Fleet's Hall

Last updated

Coordinates: 40°52′29.77″N73°31′42.92″W / 40.8749361°N 73.5285889°W / 40.8749361; -73.5285889

Geographic coordinate system Coordinate system

A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are often chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position and two or three of the numbers represent a horizontal position; alternatively, a geographic position may be expressed in a combined three-dimensional Cartesian vector. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation. To specify a location on a plane requires a map projection.

Contents

Historic Oyster Bay photo ca. 1890 showing Snouder's Drug Store in left foreground, Moore's Building in right background, and Fleet's Hall to the right of that in the foreground. Oyster Bay Fleet's Hall Historic.jpg
Historic Oyster Bay photo ca. 1890 showing Snouder's Drug Store in left foreground, Moore's Building in right background, and Fleet's Hall to the right of that in the foreground.

Fleet's Hall is a building that once stood in Oyster Bay, New York, that had important local, statewide, and national significance. The building served as an important civic and social meeting place during the time that Theodore Roosevelt was a resident of Oyster Bay and served as Governor of New York State and later President of the United States. The building was used for events such as public meetings, concerts, receptions, dances, and dinners. It was also the site of the first moving picture screening in Oyster Bay. [2]

Oyster Bay (hamlet), New York Hamlet and census-designated place in New York, United States

Oyster Bay is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) on the North Shore of Long Island in Nassau County in the state of New York, United States. The hamlet is also the site of a station on the Oyster Bay Branch of the Long Island Rail Road and the eastern termination point of that branch of the railroad.

New York (state) State of the United States of America

New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. New York was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that formed the United States. With an estimated 19.54 million residents in 2018, it is the fourth most populous state. To distinguish the state from the city in the state with the same name, it is sometimes called New York State.

Theodore Roosevelt 26th president of the United States

Theodore Roosevelt Jr. was an American statesman, sportsman, conservationist and writer who served as the 26th president of the United States from 1901 to 1909. He previously served as the 25th vice president of the United States from March to September 1901 and as the 33rd governor of New York from 1899 to 1900. As a leader of the Republican Party during this time, he became a driving force for the Progressive Era in the United States in the early 20th century. His face is depicted on Mount Rushmore, alongside those of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln. In polls of historians and political scientists, Roosevelt is generally ranked as one of the five best presidents.

History

Fleet's Hall was the creation of Samuel Van Wyck Fleet (1851-1911). No building was present at this corner of East Main and South Streets in Oyster Bay as late as 1885. Though by 1897, the Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of that year does show a building.

This is one of a small handful of buildings in Oyster Bay referred to by the name of the proprietor who had it built. Others include the Ludlam Building, Snouder's Drug Store, and the Moore's Building. What these buildings and others from the period have in common is that their owners fortunes rose and their businesses reached their greatest commercial success during the time that Theodore Roosevelt was Governor and then President.

Ludlam Building

The Ludlam Building is a Greek Revival styled building, located in Oyster Bay, New York. Past occupants include a dry goods store, a grocery store, and a haberdashery. Despite a number of fires, the brick shell of the building remains.

Snouders Drug Store

Snouder's Drug Store was the oldest operating business in Oyster Bay, New York. The store was first established in 1884. The first telephone in Oyster Bay was installed here, and for several years it remained the only one in town. When Theodore Roosevelt became Governor of New York State and later President, the press corps gathered at Snouder's to transmit news from Oyster Bay. Phone service and the soda fountain installed in 1889 made Snouder's one of the most popular gathering places in town. In the 1990s the exterior was returned to its original color, which was determined through paint chip analysis. The building is a Town of Oyster Bay Landmark and was a featured site on the Oyster Bay History Walk audio walking tour.

Moores Building historic building located in the downtown area of the Hamlet of Oyster Bay

Moore's Building is a historic building located in the downtown area of the Hamlet of Oyster Bay and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. First built in 1901, the building gained significance when Theodore Roosevelt had his staff take offices here while he served as U.S. President. The Moore's Building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a Town of Oyster Bay Landmark, and a featured site on the Oyster Bay History Walk audio walking tour.

