April/May 2010 - Larchmont Historical Society

April 2010
Volume III: Issue 4
The
Gazebo Gazette
Newsletter of the Larchmont Historical Society
tapestry
5 Interpretations of Fabled
Architecture
Sunday, April 25th, 2010
1 to 5 pm
Reception and Art Show to follow at the
Mamaroneck Artists’ Guild
126 Larchmont Avenue
3 to 6 pm
House drawings by Phyllis Tarlow
Page 2
Published by:
The Larchmont Historical Society
P.O. Box 742, Larchmont, NY 10538
Editor: Nancy White
Contributors: Lynne Crowley, Kate
Kelly, Jennifer Lamb, Carolyn Brown
Okay, Patti Roberts, Jim Thomsen
Officers and Board of Trustees:
Colette Rodbell President
Lauren Gottfried, 1st VP, Membership
Patti Roberts, 2nd VP, Programs
Carolyn Okay, Recording Secretary
Jim Sweeney ,Treasurer
Stacy Caffrey
Erin Constabile
Manuel Delgado
Elaine Everhart
Andrew Francella
Margi Gristina
Laura Hoffman
Peggy Kahn
Kate Kelly
Chris Knowles
Jennifer Lamb
Jim Levi
Ellen Martin
Cynthia McManus
Stephen Rolandi
Melissa Schoen
Margaret Takata
Roberta Warren
Nancy White
Pier Witek
Lynne Crowley, Archivist
The Larchmont Historical Society was
founded in 1980 and chartered in 1981
as a not-for-profit educational corporation by the New York State Board of
Regents to discover, preserve and disseminate information concerning the
natural, social, and civic history of
Larchmont, and to promote the preservation of local historical sites and structures. The Society maintains an archives in the Mamaroneck Town Center, 740 W. Boston Post Rd.,
Mamaroneck; publishes a newsletter;,
offers programs; conducts tours for
school children and adults; and offers
outreach lectures to other community
groups. The newsletter is published to
provide news of the Society and occasional articles of related interest. Opinions expressed are those of their authors; publication should not be construed as endorsement by the Society.
President’s Message:
The Larchmont Historical Society board members are once again wrapping up the
year with their annual crown jewel, the Spring House Tour. These amazing volunteers are devoting themselves to producing yet another spectacular day chock full
of beautiful homes and ending with a lovely reception. We hope you will join us
on Sunday, April 25th!
While working on this event we have also managed to celebrate Women’s History
Month with a terrific talk by Larchmont’s own Kiran Chetry of CNN’s American
Morning. Kiran provided us with a clever, informative and very interesting
glimpse behind the scenes of a major news organization. LHS owes a special
thanks to Patti Roberts, our program chair, who comes up with great program
ideas and then brings them to life.
Thanks too, to you, our members. We appreciate your support and welcome your
participation. Whether you have an hour to give or would like to serve on a committee, please contact us on line at larchmonthistory.org, 914-381-2239 or
lhs@larchmonthistory.org.
- Colette Rodbell
Witek Spearheads Oral History
Project
The “tradition of the recording, preservation and interpretation of historical information based on the personal experiences and opinions of the speaker” received a name in the 1940’s – Oral History. Thanks to
an article in a 1942 edition of The New Yorker detailing the work of one Joe Gould (that work was never
published, by the way), we know what to call the hard
work of Larchmont History Society board member Pier
Witek.
Pier’s own interest in oral history began as a teenager.
At the age of 16, she interviewed her grandfather about his role in World War II. As
he began to tell her about patrolling the Long Island Sound, a spark was ignited in
Pier that has stayed lit years later, as she attempts to create an Oral History Program
for Larchmont.
The goal of the program is to document what it was like in the Village during major
events in history, such as the Great Depression and various wars. Additionally, the
project will attempt to record changes in neighborhoods, development of businesses
and other events, all through the eyes of the very people who lived it.
The Society’s Oral History Program is off to an impressive start, as Pier has already
recorded interviews with such Larchmont “stars” as Jack Coughlin, Mary Savage
and Joseph Vandernoot. Pier has about 15 people on a list to be interviewed for the
project, and that’s only the beginning.
“I hope it plants a seed for future generations,” says Pier, hoping her work will lead
others to go behind the doors of Larchmont’s great houses to get the real story of
how we once lived.
