Mystery Friday Foto #33 Solved: The Well-Known ‘Woodbury Turn’
Did you identify the 'Woodbury Turn' on the 1908 course?
Identify;
- Location and orientation of the photographer- What is the structure at the top of the hill?
The photographer is standing on Jericho Tpke. looking south east down Woodbury Road. It is here the racers traveled back west in counterclockwise direction of the course.
The structure at the top of the hill is the Woodbury School. Decades earlier, Long Island Poet, Walt Whitman taught class there for the time he was on Long Island. The building in the 1908 photo was replaced by the current building on the corner sometime in the 1930's.
- Race and date
The 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race, October 24, 1908.
- The race car, driver and mechanician
The race car is the #8 1908 Thomas driven by Joe Seymour with [unclear] Peterday as mechanician.
- Outcome for this race car
#8 Thomas finished in 8th place.
Comments (2)
Congrats to David Miller and Steve Lucas for identifying the Woodbury turn and the Thomas.
Greg O.
Upper right corner on the course is where to find the Woodbury Turn with the red arrows showing direction of travel.
John Hammond: "Here is a photo of the Woodbury School taken from almost the exact same direction as the race photos. This will positively confirm that the photo was taken at the corner of Woodbury Road and Jericho Turnpike. I received the photo from a history friend of mine, Tom Montalbano."
Then & Now: The Woodbury Turn of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race Part II
A 1914 Belcher-Hyde map of the Woodbury Turn with the public school and nearby Masonic Hall identified.
Today:2026
Another one of the busiest intersections on Long Island today.
The newer, 1930's replacement schoolhouse on the corner. Now used for Administration.
Comments
This is the “Woodbury turn” at Jericho tpke. The photographer is looking in a southeasterly direction. The race is the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race held on October 24th. The building in question is the Woodbury school. The car is a 1908 Thomas driven by Joe Seymour and finished 8th in the race during the 9th lap when the race was called.
That’s the Woodbury Turn with the photographer looking approximately south-east and the Woodbury School at the top of the hill. The date is October 24, 1908 during the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race. The #8 Thomas racer, driven by Joe Seymour, is about to turn west onto Jericho Turnpike with Mr. Peterday as his mechanician. Seymour finished in 8th. position.