Vanderbilt Cup Races

Herricks/Searingtown, IU Willets Rd on top

From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: An Aerial of the Garden City Park Water District (Circa 1963)

Looking north over North Hills about 1960.
The Links golf course is visible near top left but was replaced by homes and streets.
A LIMP bridge is seen crossing Shelter Rock Road near the Links.
Another bridge crossed Searington Road.
Herricks High School is visible inside the cluster of streets and homes at center.
I think the black line delineates the boundaries of the village of North Hills.
Maybe the framed photo is somewhere in that village hall, built where the Links clubhouse once stood.

From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: An Aerial of the Garden City Park Water District (Circa 1963)

This aerial picture was taken above part the Town of North Hempstead, including North Hills, Manhasset Hills, New Hyde Park, Searingtown, Williston Park and Albertson. Best guess as to when picture was taken would be 1963 based on my knowledge of when parts of Manhasset Hills was built as well as the existence of the Henry Viscardi School that was built in 1962.  If we include the Northern State Pkwy, (although the picture cuts off the intersection of LIMP and NSP, and that bridge was built by Moses) there would have been 6 Limp bridges; Northern State, NHP Rd., Old Courthouse Rd, Shelter Rock Rd, bridge over what is now rear entrance to Herricks High School and Searingtown Rd. I can only be certain that the Old Courthouse Rd bridge was still standing at the time this photo was taken. The Links golf course. Herricks High School, Herricks Junior High School, Denton Ave Elementary School, Center Street Elementary School, Henry Viscardi School, Buckley Country School and part of Notre Dame School. This picture is in the Garden City Park water district office.
I don’t participate as often as I would like to, but I do enjoy each and every news letter you send out. Look forward to seeing you soon Howard.

From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: An Aerial of the Garden City Park Water District (Circa 1963)

OK from west to east we start at the Northern State Parkway bridge location and quickly come to New Hyde Park Road (former bridge #2) and we are on our way to the Old Courthouse Road bridge (3) which is obviously still in tact because it is currently still in tact. Heading east (this is my favorite remaining section of LIMP) we have The Links golf course on our north and we arrive at Shelter Rock Road former bridge location (4). Now we divert north a bit and come to the IU Willets Road former bridge spot (5) and where Herricks High School is located just to our south. Next we make a southward turn coming to Searingtown Road former bridge (6). At the easternmost point of the map we are approaching Willis Ave former bridge but we don’t quite get there so there are 5 former bridges in this map and 1 remaining bridge.

As far as date is concerned I leave this stuff up to the cartographical masters. All I know is the Northern State is opened and things do look rather developed again so my guess would be early 1950’s.

From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: An Aerial of the Garden City Park Water District (Circa 1963)

I realized I need to revise my answer and include the IU Willets Parkway Bridge as still being standing along with the Old Courthouse Bridge if this aerial is indeed from 1958.

From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: An Aerial of the Garden City Park Water District (Circa 1963)

THe most important piece of land I see is the Harness Boy Scout Camp Ground.  THe land was a large land area of virgin forest across the street from Shelter Rock Road Golf Course.

THe land had been donated by Mr. Harkness whom was a large contributor to the original Motor Parkway and a friend and business associate of WKVanderbilt Jr.

THe camp provided the local boys scout with an area we never new before.  We can from Garden City Park as 12-14 years old and with our Scout Pack meet to hike and join Jamborees with scouts from across Long Island.  What a place, you would have all loved if you never saw it. THis was the late 60’s and early to mid-70’s.

OF course the Boys Scouts started selling it off in the 1980’s and right now they are growing big old houses that no one can afford..  The BSA was having debt problems and the camp was an asset.

From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: An Aerial of the Garden City Park Water District (Circa 1963)

Herricks High School is the large building on the right side.  IU Willets road running across just above it. The golf course is the “Links” just west of Shelter Rock road. It was owned by the exclusive “Links Club”. Eisenhower played golf there sometimes.

The Court House Road bridge is visible on the left side of the picture.

From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: An Aerial of the Garden City Park Water District (Circa 1963)

shelter rock rd on left, herricks high school in center, searingtown rd on the right
north hills golf course
after 1945
2 bridges
north hills village hall

From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: An Aerial of the Garden City Park Water District (Circa 1963)

I’m not going to do any research on this one.  One thing is abundantly clear though; we are above Plattsdale (just SW of Searingtown), looking at the jog where the RoW stlll touches I. U. Willets Road at upper right.  That’s Shelter Rock Road coming down the upper middle and meeting Searingtown Road coming down at upper right at the north end of Herricks Road.  The school just south of the I. U. Willets juncture is Herricks H. S. and the golf course under the compass rose is North Hills C. C., with Deepdale G. C. to its left (west) and N. S. Univ. Hosp. is now just off-screen at upper left.  Dunno about the black line but, if memory serves, this aerial hangs in the North Hills Village Hall on the west side of Shelter Rock Road just north of Links Drive.  [Gotta restore my pp. 8 and 10 covering this area ‘way back when but all those old pix may be lost.]  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: An Aerial of the Garden City Park Water District (Circa 1963)

Love this!  Since you called up my ghost, I just sort of blundered through the brush by guess and by golly, working on my supposed knowledge of the old RoW north of Central.  That jog between the Central and Nibbe bridges just doesn’t sit right - the path along the west side of the SOB has “always” been there and is far too wide and obvious, even from the satellite, to be merely a local walking trail.  Even later on in subsequent slogs, when Howard and Al and others joined me, we never thought twice about our path.  I’ll be following this investigation with great interest.  Sam, III

From Sam & Dave's "Excellent Motor Parkway Hike" II: Central Avenue to Caroline Street-Updated 5/10/2017

North New Hyde Park, Herricks, Manhasset Hills, Searingtown
Early 1960s - Herricks High School is already built 1958), Links Golf Course still there, houses in the area built around that time. 
Motor Parkway bridges - Old Courthouse Road, New Hyde Park Road, Shelter Rock Rd., I.U. Willets Parkway Bridge, Old Searingtown Road. One left in photo (Old Courthouse Road)
Links Golf Club and Herricks High School in photo
Most likely in a library - possibly HIllside in New Hyde Park since Al is a resident. 