- Chris Knowles
Page 3
From the Archives:
I was going through some scans of photos in our collection recently and came across several donated to us by the
Horseshoe Harbor Yacht Club. Here are three pictures for
which I would love to have identification of the folks in
them. The one with the kids in the launch and the man playing
the accordian (Lady of Spain, anyone?) may come from
1956. The one of the couple enjoying lunch alfresco on the
clubhouse porch may be dated 1951. And the merry band of
sailors, obviously not mere swabbies, just may be the race committee in 1954. If you can provide some names for these people,
we can talk about hoisting petards (or do I mean tankards?), but
in the nicest possible way, I assure you!
-Lynne Crowley
Tapestries: 5 Interpretations of Fabled Architecture
On April 25, the Larchmont Historical Society will hold our
annual House Tour. For the first time ever, the architecture of
the five homes are each distinctly different from one other, yet
all are woven into a colorful tapestry of rich, royal hues, reflecting the harmonies and rythyms of Larchmont.
What makes each of these homes special? Each home is reflective of Larchmont’s history in its own way and all need to be
experienced to truly appreciate their magnificent details.
One home has colors, depth of wall treatments and furnishings,
all in a park-like setting, combine to bring a unique and spectacular representation its’ owners heritage.
A Queen Anne Victorian offers Victorian details within a distinctly contemporary décor. The house is an expression of fashionable, stylish use of color, light and space. Each room holds a
surprise, whether in color, decorative focal point or extraordinary views.
A traditional Tudor combines a new seamless addition to the
original home and contributes to the ample, open , modern
spaces. An especially charming feature is the waterfront gazebo,
built for the owner’s girls, who love to be close to the water.
On the same street you will see the architecturally magnificent ,
grand Italian Renaissance home owned by one of Larchmont’s
most beloved teachers and her husband. Each room is decorated
to reflect the architectural style and the character of its inhabitants. Some say this home is the one true estate in Larchmont.
Our Colonial Revival home is significant both historically and
architecturally. Built by Rudolf Schaeffer, we believe it was the
first house built on the Pryer Estate. Another owner hosted musicales with some of the most outstanding musicians of the day.
Renovations have maximized the potential of the house, opening
it up to the light..
The house tour is only open for LHS members and their guests.
For tickets, please visit our website: www.larchhistory.org.
Page 4
CNN Co-anchor Speaks on 'Women in the Media’
The Larchmont journalist spoke about her family, her mentors and her career.
Award-winning broadcast journalist Kiran Chetry seems equally serious about her family, women's issues
and her career. Speaking Thursday
afternoon, March 4th, on "Women in
the Media" at St. John’s Episcopal
Church, the Nepalese American
talked about her life in Larchmont
(where she lives with her husband
and two children), her mentors, the
role of women in the news and more.
The talk was sponsored by the Larchmont Historical Society- of which
Chetry's husband is a board memberin connection with Women's History
Month.
Ms. Chetry, 35, is co-host of
CNN's "American Morning" with
John Roberts on weekdays, 6 a.m. to
9 a.m. She and husband Chris
Knowles, WPIX-TV meteorologist,
have lived in Larchmont for two
years. They met in Erie, Penn., where
both were news anchors.
on women's rights and criticizing the
dowry system). She also mentioned that
the U.S. State Department had asked her
to plan a Nepal trip to visit universities and
the National Press of Nepal "as a form of
women's empowerment in news,"
Conceding that being a woman news anchor in a male-dominated field "is still a
struggle today," she singled out three trailblazers she admires. First was Frances
Buss, who died last month at 92, and famously parlayed a job as temporary receptionist at CBS into eventually becoming
the first full-time woman director at any
network. Next, Chetry singled out Barbara
Walters, who in 1976 was the first female
co-anchor of network evening news with
Harry Reasoner. "Reasoner was insulted at
having to share the spotlight with a woman
and was openly hostile to Walters on the
air," said Chetry.
Katie Couric "is like a mentor to me and
someone I aspire to be in TV news,"
Chetry said. Chetry remembered that
Kiran Chetry and husband Chris Knowles, Larchmont while some thought Couric would idenHistorical Society board member, mingle with the crowd
Chetry wakes at 2:45 a.m. and works before the talk. Credit: Katherine Ann Samon
tify with Sarah Palin as a mother and
behind the scenes until 6 a.m. airtherefore lob softballs in their September
time. "I'm home by 12:30 and I eat lunch with my children
2008 interview, "Katie's interview was a game changer in the
and we play, then we take our naps," she said. "We try to
election when she famously asked Palin, 'What newspapers do
have dinner together in the kitchen even if we're not all eatyou read regularly?'"
ing at the same time. Then I try to be in bed by 8 p.m."
