Vanderbilt Cup Races

The photo is taken over Wyandanch facing basically west towards Farmingdale/Melville with Bethpage in the background. The photo was taken on 2/03/30.
The following LIMP bridges can be clearly observed in the photo - Half Hollow Rd, Little East Neck Rd, Wellwood Ave, and Ruland Rd.  If you blow up the photo you can observe the LIMP wandering all the way back to Bethpage. You can further observe the Maxess farmway, Broadhollow Rd, Old Bethpage, Claremont and Round Swamp bridges.
The major roads which can be clearly observed in the photo are, Straight Path, Grand Blvd, Acorn St, Half Hollows Rd(Colonial Springs Rd), Wellwood Ave, and the LIRR mainline.
Republic Airport which opened in 1928 and Pinelawn Memorial Cemetery can be seen in the photo.

From Mystery Foto #49 Again: The Motor Parkway in Wheatley Heights/ Wyandanch/ Half Hollows Looking West

Good work. Be careful not to move or upset anything at the site. Document it all. Keep it low key. Watch out for deer tics and rabid animals. ...and homeowners with rifles, yes trust me there are some whackos in old Brookville and surrounding areas.

From Hemmings Motor News: Pebble Beach Concours to feature Tuckers for their 70th anniversary

Another investigation, Brian! The hydrant is similar to one I found a year and a half ago at the Longfields estate in Old Westbury (campus of Old Westbury college).  That one has “W&B Doo . . .” on it but not much more I can make out.  I’m sure I did some research on what I had at the time but wasn’t able to find anything.  But since you raised the issue of Vanderbilt’s hydrant, probably will so some more!  Thanks.

From Update: Mystery Foto #47 Solved: Long Island Estate of Virginia "Birdie" Graham Fair Vanderbilt

I loved the “U-turn question” but I suspect some may be overlooking just how rural this area was 1924, how much traffic patterns differed from today, and how the premise of the question is a bit suspect.
  Plans to connect LIMP to No Hmpstd Tpke (or later Nassau Blvd) were meant to tap into many drivers coming from points many miles east going many miles west, a complaint Queens residents still have about the LIE…and that their predecessors had about Nassau Blvd in the 1920s!
    Also, Nassau Blvd was not completed until 1928 and when Nassau Blvd was more concept than real in the 1920s,  it was seen more as the link to a “true” Northern State Parkway. Again, the westbound drivers for the road were not envisioned as coming from (the undeveloped portions of) eastern Queens.
  Finally, improvements to Qns Blvd & Hillside Ave would have been a better western route for drivers from points south of the temporary Rocky Hill terminus. (Recall LIMP was originally extended to Rocky Hill Rd in order to be close to Hillside Ave and to better connect with drivers from points miles east and those coming over the Queensborough Bridge.)

From Malverne Treasure #3: Plan Showing the Entrances to the Motor Parkway at Rocky Hill Road

Location/Orientation/Year?  Bird’s Eye View of Wyandanch, Wheately Heights, Farmingdale, and Melville. Looking west, early 1930"s.

Visible LIMP bridges?  East to West…Half Hollows, Little East Neck Rd Parkway type. Wellwood Ave, Ruland Rd Parkway Type. Not visible, but known…Ezekiel Smith Farmway type and Broadhollow Rd Pkwy/Trolley type.

Major Rds/Cemetery/Airport?  LIMP heading south, then west in a serpently route. Grand Blvd, LIRR, Straight Path, Main & Conklin Ave, Bagatelle Rd, Colonial Springs Rd, Little East Neck Rd, Wellwood Ave/Pinelawn Rd, Ruland & Baylis Rd, and Broadhollow Rd. Pinelawn & Long Island National Cemetery. Republic Airport.  BDM

From Mystery Foto #49 Again: The Motor Parkway in Wheatley Heights/ Wyandanch/ Half Hollows Looking West

It’s me again, Howard. This is in regards to the small fire hydrant we first came across during our exploration ( good photo of it on your 12/9/2017 blog ). And you’ll see why I’m posting my comments here.

Greg O. and I made out the name “Middleton” inscribed on this hydrant. Thinking this may be a manufacturers name, I searched the net. No luck, yet. This may mean nothing, but the 1906.14,23, and 27 property maps that Art submitted here show a “Middleton S Burrell/ M. S. Burrill” owning quite large propertys W/O Cedar Swamp Rd, north & south of Jericho Tpke. I found that his estate was named “Jericho Farm”. The property was sold in 1953 to The Meadow Brook Country Club.

On the 1914 property map, Birdie’s estate is shown W/O and E/O Cedar Swamp Rd. Her estate that burnt down was just north of Burrell’s property.

Maybe there’s nothing to figure out here, but the fact that the hydrant is inscribed Middleton, and Middleton S Burrell resided on the other side of Rte 107 makes me ponder.

From Update: Mystery Foto #47 Solved: Long Island Estate of Virginia "Birdie" Graham Fair Vanderbilt

Hello Howard. This comment pertains to our exploration & your 12/9/2017 blog about the findings, etc. You’ll understand why I’m posting here.

