Vanderbilt Cup Races

The Jerusalem rd(stewart Ave) in bethpage looking south on stewart through the bridge.  You can see the central railroad sign also.  The groundbreaking took place on the right in the field next to the parkway.  (Present day Albergo Court and motor lane)

From Mystery Friday Foto #15 Solved: The Jerusalem Road (Stewart Avenue) Motor Parkway Bridge under construction

The Jerusalem Road (Stewart Ave.) Motor Parkway Bridge in Central Park (Bethpage) looking south.  Railroad track and large tree were south of the parkway. 
August, 1908. 

The Motor Parkway groundbreaking ceremony was held nearby on the west side of the location.

From Mystery Friday Foto #15 Solved: The Jerusalem Road (Stewart Avenue) Motor Parkway Bridge under construction

Stewart Ave (now)
Jerusalem Ave (1908)

From Mystery Friday Foto #15 Solved: The Jerusalem Road (Stewart Avenue) Motor Parkway Bridge under construction

This is the construction of the LIMP bridge over Jerusalem rd (Stewart ave) in Bethpage.  The photographer is facing south and the LIRR crossing sign is visible on the south side of the bridge.  This picture was taken August 20, 1908.  To the right, on the west side of this picture was where the LIMP groundbreaking ceremony to place.

From Mystery Friday Foto #15 Solved: The Jerusalem Road (Stewart Avenue) Motor Parkway Bridge under construction

Anticipating great photos from this exciting project. WARNING: More mystery photos up ahead! Kudos indeed to all involved. Looking forward to view the collection here. Much thanks Howard!

From Treasures from the Vanderbilt Museum Archives: William K. Vanderbilt Jr.'s historic photos are being posted online

Thanks Frank. I used to think the water source was from the south shore, but it’s the other way around. The 1947 topo map uncropped show streams north of Old Country Rd. So ground water is fed from north to the south shore.

Great postcard Gary! I can see there used to be 2 culverts on the north side for water flow below the railroad tracks that ran through the park. Today’s Veterans Memorial would be just east of the reservoir, and the roadway on the north side follows the RR ROW. Know I read somewhere the reservoir is man made, probably to contain the streams. And there’s the other large pond nearby the Meadowbrook Pkwy.

From Mystery Friday Foto #14 Solved: A view of a Merrick Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge from the Vanderbilt Museum Archives

  The entire project is well deserved as many of these photos need to be reviewed.  Having so many historical societies working together is great.  The technology is here.  Just like the early automobiles.

From Treasures from the Vanderbilt Museum Archives: William K. Vanderbilt Jr.'s historic photos are being posted online

It looks right at home!

From The 1962 Holman Moody Challenger III is racing to Roslyn in April

Nice find Brian. Merrick Ave must’ve had a drainage culvert as well for the stream’s NE direction.
In Gary’s photo, I didn’t know the park’s lake area was once part of the golf course. The golfers are parked adjacent to the curbs on Merrick Ave. Note the narrow tire wear in the center of the roadway to align with the narrow Merrick Ave bridge underpass up ahead!

From Mystery Friday Foto #14 Solved: A view of a Merrick Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge from the Vanderbilt Museum Archives

Brian, Here’s a 1925 postcard from my collection looking east from Merrick Avenue into what would become Nassau Co. / Salisbury / Eisenhower Park showing the original, probably manmade lake.

From Mystery Friday Foto #14 Solved: A view of a Merrick Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge from the Vanderbilt Museum Archives

Al & anyone else interested - After looking at a few aerials on Howard’s site here, there appears to also had been a culvert beneath the entrance rd to the lodge. I screenshot & marked maps below. The reservoir in Eisenhower Park was much smaller prior to the construction of the Meadowbrook Pkwy ( seen on the 1947 topo map ) Actually quite a few streams evident north into the park back then.

From Mystery Friday Foto #14 Solved: A view of a Merrick Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge from the Vanderbilt Museum Archives

Art, the pool area was constructed for the swim club in the 50’s.

From Greg O’s Garage: HBO’s The Gilded Age, Long Island, The Vanderbilts and Stanford White Part 3

Greg, could the entire pool area have been done later?  And possibly the records were not that well kept back then.

From Greg O’s Garage: HBO’s The Gilded Age, Long Island, The Vanderbilts and Stanford White Part 3

Brian- Yes, there will be a second season, since as I understand, there have been searching out future filming locations around Long Island.

Art- Odd that they have the date down as 1915 since it’s true date of construction (1900-1902) is very well-known.

From Greg O’s Garage: HBO’s The Gilded Age, Long Island, The Vanderbilts and Stanford White Part 3

Nice job relating the story behind the story!  Thanks.  Some pics of the Harbor Hills gate property record which shows it to have been built in 1915 and an overhead shot of the property.

From Greg O’s Garage: HBO’s The Gilded Age, Long Island, The Vanderbilts and Stanford White Part 3

I thoroughly enjoyed the first season, hope there’s a second season. Like that most of the characters had a back story, both the wealthy and the staff etc.

From Greg O’s Garage: HBO’s The Gilded Age, Long Island, The Vanderbilts and Stanford White Part 3

Steve, That’s not a shrub delivery vehicle, thats me in a golf cart. I hit a big wild hook of the tee of the 17th hole on the Red course that morning.

From Mystery Friday Foto #14 Solved: A view of a Merrick Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge from the Vanderbilt Museum Archives

Greg, Regarding the culvert… that was built for the Meadowbrook Creek which had it’s origins some where north of the Parkway and at a substantial cost since it was about 60 feet long. Which leads to the question- was a culvert also built under the entrance/exit ramp ? (and Stewart Ave. which was built about 1905-07.) The creek bed ROW is still defined behind the buildings south of the entrance/exit ramp.

From Mystery Friday Foto #14 Solved: A view of a Merrick Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge from the Vanderbilt Museum Archives

Great photo Greg, haven’t seen this one before. Photo was taken from the backyard of the Meadow Brook Lodge (1908-1960s) looking east at the Merrick Ave bridge (1908-1940s) and the Ladenburgh windmill in the distance. The lodge’s entrance/exit ramp from/to Merrick Ave is just off the photo to the right. The flatlands east of the bridge looks similar today where the Eisenhower Park’s Red Golf Course resides. It looks like the Motor Pkwy is still open for business so photo was snapped sometime before its closing in 1938. Toll keepers Otto McCamish and wife Pernelle continued living in the lodge until early 1960s

From Mystery Friday Foto #14 Solved: A view of a Merrick Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge from the Vanderbilt Museum Archives

Fabulous find, Howard.  Thanks for sharing.

From Treasures from the Vanderbilt Museum Archives: William K. Vanderbilt Jr.'s historic photos are being posted online