With Couric coming up on the end of her contract, Chetry was
Beginning her career in Rockville, Md., Chetry worked in
asked if she'd like the job. "Is it my ultimate goal?" she asked. "I
Pennsylvania and California before landing in New York,
don't think so... I wonder if those jobs will continue. Because of
first at Fox News Channel and then at CNN, joining
instant access to technology, there's no need to make an appoint"American Morning" in April 2007. From the field and anment to view the news to get news. You can look it up anytime."
chor desk she has covered the Virginia Tech shooting and the
Asked the question every successful woman is asked, "how do
assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir
you manage a career and family?," Ms. Chetry remembered that
Bhutto, and was one of the first to interview Captain Chesley
before she had a family she and Mr. Knowles would hang out
Sullenberger after his Hudson River landing last year.
with the crew after work. "That was before I had a family. I had
Ms. Chetry is the daughter of a Pennsylvania mother and a
a different point of view than I have now."
Nepalese father who met in the Peace Corps in Nepal before
moving to the U.S. to raise a family. "I am very proud to be
the first Nepalese American on a national newscast,"
Katherine Ann Samon, author of four books including
Ranch House Style (Clarkson Potter) is a journalist living in
Chetry spoke about the death of a Nepalese journalist in
Larchmont. Reprinted with permission of Patch.com LarchJanuary (Uma Singh, 26, was hacked to death after reporting
mont-Mamaroneck.
Page 5
Century Homes Club:
8 Woodbine Ave
Our Century Homes
Club recently held its
annual cocktail party,
which was generously
hosted by Timothy and
Carla Porter of 8
Woodbine Avenue.
We were delighted to
present the Porters the
plaque for their home,
the Shriver Cottage,
“Rockledge,” 1896, in
LHS President Colette Rodbell and Century
Homes Chair Stacy Caffrey present the Shriver thanks for them graCottage plaque to 8 Woodbine homeowners and ciously opening their
hosts Tim and Carla Porter.
home for our event.
Once again, a magnificent house has introduced us to some fascinating former Larchmont residents, beginning with Harry
Tower and Maude Grosvenor Salisbury Shriver.
Born in December, 1866, Harry was not yet 30 (and his wife was
7 years his junior) when he purchased the property in 1895, of
which we are fortunate to have wonderfully descriptive press
reports. “H.T. Shriver, who recently bought the plot of ground
owned by Mr. Stone at the corner of Larchmont and Woodbine
Aves, intends to erect on that lot a fine residence. Mr. Stone has
drawn plans for him calling for a two-story and attic frame
house, 50 x 50 feet, and to cost about $15,000. The intention is
to have shingle roof, hardwood trim, cabinet mantels, latest sanitary plumbing, etc. Being on the street leading to the club entrance it will, no doubt, present a fine appearance.” And early in
1896, “Excavations have been going on this week on the northeast corner of Larchmont and Woodbine Ave where a cottage is
to be built for Mr. H.T. Shriver. W.H. Campbell has the contract
for the mason work. The Larchmont company’s stables used to
be located on this elegant corner.”
The Shrivers married in January 1895. We are not certain where
the young couple found the money for such a lavish first home,
but according to a conversation with a grandchild, each of the
couples families were rather wealthy, and likely provided the
funds.
Harry was employed by, and likely ultimately ran, the family
foundry business, T. Shriver & Co., which was located in Harrison, NJ. He came from a long and well established Maryland
family. His grandfather, Thomas Shriver, “practiced as a civil
engineer . . . [and] had a long and varied career surveying and
constructing a number of local roads in Maryland, inventing
improvements for wagons, managing a stage company in western
Maryland and West Virginia, and serving as Mayor of Cumberland, Maryland from 1843-1849.” According to the 1850 census,
Harry’s father Walter lived with his parents in Cumberland
county, and the family owned real estate valued at $23,000 -- a
mighty princely sum in those days! By the 1860 census, however,
Harry’s father had left the family homeplace and moved, first to
Baltimore, where he resided in 1860 (with his wife, young son
Frank then 2 years, a brother, 2 servants and personal property
valued at $4,000), then to New York prior to 1862. His two children to reach adulthood (a first child Frank died very young), Amy
and Harry, were both born in New York, in 1862 and 1866, respectively. According to Amy’s obituary, she was born on a farm
‘which was part of the old Kipp property on the East River at 56th
Street.’
