those taken after delivery from Boeing, show no flag. Since they would cross the Atlantic and be subject to enemy action, the flag was painted on all American ships and the Pan Am Clippers to show US neutrality. All the Pan Am Clippers used in the war effort were repainted after they were sold to the government.
American Clipper on Manhasset Bay
American Aeronautical Corporation Factory Building
This factory/terminal flying school was built in 1929 as the production center for Italian Savoia-Marchetti S-56 amphibians, Their logo can be seen on the building.
American Aeronautical Corporation declared bankruptcy in 1932.
The Loading Ramp with Various Seaplanes (1938)
The Sikorsky S-39B NC-514V owned by Standard Oil of Louisiana . As identified by Gary Hammond using the registers posted on airhistory.org.uk
A Sikorsky S-39A likely the NC-807W at Roosevelt Field in 1931. Courtesy of Cradle of Aviation.
Aerials Courtesy of the Cradle of Aviation
A close-up reveals the Imperial Airlines' Cavalier S-23 G-ADUU
Cavalier. Courtesy of the Cradle of Aviation
Cavalier. Courtesy of the Cradle of Aviation.
Cavalier at the terminal dock. Courtesy of the Cradle of Aviation.
Grumman Factory (circa 1943) Courtesy of Cradle of Aviation
From 1942 to 1945, the former American Aeronautical Corporation terminal was used by Grumman to assemble wings.
Is Robert Hoffman's mother in this photo? See below Comments.
Aerials Views of the Port Washington Base (1926-2020)
Using the mapping features of MyNassauProperties.com, here is how the Mahasset Isle property changed from 1926 to 2020.
1926
In 1926, the 11-acre property was totally undeveloped.
1950
In 1950, the two original buildings were still standing with an additional building, The complex was abandoned by Grumman after the war. One year later, the buildings were purchased by Republic Aviation to manufacture wings for their jet bombers.
Later, the property was purchased by Thypin Steel Company.
2007
By 2004, all the buildings have been demolished.
Considered a brownfield, attempts to develop the property have been unsuccessful over the last 15 years.
Today (Google Earth)
Eureka: The terminal's loading ramp is still there. Note: The pilings surrounding the ramp.
Comments
My mom worked for Grumman on Manhasset Isle from 1942 -1945, all the women were let go on V-J day 1945, no notice. She made Hellcat wings, she was a riveter on the leading edge with a bucker girl on the other side of the rivet. In the 70’s I was with NCPD and we would park the PD on the boat ramp of Thypin Steel and watch the boats in the harbor. Beautiful on Manhasset Isle half industrial / commercial the rest residential.
Aircraft Registration NC51V was a Sikorsky S-39B, c/n 913 owned by Standard Oil of Louisiana in 1931. Reference: http://www.airhistory.org.uk/gy/reg_N32.html
Additional photos from Google Earth through the years:
1994, 2004, 2009, 2019 (2)
2019 (2)
If it wasn’t for the toxicity, there could be interesting finds with a metal detector within that area.
Six photos from the Cradle of Aviation and one new photo from the Beutenmuller Family Collection have been added to the post.
One seaplane has been identified by Gary Hammond.
Joel Friedman of the Cradle of Aviation has posted information on the Boeing B-314 “American Clipper”.
Hi Howard,
I live on Manhasset Isle, a short walk away from the seaplane site. When it’s low tide, the remnants of the loading ramp are completely visible. There’s also the remnant nearby of a concrete marker with “fuel” engraved on it.
Mr. Howard Kroplick , Once again I have the opportunity to compliment you on the quality of your historic scholarship. The new series respecting the history of the Port Washington Seaplane Terminals is breath taking. Thanks to the generosity of the heirs of William Beutenmuller the huge collection of photo images can now be shared with the public. Thank you for providing and continuing to expand this remarkable look into the history of seaplane aviation. The images are amazing.
Please stay well. Sincerely , Jonathan B. Richards II at Chesterfield, Missouri.
Loved the ‘flying ship’ videos. I would have liked a ride at that time. And if I were a young man, I would have become a pilot.
Re: Port Washington Marine Air Terminal
At the Nassau Photo Archives where I volunteer, until our Covid-19 layover, we have photos in our Aviation Archives. I’d be glad to look at what we have, once we get back to ‘working’.
JF Purcell
Volunteer, Nassau County Photo Archives
Reference was made to an extant seaplane base there but it’s some 300 yards to the northwest in Sands Point, as shown at upper left on the attached Google Maps pic. Also, it may be hard to realize just how gigantic the Boeing 314 Clipper really was; it used the wings and engines of the huge Boeing B-15 (NOT the “tiny” B-17) and I’ve attached an outline of the 314 with a Douglas Dolphin for comparison. Sam, III
Craig Roman has forward this drone video of the current condition of the Port Washington Seaplane Terminal location.
A map of the Port Washington Seaplane Terminal was added to the post.