I’m curious about the location of the former Vanderbilt Swimming Pool. The pool is mentioned in the New York Times articles that Art posted here ( 5/20/1941 & 9/30/1951 ). I know the former location of ” The Reflecting Pool “. But where was ” The Large Swimming Pool “? It’s noted in the 1951 article that the swimming pool would be utilized by the then new development. I couldn’t locate this pool on the aerials. No doubt it’s been filled in ( no pool could last from then until now ).

From Update: Mystery Foto #47 Solved: Long Island Estate of Virginia "Birdie" Graham Fair Vanderbilt

Thanks Howard for the explanation, thanks to the hard working group that went exploring!

From The Hunt for the Treasures of Virginia "Birdie" Vanderbilt's Estate in Brookville

Hi Howard!
How interesting!!  Thank you for sharing.
Ann

From The Hunt for the Treasures of Virginia "Birdie" Vanderbilt's Estate in Brookville

Robert R.

Wow, how absolutely spectacular, Howard.
That is just so exciting!

From The Hunt for the Treasures of Virginia "Birdie" Vanderbilt's Estate in Brookville

Great fun and an adventure to read about….

From The Hunt for the Treasures of Virginia "Birdie" Vanderbilt's Estate in Brookville

I vote that the westbound motorist went thru the tollgate- paid the toll and then made a u-turn to go west. This was the era when the toll ticket had to be given up when exiting the Parkway. I’m assuming the motorist paid the fee, the ticket stamped and not issued to the motorist as there were no toll collectors west of Rocky Hill Rd. to collect the ticket. Starting in 1929 there was a one way ticket price of 50 cents if you went west from the Meadow Brook lodge. Al.

From Malverne Treasure #3: Plan Showing the Entrances to the Motor Parkway at Rocky Hill Road

So this is looking east in Suffolk County.  You can make out the Half Hollow Rd Bridge along with Wellwood Ave and Little East Neck Bridges.  I know there has to be at least 2-3 more but its tough to make out.  You can also see Pinelawn Cemetary along with Republic Airport and LIRR Main Line.  Major roads include East Neck, Half Hollow, Wellwood and New Highway to name a few.  As far as timing, I would guess late 20’s early 30’s.

From Mystery Foto #49 Again: The Motor Parkway in Wheatley Heights/ Wyandanch/ Half Hollows Looking West

As I was reading the post with my mouse hovering over the images I noticed the URLs and the names of the pictures.

Reading these names took all the challenge out of the exercise.

From Mystery Foto #49 Again: The Motor Parkway in Wheatley Heights/ Wyandanch/ Half Hollows Looking West

Much of this is new to me; thanks, all.  Oh, my, how access there from the Jericho Pike has changed!  I well remember when they redid that interchange, leaving the Maine Maid Inn stranded.  A small, hand-lettered, wood sign with an arrow pointed the way through the construction.  Badly done, it read, “TOMAINE MAID”!  Wish I’d thought to snap a pic.  Sam, III

From Update: Mystery Foto #47 Solved: Long Island Estate of Virginia "Birdie" Graham Fair Vanderbilt

This just doesn’t sit right!  I always assumed westbound cars originating there used local toads to access the old Nassau Blvd./HHB and w/b cars on the LIMP exited on the south ramp and eastbound cars entered on the north ramp.  U-turns just don’t seem likely.  Also, that’s no “sideview” of the bridge; rather, it’s cross section A-A of the LIMP taken ~30’ east of RHR.  Sam, III

From Malverne Treasure #3: Plan Showing the Entrances to the Motor Parkway at Rocky Hill Road

Thanks Howard for sharing your adventure

From The Hunt for the Treasures of Virginia "Birdie" Vanderbilt's Estate in Brookville

I am confused. Was the estate sold off in pieces, that now belong to many owners, that allowed all of you to look through their property? That would mean the Vanderbilt family fell apart? And sold off the property in pieces?
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Howard Kroplick:

Rick, as described in Mystery Foto #47,  Mrs. Vanderbilt sold the estate to Henry William Sage in 1927 and who sold it in 1941 to Edouard LeRoux Sometime after 1950, the mansion was taken down and the property was divided into 2-4 acre properties.

http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/mystery_friday_foto_47_a_long_island_vanderbilt_estate

From The Hunt for the Treasures of Virginia "Birdie" Vanderbilt's Estate in Brookville

Love this sort of treasure hunt.  It was a great idea,  I Googled her and suggest others do the same to see the story of her wedding night, their separation, and how long it took her to finally divorce him.  Also, a few scant more details on the demise of the grounds.  Someone featured it in a 2012 report on line that can also be seen in the Google search.

Can anyone tell me where the California racetrack (seen in the early Chaplin film in your last blog) was on present day aerial views?

From The Hunt for the Treasures of Virginia "Birdie" Vanderbilt's Estate in Brookville

Very nice presentation.  What was the last year that the estate was lived in?
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Howard Kroplick

Good question. The mansion and estate was very much intact in the 1950 aerial.

From The Hunt for the Treasures of Virginia "Birdie" Vanderbilt's Estate in Brookville