At this time we know little of Harry’s upbringing, other than that
he seems to have lived with his family in New York city. Harry
graduated from the Columbia University School of Mines in 1888
with a degree as a Bachelor of Philosophy in analytical and applied chemistry, at which time he lived at 1186 Park Ave.
There are numerous press citations for H.T. Shriver’s riflery
prowess, winning numerous ‘clay pigeon’ accolades, as well as
mentions of his successes on the golf links in the years following
his arrival in Larchmont and the Larchmont Yacht club. In addition, he was a trustee of Horse Shoe Harbor Yacht Club, and that
he owned and presumably raced, various yachts, as seen in the
Social Register from the summer of 1902, where we also learned
of the cottage name, “Rockledge.”
He seems to also have been a talented chemist and engineer, as
there are a number of patent applications filed both jointly with his
father and individually. The grandchild also tells us that Harry
was quite an entrepreneur, and made significant wealth backing
other peoples’ ideas. To date, we know little of his personality,
other than a few thoughts from a grandchild, who was only six
when he died and says she really only knows of him through stories of her mother. One which particularly stuck in her mind was
the time Harry’s daughter Ruth learned to play Silent Night on the
violin for Christmas, to which his reaction was something about
not needing such racket in the house.
According to a publication called “The Foundry,” T. Shriver and
Co had completed a new foundry in Harrison, NJ which was in
operation by January 1907, at which time “the entire equipment
has been moved from its old location in East Fifty-sixth street,
New York city, to the new plant.” We know that the Shrivers
sold “Rockledge” in 1910, living afterwards largely in South Orange, New Jersey and Manhattan. We can only surmise that the
company’s move to New Jersey rendered a commute from Larchmont increasingly onerous. The grandchild also tells us that Harry
Continued on next page
Page 6
as on a ship manifest on a trip home from Italy in Sept 1924, the
family lists its home address as 40 East 41st Street.
Dr. James Foster (Aug 2, 1870 - Oct 13, 1945) and Florence D.
Hasbrouck (Oct 8, 1870 - Jan 5, 1947 ) purchased 8 Woodbine
in 1910, after having resided on Beach Ave at Maple for several
years. On the 1920 Census, James and Florence, along with
their 14 year old son Theodore (b. 4/16/1905) and four servants,
lived at 25 Larchmont Avenue (now known as 8 Woodbine),
which they sold in 1929. James was a dentist, with his ‘own
office.’ In 1930, the census takers record James, Florence, her
mother Sarah T. Dodworth and 2 employees, living at 1065 Armada Drive in Pasadena, CA, which they owned and valued at
$50,000, listing his occupation as dental specialist. Prior to
moving to Larchmont, the April 1910 census shows the family,
along with Dr. James Hasbrouck’s 85 year old grandmother
Helen, 2 nurses, a waitress and a cook, residing on West 38th
Street. Apparently they also kept a home in Manhattan, as on a
ship manifest on a trip home from Italy in Sept 1924, the family
lists its home address as 40 East 41st Street.
The Hasbrouck’s 1924 passport photo’s
Dr. James Hasbrouck came from a lineage of physicians: his
grandfather Jacob Louis Hasbrouck, listed his profession as physician and net worth of $6,000 on the 1860 census. James’ father, Dr. Ferdinand Hasbrouck, was quite famous for his early
work with anesthetic in conjunction with tooth extraction, as
detailed in the attached article, the field in which Dr. James Hasbrouck continued with notable success throughout his career.
Ultimately, their son Theodore also became a dentist.
Dr. James Hasbroucks’ obituary mentions that his marriage occurred in Pasadena; Florence’s notes her remaining siblings living there, thus we can assume that the move west in 1929 was
motivated at least in part by desire to be closer to her family.
