About
The six Vanderbilt Cup Races held on Long Island from 1904 to 1910 were the greatest sporting events of their day, and the first international automobile road races held in the United States. The races had a far-reaching impact on the development of American automobiles and parkways. This site provides comprehensive information on the races, the Long Island Motor Parkway and current Long Island automotive events, car shows and news.
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Co-Founder and Writer: Howard Kroplick
Co-Founder: Dana Kroplick
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Recent Comments
Identify the location and orientation of the photographer:
Brentwood, looking northeast
What is the building complex in the Mystery Foto and when was it built?
Pilgrim State Hospital built in 1929/1930, opened Oct. 1, 1931.
What is located on the complex today and the property on the far right?
Pilgrim Psychiatric Center. The eastern side of the property was sold and became the Western Campus of Suffolk Community College in 1974.
Identify the roads that are not the Motor Parkway:
Commack Road, Crooked Hill Road, Wicks Road (far right)
Where is the Motor Parkway? Upper right portion of photo.
Where is the Long Island Railroad? Traveling from the bottom of the photo on the right to half way up and curving to the right (where the passenger station was until 1978). Another spur went left to right where the Power Plant is located, lower part of the picture.
Kudos question: What is the date of the Mystery Foto? Provide a rationale. 1934 - Around the early years of operation but after the LIRR passenger station was first used in 1934 Also, lack of development.
From Update: Pilgrim State Hospital Complex and the Motor Parkway in 1938
I am convinced by Brian, Greg and Frank, the survey team was in front of the Smith Farmway Bridge in Lake Success.
From Updated: Surveyor Clinton Robertson Photo Album: A Motor Parkway Survey Team in Lake Success in 1909
Where is the Long Island Railroad?
Coming up from the bottom right corner, tracks lead to a passenger train station that served the Pilgrim Psychiatric Center via the Pilgrim rail spur branching off of the Ronkonkoma branch. The station closed May 21, 1978 and currently sits abandoned in the thick brush.
From Update: Pilgrim State Hospital Complex and the Motor Parkway in 1938
-Identify the location and orientation of the photographer
Looking North over Deer Park/Brentwood
-What is the building complex in the Mystery Foto and when was it built?
Pilgrim State (Psychiatric) Hospital -opened on October 1, 1931
-What is located on the complex today and the property on the far right?
A much smaller Pilgrim Psychiatric Center still stands. The farm that was on the right was sold, the land developed, and it became the Suffolk County Community College in 1974.
-Identify the roads that are not the Motor Parkway,
The 2 standouts are Crooked Hill Rd, and Commack Rd.
-Where is the Motor Parkway?
Tough to describe without circles and arrows, but the section between Just before Commack Rd to just after Colonial Springs Rd can easily be seen.
-Kudos question: What is the date of the Mystery Foto? Provide a rationale.
1938-The buildings look freshly built, and there seem to be many aerials from that time period.
From Update: Pilgrim State Hospital Complex and the Motor Parkway in 1938
Amazing a 3-storied structure can be rolled away just like that, and then later moved again to Hempstead! Thanks for sharing these Bill.
From The Salvation Army Hotel Being Moved Down Clinton Road in Garden City in 1928
Village Historian Bill Bellmer has added a photo of the former Salvation Army Hotel as it stands today as apartments in Hempstead.
From The Salvation Army Hotel Being Moved Down Clinton Road in Garden City in 1928
Pilgrim State Hospital. Circa perhaps 1931 to 1934. Motor Parkway is evident along northeastern edge of Pilgrim farmland just East of what appears to be Crooked Hill Road. Sand mining evident already at Crooked Hill Road, an area we used to ride dirt bike motorcycles in the mid 1970’s and called the “Commack Pits”. View is facing North. Massive Buildings 81, 82, and 83 construction still has not begun in the photo although 25 is complete. Original Commack Road is visible on west side, as is possibly old route known as Fish Path. This also means Edgewood hospital construction had not yet commmenced. No sign of Sagtikos Parkway construction yet (mid 1950’s) or LIE (early to mid 1960’s )
From Update: Pilgrim State Hospital Complex and the Motor Parkway in 1938
Brrr, ankles in snow. This could also be the second only photo of Smith farmway bridge. Check out the matching rails
http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/images/made/images/blog/12-02-2007-01-10-49-859_edited-1_1_620_392.jpg
From Updated: Surveyor Clinton Robertson Photo Album: A Motor Parkway Survey Team in Lake Success in 1909
These photos are amazing! Check out that Steam Roller, must have ran on firewood!
