Mystery Foto #51 Solved: A Section of the Clubhouse of the Aviation Country Club of Long Island
This week's Mystery Foto was another real challenge and probably the most unusual of the 51 Fotos that have been posted over the last year.
This house was featured in the Hicksville Illustrated News in the 1960s. The article noted that "parts" of this house on Field Avenue were "moved to its present location in 1950." Although never really verified, let's assume the Hicksville Illustrated News article was correct.
Answes to the Mystery Foto questions:
-Why is this house historically significant? Hint: Photos of the original location have been previously posted on VanderbiltCupRaces.com .
A section of this house was the clubhouse for the Long Island Aviation Country Club also known as the Aviation Country Club of Long Island and the Hicksville Aviation Club. The club was located in the Hempstead Plains, now Levittown, just north of the Motor Parkway and west of Jerusalem Avenue.
-Name one or more prominent persons who likely were in "parts" of this house.
Members of the club included the flying elite of Long Island. Their 1940 club membership book listed; Col. Charles Lindbergh, Sherman Fairchild, L.R. (Leroy Randle) Grumman and several DuPonts. As described in the biography: Anne Morrow Lindbergh: Between the Sea and Stars, Charles Lindbergh taught his wife how to fly at the Long Island Aviation Country Club.
Congrats to Joe Oesterle, Tim Ivers, Joe DeBono, and Art Kleiner for solving this difficult Mystery Foto. Special kudos to Art for confirming the solution by researching Nassau County tax maps.
The commenting function on VanderbiltCupRaces.com is being upgraded over the next three weeks. As an option, you can forward your comments to [email protected] .
Enjoy,
Howard Kroplick
Research Submitted by Art Kleiner
A page from the 1940 membership page.
Comments
Jan 16 2014 Joe Oesterle 11:53 PM
Long Island Aviation Country Club. Prominent, Charles Lindbergh.
__________________________________________________________________
Jan 17 2014 TED 3:20 AM
Guess what? I think I know where Field Ave is, it’s between south oyster bay road and new south road, not far from where I life, I can walk their. I’m going to continue my search later on today and maybe I’ll find the house
______________________________________________________________________
Jan 17 2014 Tim Ivers 9:40 AM
This house is one half of the clubhouse located on the old Hicksville Aviation
Country Club bordering the old Motor Parkway, and was frequented by many of thecelebrity aviators of the 30s and 40s; Lindbergh, Earhart and many more.
__________________________________________________________________________
Jan 17 2014 Ted 5:24 PM
I found where the house is on Field Ave Hicksville, Most of the houses around there are fairly old, Now to get to the questions, Will be back.
_________________________________________________________________________
Jan 18 2014 Joseph DeBono 7:13 AM
Howard, This is Joseph DeBono ,The 51 Foto The half of the House is half of the club house of L I Aviation Country Club in Hicksville When it was off Jerusalem ave and the long island motor parkway keep up the good work
________________________________________________________________________
Jan 19 2014 Greg O. 11:19 AM
I’m stumped and look forward to the answer, but from what I can see, my first, knee-jerk reaction was this is a lodge that was moved here. The left side of the house has the same lines as one of the original 3 Pope lodge porticos.
However, this current house in the picture, (3 Field Ave in Hicksville) was rebuilt sometime between 2000 and 2004 completely changing the look from the house that originally stood there from 1950. Looking at Historic Aerials, and past Google Earth images, from 1953 to 2000, the house’s footprint looks like it could have been parts of the Meadow Brook lodge, being that was the only lodge demolished within the proper time frame of this house being originally built.
________________________________________________________________________________
Jan 19 2014 Howard Kroplick 11:31 PM
From Art Kleiner
House (or part of the house) was originally part of the LI Aviation Club in Hicksville. Found this by going past the house on Field Avenue yesterday. Then searching the property cards on the Nassau County Tax Assessors website I found it noted (on the top of Field Avenue -1 attached) that the building was being renovated and another note saying “old dwelling, Hicksville Aviation Club”. More notes (on the other pic) says the house was boarded up and the “interior was a mess of bldg. material & rubbish” - 1956, as per 1950.
Charles Lindbergh and his wife were frequent visitors during the 1930s (Mrs. Lindbergh got her pilot’s license there in 1931) and F. Trubee Davison, Asst. Sec. of War for Aeronautics attended at the club’s dedication in 1929.
Very interesting mystery photo this week. Keep them coming!
_____________________________________________________________________________
Jan 20 2014 Ted 3:03 AM
I don’t know, I can’t find anything, don’t know where to look anymore, no more ideas ,doing something wrong I guess, the hint didn’t even help. I did find the house and see it, that’s something anyway
____________________________________________________________________________
Jan 20 2014 Howard Kroplick 10:22 PM
From John Dinkel:
This one should not have been that difficult. Anyone can see that this house is a shingle-wing design.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Jan 20 2014 Ted 10:48 PM
Hay Greg at least we both knew where the house was and I actually saw it. Didn’t even know about the LI Aviation Club in Hicksville. One question for you Howard, where is the photos of the original location on Vanderbiltcupraces.com?
_____________________________________________________________________________
Jan 20 2014 Ted 11:43 PM
Never mind Howard, I found it and have seen it before, didn’t remember there’s always next week.