From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: An Aerial of the Garden City Park Water District (Circa 1963)

I forgot to mention the school is Herricks High School.

From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: An Aerial of the Garden City Park Water District (Circa 1963)

-What is the location of this aerial (including the below close-ups)?
Recognized the area instantly as Dee’s old neighborhood of Manhasset Hills directly in the center.

-What is the approximate date of the aerial? Provide a rationale.
Judging by the look of her parents newly-built house and neighborhood, I’ll say 1958 since I know that was when their house was built.

-How many Motor Parkway bridges were built in the area of this aerial?
5 (+Robert Moses NSP Bridge)
New Hyde Park Rd PW Bridge
Old Courthouse Road HW Bridge
Shelter Rock Rd PW Bridge
IU Willets PW Bridge
Old Searingtown Rd PW Bridge

-How many Motor Parkway bridges were still standing in the Mystery Foto?
Aside from the Robert Moses bridge over the NSP on the very left edge of the photo, the only bridge left standing would be the Old Courthouse Bridge, as it is today.

-Identify the golf course and school in the Mystery Foto.
Formerly the Links Golf Club, was one of the most exclusive clubs of the Gold Coast era. Now a high end housing development. Before becoming a golf course the property was a farm belonging to I.U. Willets. The original farm house was used as clubhouse but was torn down in the 1980’s

-Where is a copy of this aerial hanging today? Hint: Note the black line.
Unsure, but a complete guess; maybe the North Hills Village Hall on Shelter Rock Rd or the Shelter Rock Public Library.

From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: An Aerial of the Garden City Park Water District (Circa 1963)

Part 3:  Please disregard my Part 2 comment. The house #“s I stated are not correct. The only facts that I’m confident with is that the former lodge is #2553 Motor Pkwy, and the footages had to be estimated from the Petit Trianon; not Old Rosevale or Rosevale Ave. I know the footages were estimates, and the measuring I performed were rough estimates as well.

Nice work with the overlays, Frank. I’ll need to study them for a while LOL.

From Mystery Foto #16 Solved:1930 Aerial of the Long Island Motor Parkway at Lake Ronkonkoma-Updated 9/18

This photo is almost directly over my childhood home on Quaker Street in the Herricks section of North New Hyde Park. Since the Links Golf Course is still there, Shelter Rock Road is widened but Searingtown Road is not, I’ll guess a date of about 1980. There were six LIMP bridges built in this section: NSP #2, NHP Road, Old Courthouse Rd, Shelter Rock Road, I.U. Willets Rd. (farmway), and Searingtown Road. Only the I. U. Willets was still standing when the photo was taken. The school is my alma mater, Herricks High School. The black line seems to delineate some political boundary which could be the local fire district so I’ll guess fire house for where the photo is hanging.

From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: An Aerial of the Garden City Park Water District (Circa 1963)

Searingtown
Herricks HS
Links golf course
late 50’s early 60’s
3 bridges 1 still stands
Hangs in north hills village hall?

From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: An Aerial of the Garden City Park Water District (Circa 1963)

With the old Links Golf Club in the top Left, and Herricks High School in the upper right half, this picture shows the quick advances of the Long Island suburbs.  The picture is right about 1960-61.  Since the neighborhood of Sugar Maple Drive is already complete, yet the new expansion of Searingtown Rd into its current 4 land form has not yet occurred.  The Albertson VFW and Shelter Rock Public Library, built in the mid 60’s also do not appear.  I am not sure, but the black line could be the Herricks School District.  The LIMP is seen from the Northern State near New Hyde Park Road, all the way to the ROW out behind Schley Ave in Albertson.
Great Picture.  But an easy one.

From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: An Aerial of the Garden City Park Water District (Circa 1963)

Brian: the LIPA towers are all west of 135 today until they cross over to bethpage park. The last tower before crossing over is basically just northeast of Caroline street, next to Dorothy street and then the lines cross over. So what I’m saying is the pavement that we were finding (lots of it) was all to the west of the lines! That’s what I’m saying…it’s not like it’s right next to 135, it is in a bit, west of the lines.

Frank: fences don’t stop us! There is actually a hole in the fence at Thorne Drive spot which enabled us to get in and walk all the way up to Powell exit ramp. There is nothing to see. Listen to that big and get over to this spot and check it all out! The LIMP ghosts are calling you!

From Sam & Dave's "Excellent Motor Parkway Hike" II: Central Avenue to Caroline Street-Updated 5/10/2017

I should be just a good sport and provide the answers for these mystery, but do realize this locale. Just want to say this framed map is of great detail of the old and new. Great find and thanks for providing this map to us, Mr. Velocci.

From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: An Aerial of the Garden City Park Water District (Circa 1963)

Dave - thanks for the Central RR abutment location. Will check this out soon. This area has long been on the ‘to do list.’ While searching on the East side of 135 back then, I came up empty as well by the water shed. Too many high fences not allowing access to the ROW. A camera driven drone once came to mind. It could work. That would solve and reveal some hard to reach places. But I still believe 135 has swallowed most (if not all) of the LIMP already. The search continues

From Sam & Dave's "Excellent Motor Parkway Hike" II: Central Avenue to Caroline Street-Updated 5/10/2017