Field Party image brings the Smith Farmway Bridge to mind.
From Updated: Surveyor Clinton Robertson Photo Album: A Motor Parkway Survey Team in Lake Success in 1909
Also, forgot to add as per your link I shared, it’s stated;
“...Moreover, the wooden railings were typical for a farmway bridge.”
From Updated: Surveyor Clinton Robertson Photo Album: A Motor Parkway Survey Team in Lake Success in 1909
Hi Howard,
Looking closely at ‘the 1st bridge after Great Neck’ photo of the Smith Farmway Bridge, the tree line very much resembles that of the field party posing. Could this be the Smith bridge and not Old Courthouse?
http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/long_island_motor_parkway_bridge_series15_the_smith_farmway_bridge_in_lake_
From Updated: Surveyor Clinton Robertson Photo Album: A Motor Parkway Survey Team in Lake Success in 1909
Excellent image and captures, Bill.
From The Salvation Army Hotel Being Moved Down Clinton Road in Garden City in 1928
‘Tis I, again! I just realized that the second Close-Up, “Curtiss Engineering headquarters and factories”, shows a small but substantial building just in front of the Engineering building, left (east) of the truck on Stewart. When I worked in the NW corner of the Engrg. building ca. 1958, that was the LI Nat’l Bank (my first adult account), later Franklin, now Chase. As a North-oriented person, I made up a ref. map to show this - <http://sbiii.com/histpix/curt_map.jpg>. B=Bank, E=Engrg., F1=orig. factory (with pass-through), F2=later factory, P=power plant, plus (approx.) T=toll lodge and S=super’s bldg. More fun; love this! Sam,III
From Mystery Foto #49 Solved:Hazelhurst Field, Garden City Lodge,Curtiss Engineering & Camp Mills in 1918
Richard, thanks but I respectfully submit that the building at the far east end of the Conklin lot far predated Republic (perhaps even predating Seversky). When I first saw it, ca. 1960, it already was very old, appearing to be from WWI. I may well be manufacturing memories here but the longer I think about it, the more I think it had the name “Liberty” on it or on the stack. The extant foundation and ruined building on the lot are west of that, in the E/W center of the lot. Sam, III
From Mystery Foto #49 Solved:Hazelhurst Field, Garden City Lodge,Curtiss Engineering & Camp Mills in 1918
Regarding Bill’s question about the removal of the Hazelhurst barracks, I don’t know for sure but it might be possible that the Army already had plans for extensive military housing at Mitchell Field.
From The Salvation Army Hotel Being Moved Down Clinton Road in Garden City in 1928
Sam, the factory you refer to is the old Fairchild Republic plant. Yes, there is still one building remaining. I was there a few weeks ago. It was badly damaged in a fire a few years ago.
From Mystery Foto #49 Solved:Hazelhurst Field, Garden City Lodge,Curtiss Engineering & Camp Mills in 1918
Yes Steve, especially 1953, 54 and 55 Caddy’s!!
From Exclusive: The 1954 Opening of Henry Austin Clark, Jr.'s "Carnival of Cars" in Times Square
P. S. - It occurred to me to look at Street View for the Conklin site, opposite Stew Leonard’s, <http://sbiii.com/histpix/l1bertyx.jpg> and that’s NOT the plant I remember at all, far too big, nor is this 1941 view of Liberty <http://sbiii.com/histpix/librty41.jpg>. The place was definitely at Conklin and New Highway, diagonally across the tracks from the Pinelawn L. I. Nat’l Cem., probably in the empty lot there now, and the building was a big simple rectangle parallel to the tracks and Conklin with dark (rusty?) sides and a peaked roof. C’mon, someone! This REALLY has me going, now! Sam, III
From Mystery Foto #49 Solved:Hazelhurst Field, Garden City Lodge,Curtiss Engineering & Camp Mills in 1918
Liberty Industrial Finishing
https://www.cerc.usgs.gov/orda_docs/CaseDetails?ID=141
From Mystery Foto #49 Solved:Hazelhurst Field, Garden City Lodge,Curtiss Engineering & Camp Mills in 1918
Hi Sam, the factory by Conklin may still have existed in 1994. Sending Howard an aerial with buildings intact. Don’t know what was there.
Also, there is today a Liberty Industrial Finishing plant on Motor Ave.
From Mystery Foto #49 Solved:Hazelhurst Field, Garden City Lodge,Curtiss Engineering & Camp Mills in 1918
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