Samuel Van Wyck Fleet was civically active in Oyster Bay. Among his credits were serving as one of the incorporators of Youngs Memorial Cemetery in Oyster Bay. Fleet's Hall would go on to serve as an important civic and social meeting place in Oyster Bay for many years to follow. When Theodore Roosevelt was elected Governor of New York State in 1898, a great celebration was held for him in Fleet's Hall. [3]

Youngs Memorial Cemetery is a small cemetery in the village of Oyster Bay Cove, New York in the United States of America. It is located approximately one and a half miles south of Sagamore Hill National Historic Site. The cemetery was chartered in 1900 and was located on land owned by the Youngs family.

Fleet's Hall served as polling place in 1904, when Roosevelt was on the Republican ticket for president. William S. Moore, the committeeman responsible for calling the election, had missed a train and was delayed in arriving to Oyster Bay. Voters did not think it appropriate to hold an election without Moore being present. So, the next day, U.S. District Attorney William J. Youngs, and Nassau County Republican Committee Chairman Charles Lewis ordered another election be held April 2.

That night only one voter, James Buchanan, made his way to the election. As the New York Times later reported:

"Dark and gloomy was the hall when the faithful Buchanan made his entrance. Not a living soul did he find in the hall, and down he sat to await the arrival of his friends and neighbors of the Fifth. Buchanan meditated amid the lonely surroundings for half an hour." [4]

Theodore Roosevelt would often come from the White House to Fleet's Hall, so he could vote in his own district. This was the case when he and his wife Edith returned for the 1908 Presidential Election. [5]

According to his obituary in the New York Times, Samuel Fleet died "Suddenly at Oyster Bay, L.I., Aug. 8 [1911] in his 60th year." [6] Fleet's Hall would continue to stand in Oyster Bay only a short time thereafter. It was demolished in the 1920s to make way for Nobman's Hardware Emporium. The building's pieces were incorporated into other buildings throughout Oyster Bay. Nobman's building subsequently burned in 2005, and was replaced by a new building that continues to have a commanding presence in the heart of Oyster Bay.

See also

Related Research Articles

Sagamore Hill (house) Private house of the Roosevelt Family

Sagamore Hill was the home of the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, from 1885 until his death in 1919. It is located in the Incorporated Village of Cove Neck, New York, near Oyster Bay in Nassau County on the North Shore of Long Island, 25 miles (40 km) east of Manhattan. It is now the Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, which includes the Theodore Roosevelt Museum in a later building on the grounds.

Corinne Roosevelt Robinson American poet, public speaker, lecturer, and writer

Corinne Roosevelt was an American poet, writer and lecturer. She was also the younger sister of former President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt and an aunt of future First Lady of the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt.

1898 New York state election

The 1898 New York state election was held on November 8, 1898, to elect the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Secretary of State, the State Comptroller, the Attorney General, the State Treasurer and the State Engineer, as well as all members of the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate.

Augustus Van Wyck American judge

Augustus Van Wyck was a Supreme Court Justice of Brooklyn, New York. In 1898 he received the Democratic Nomination for New York State governor against the Republican choice, Theodore Roosevelt.

United States Post Office (Oyster Bay, New York) government building in Oyster Bay, New York

The Oyster Bay Post Office in Oyster Bay, New York was completed in 1936. New York architect William Bottomley designed this colonial revival structure to mirror the Oyster Bay Town Hall across the street. Inside are murals by the prominent American artist, illustrator and author Ernest Peixotto, depicting scenes in Oyster Bay from 1653 to 1936 when the Post Office was built. This building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and featured on the Oyster Bay History Walk.

