A Museum For Long Beach, NY: The 20th Anniversary

A Museum For Long Beach, NY:

The 20th Anniversary

Photo Credit: Jimmy Schmitt,  jimmy.schmitt@yahoo.com

A Historical House

This story begins in 1980 when a group of people met who saw the necessity for a new organization to preserve and save the rich cultural heritage of Long Beach, NY’s past.

The City of Long Beach, NY  lost many magnificent architectural treasures while more and more were threatened everyday including the magnificent original city hall, the art deco Laurel Theater, the Nassau Hotel, Castles by the Sea, the Red Brick Streets, mini-mansions and many more irreplaceable historic treasures.

A Provisional Charter was granted to the Long Beach Historical Society on June 25, 1982 by the University of the State of New York incorporating Florence First, Roberta Fiore, Jeffrey Chandross, Milton Popper, Victor Scutari the persons named as Incorporators were the first Board of Trustees for the Society.

The founder of the Long Beach Historical Society was Florence First and also the first president.  The second president was Jeffrey Chandross, the third president was William McGovern and the fourth president, Alexandra H. Karafinas was president from 1988 to 1998.

In 1981 Ms. Karafinas presented a lecture on city planning with Kenneth Babbits, Architect/City Planner/Solar Energy Commissioner of Suffolk County and Lou Colalillo, Architect.  As a result, Karafinas was invited to join the Long Beach Historical Society.  Karafinas became the 6th Trustee of the Long Beach Historical Society.

The first few years were very difficult.  The Society lacked members, trustees and experience as a historical organization. Philippa Gerstenblitt, Helen Fleischman, and Alexandra H. Karafinas reached out and became involved with many other historic organizations. For example they attended meetings, tours, trade shows, Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities (SPLIA) programs & meetings, Roslyn Landmark Society, Long Island Museum Association (LIMA) meetings, Wantagh Historic Society, Baldwin Historic Society, volunteered at the LI Fairs, ‘Mansions & Millionaires’ and much more in order to gain experience to learn how to operate The Long Beach Historical Society properly. Karafinas was invited to join Assoc. Nassau County Historical Organizations (ANCHO) and eventually became the vice president some time in the 1980s.

The society began to steadily grow and gain fame by providing creative and interesting historic education programs, newsletters, lectures, exhibits, re-enactments, tours to historic sights and more. Karafinas met with then city manager Ed Eaton and requested a trolley for Long Beach. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Eaton informed her that the city had purchased a trolley.  The society presented the first Trolley Tour “Down Memory Lane” of the Historic Long Beach homes. It was a very exciting moment.

The first Arts & Crafts Show was organized by Jean Sondergaard and presented on the Long Beach Boardwalk.  The following Arts & Crafts Show was approved by the city through the efforts of The Honorable Jerome Fleishman.

In 1995-1996, Nassau County became interested in having a Historical museum on the South Shore of Long Island.  Mr. Ed Smits, Director of the Nassau County Museum System met with Helen Fleischman, Philippa Gerstenblitt and Ms. Karafinas to acquire a historic building for a museum.

Unfortunately after spending a great time and effort with Mr. Smits, the county informed the group that they did not receive funding for this project.

Nassau County Legislator Bruce Nyman was in contact with Karafinas about possibly getting as much $400,000 in county monies for the purchase and renovation of a house.

At this time, the 15 year old society’s only official home was a cramped office at City Hall’s lobby shared with the building’s maintenance staff.

Over the years the society held many fundraising efforts to raise money for a museum.

On October 23, 1997, under the leadership of Alexandra Karafinas, past president, the society purchased 226 W. Penn St. from the owner Mrs. Norma Lester for a museum for the Long Beach Community.  

It was landmarked by the City of Long Beach Dec. 1999 and placed on the National Register on August, 29, 2008.

This building is on one of the last surviving red brick streets known as the Long Beach Historic Red Brick District landmarked by the City in 2008.  The house is an admirable example of the Long Beach Developer’s mandate that homes be constructed with white stucco facade and red tile roof.  Building Circa August 18, 1909.  The building is located on the Estates of Long Beach map #1 drawn by Charles W. Leavitt Jr., landscape engineer, dated March 1907. The plan shows lot sizes from NY Ave to Maple Blvd. to the ocean on the south and the bay on the north for buildings constructed from 1907 to the present.

226 W. Penn St. was built August 11, 1909 form O.L. Schwencke Land Investment Co. & sold to John Barrett & wife, 1921.

This building features a Spanish Colonial Revival architectural style. The roof line extending from the building becomes an encircling porch supported by heavy Tuscan columns. The porches on the east and west of the house have been enclosed.  There are some fine examples of Moorish influences. Long Beach architecture generally combines 2 architectural styles in a building for example Art Deco and Moorish.

The house is large enough to provide ample space for exhibits, meeting and archival storage.  The Society was fortunate to have had only 2 previous owners; the family who built it, Lewis & the Barrett-Lesters 1921. As a result, the exterior and interior are themselves a museum.

Details of the Museum

1. Price of house: $238,000
2. September 1, 1997 - closing date changed October 23, 1997
3. Lawyer: Jerome B. Fleischman
4. Deposit:  $23,862
5. Mortgage Bank: Roslyn Bank

     At the closing: Norma Lester’s lawyer &  Long Beach Historical Society’s lawyer Jerome B. Fleischman.

Ms. Karafinas received all of the legal papers from the closing and the keys to the house and property.  

In the late 1990s the following board of directors and volunteers supported the efforts for a  museum for the Long Beach community:

Philippa Gerstenblitt, Helen Fleischman, Joan Whitbread, Ann Stampfel, Jean Sondergaard, Karen Adamo, Martha Ross, Carolyn Alvarado, and Ralph Madalena.

Alexandra Karafinas interviewed the previous owner, Norma Lester, and discovered how the house was decorated originally.  

The following is public information that can be accessed by anyone.

• Long Beach Historical Society Charter & Bylaws
• Collection Policy
• Deed
• Legal Papers on purchase of museum
• Qualifications of Officers & Trustees

The content in this article was provided by:

Alexandra H. Karafinas, Architect/Designer

President Emeritus:

                 Long Beach Historical Society

                 Long Beach Island Landmarks Association

Typed and edited by: Karen Dinan