His obituary is also attached as it lists Dr. James Hasbroucks’
accomplishments and associations in great detail., including his
being a life member, and one-time president of the First District
Dental Society. We have found little mention of his sailing affiliations to date other than his 1917 election as vice commodore
of Horse Shoe Harbor
PRESIDENTIAL COVERUP (CONCLUSION)
Our June edition introduced this story and covered President
Grover Cleveland’s secret operation to remove a cancerous
tumor from the roof of his mouth with related anesthetics and
tooth extractions performed by Dr. Ferdinand Hasbrouck of
New York City. It ended with Dr. Hasbrouck back on shore but
two days late for another critical operation and the President
recuperating at Gray Gables, his summer home in Massachusetts. Dr. Hasbrouck’s delayed assignment was to assist a prestigious Manhattan doctor, Leander P. Jones. Pressed to explain
why he was appearing so late without any prior notification of a
delay, he confided what had happened. Insulted at being preempted and inconvenienced, and annoyed at having to deal with
an angry client, Dr. Jones passed on the story to a reporter
friend, E. J. Edwards of the Philadelphia Press, who promptly
visited Dr.Hasbrouck and probed for details. Persuaded that the
story was now publicly known – at least in outline – and proud
of his own role in it – Dr. Hasbrouck gave Edwards a full account. Being a conscientious reporter, Edwards sought to confirm this sensational story with the primary authorities: Drs.
Bryant and Keen, Mr. Lamont and the White House. They reacted with outraged denials, branding Edwards as a scandalmongering scoundrel and calling Dr. Hasbrouck a vicious liar –
an unknown dentist who was called in for a routine extraction
job and fired for bungling it! Dr. Bryant blamed Dr. Hasbrouck
for breaking the code of medical secrecy and henceforth would
not communicate with him. He sent Hasbrouck his $250 fee by
messenger with no note attached. The Philadelphia Press withheld the story pending further investigation, and ultimately concluded that they had sufficient confirmation to publish it on August 29. Official denials continued, and by that time rumors of
the operation and discrediting rebuttals had largely defused its
impact.
Meanwhile President Cleveland had overcome further adversity
and was on his way to political victory. He had a rubber plug
installed to fill the hole left in the roof of his mouth. When Dr.
Bryant removed the plug to check the healing of the wound, he
found that some cancerous tissue had regrown. So on July 17 a
follow-up operation was performed in secret on Oneida. This
one was much simpler, lasting only a few minutes. The President
took it well and continued his recuperation under the pretext of
a summer vacation with his much younger wife, who was then
seven months pregnant with their second child. And, of course,
he was working on his August 7 speech to Congress. He returned to Washington on August 5 and was able to personally
direct the strategy for the repeal of the Sherman Act. The House
voted overwhelmingly for repeal on August 28, just a day before
the Philadelphia Press article appeared. Resistance was
stronger in the Senate, where western silver-producing states
had greater representation; but repeal was finally voted by a
narrow margin on October 30. In the meantime, the President’s
excellent recovery and healthy appearance had assuaged concern about his condition, and talk of a secret operation faded
away. Official confirmation of the operation did not come until
24 years later – nine years after Cleveland’s death – when Dr.
Keen wrote his authentic account of the event in The Saturday
Evening Post in 1917.
“Laughing GAS!
This wonderful discovery for the relief of pain was first made by
Priestly in 1776. The discovery of the anaesthetic use of it for
the painless extraction of teeth was made in 1884 by Dr. Horace
Wells, of Hartford, Conn., and to him alone is due the honor of
being the originator of this great discovery.
Page 7
8 Woodbine as it looks today
Dr. HASBROUCK was for several years the operator for the
Colton Dental Association. He has given the gas to more that
50,000 people in the past 16 years, and his experience is second
to none in this country. Office, 952 Broadway, Cor. 23rd.
Street.”
We don’t know whether the official denunciations of Dr. Hasbrouck had any subsequent negative impact on his practice; but
we suspect that it had little long-term effect. His son, James Foster Hasbrouck, also became a dentist (and professor of oral surgery at New York University). The two shared an office on 38th
8 Woodbine circa 1900
Street in Manhattan for some time. An obituary of Ferdinand
noted that he was one of the first to use nitrous oxide as an anesthetic (starting around 1874) and that he lectured on its use for
many years at the New York College of Dentistry. He died in
August 1904 from stomach cancer at age 70 – eleven years after
his not-so secret medical encounter with President Cleveland.”
Over the years, there have been six subsequent owners of this
fabulous residence, including the Porters, all of whom will undoubtedly add delightful color and intrigue as we uncover their
chapters in their Larchmont lives.
- Stacy Caffrey
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