First Presbyterian Church of Oyster Bay church building in New York, United States of America

First Presbyterian Church built in 1873 is an historic Carpenter Gothic-style Presbyterian Church building located at 60 East Main Street in Oyster Bay, in the U.S. state of New York. Its architect was J. Cleaveland Cady, who was just beginning his career and would go on to design the original Metropolitan Opera House, the American Museum of Natural History, buildings at Yale University, Trinity College, and 23 other churches, but he never designed any other churches in the Carpenter Gothic style.

Octagon Hotel

The Octagon Hotel, built as the Nassau House by Luther Jackson in 1851, was a pre-eminent political and social meeting space in Oyster Bay, New York. This eight-sided building is also believed to be among only a few like it on Long Island and perhaps the only octagon-shaped hotel in the United States.

Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park

Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park is a park in the hamlet of Oyster Bay, New York, honoring President Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States.

Theodore Roosevelt Monument Assemblage

The Theodore Roosevelt Monument Assemblage is a collection of 24 stones and plaque located in the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park in Oyster Bay, New York. The stones and other objects are meant to each represent a "chapter" and together form a "book" telling the story of Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States.

Theodore Roosevelt spent his first summer in Oyster Bay with his family in 1874. Through the ensuing years as he rose to power, Oyster Bay would frequently serve as backdrop and stage on which many of his ambitions were realized. Several places connected to Theodore Roosevelt in his lifetime remain, while others have been lost. A number of efforts to memorialize Roosevelt in Oyster Bay have been made since his death in 1919.

Christ Church (Oyster Bay, New York)

Christ Church founded in 1705 is a historic Episcopal parish located at 61 East Main Street in Oyster Bay, New York. Several church buildings have occupied this site, including one that served as soldiers barracks during the Revolutionary War. In the 1870s a Carpenter Gothic style building was erected. In 1925 it was greatly enlarged and encased in stone. Those additions also included striking stained glass windows. President Theodore Roosevelt attended church here, and his wife and children were active members. Roosevelt's funeral service was held here in 1919. Today Christ Church is a featured site on the Oyster Bay History Walk audio walking tour.

The Oyster Bay History Walk is a path through downtown Oyster Bay, New York that leads the walker to 30 historic sites. It is a 1-mile loop and is the first certified American Heart Association Start! Walking Path on Long Island.

Oyster Bay Bank Building

The Oyster Bay Bank Building was constructed in 1891 and served as the first bank in Oyster Bay on Long Island, New York. In addition to the bank, other users have included the Masons of Matinecock Lodge, Theodore Roosevelt while he served as Governor of New York, and architect Edward Durrell Stone. Today this building is a featured site on the Oyster Bay History Walk audio walking tour.

Derby-Hall Bandstand

Derby-Hall Bandstand is a replica of the bandstand which stood on this site in Oyster Bay, New York, United States, and was used by President Theodore Roosevelt and others to give public speeches. The original bandstand was taken down in the 1930s and replaced by a replica in 1981. The location is a featured site on the Oyster Bay History Walk audio walking tour.

William Loeb Jr. American Presidential secretary

William Loeb Jr. was an American political figure. He was the Presidential secretary to President Theodore Roosevelt and Collector of the Port of New York from 1909 to 1913. He was the father to William Loeb III, the conservative publisher of the Manchester Union Leader.

The 1911 United States Senate election in New York was held from January 17 to March 31, 1911, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator to represent the State of New York in the United States Senate.

References

  1. ↑ Digital duplicate provided by author from original available at the Oyster Bay Historical Society, 20 Summit Street, Oyster Bay, New York.
  2. ↑ Oyster Bay Remembered by John E. Hammond (Maple Hill Press, 2002)
  3. ↑ "Roosevelt receives Townsmen, He Shakes Hands with Nearly Everybody in Oyster Bay," New York Times, November 22, 1898
  4. ↑ "Row in President's Oyster Bay District, Republicans Wouldn't Hold an April Fool's Day Primary", The New York Times, April 10, 1904
  5. ↑ America, 1908, by Jim Rasenberger (Simon and Schuster, 2007)
  6. ↑ Obituary, The New York Times, August 9, 1911
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.