Greg O’s Garage: The 1930 Motor Parkway license plate/season ticket holders Part 3
The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum has forwarded lists of people who purchased Long Island Motor Parkway season tickets and license plates over an eight-year period (1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917 1930, 1931 and 1932.) These " Who's Who" lists total over 700 prominent Long Islanders.
In part 3 of this new series, I continue profiling several of the well-known Long Islanders who travelled to their summer estates and homes in 1930,
Greg O.
1930 List of Motor Parkway season ticket holders/Motor Parkway license plates
It is notable that the Motor Parkway had two lists of numbers. One list was for 'Season Ticket' holders who simply presented their season ticket at the toll lodge, and the second list were numbers represented by their enamel, 5"x5" plates affixed to the front of their vehicles. It is unclear at the moment if the list uncovered by the Vanderbilt Museum is a season ticket list, or the list of parkway plates. Either way, it's an impressive list of the extremely wealthy notable men and women on Long Island in 1930. Can you spot any other prominent Long Islanders in this 1930 list?
According to the Vanderbilt Museum archives, 1930 plate # 579 was purchased by Juliet Ausborn.
Profiles of Prominent 1930 Motor Parkway Season Ticket/ Plate Holders
#355 Louis Comfort Tiffany
The son of Charles Lewis Tiffany, founder of Tiffany and Company, Louis Comfort Tiffany (February 18, 1848 – January 17, 1933) was an artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass during his life with the family business.
Tiffany utilized all his design skills to design his own estate. His commute on the Motor Parkway would take him from NYC to his 84-room mansion, 'Laurelton Hall', in the village of Laurel Hollow, completed in 1905. After his death, his estate was donated to his foundation for art students along with 60 acres of land, sold in 1949, but was destroyed by a fire in 1957. An ornate power station smokestack disguised as a minaret can still be seen along the coastline of Cold Spring Harbor.
#219, 220 Clarence Mackay
Clarence Mackay's father, John William Mackay, one of the 3 partners in the discovery of the Comstock Silver load, was the source for Clarence's wealth. Not particularly savvy in financial situations, Clarence was thrust into his father's business when Clarence's older, business-trained brother, John Jr, was killed in a steeplechase accident.
Mackay was chairman of the board of the Postal Telegraph Cable Co., president of the Commercial Cable Co. and Commercial Pacific Cable Co. and held numerous other positions with other companies but struggled to retain his fortunes in the stock market crash in 1929.
'Harbor Hill' designed by McKim, Mead & White between 1899-1905 in Roslyn, Long Island, was one of the largest homes ever built in the United States, and even by the current, modern list of largest homes ever built, it still stands to this day in a tie at 11th place.
Demolished in 1947, some outbuilding remnants can still be found.
#391 Virginia Graham Fair ('Birdie' Vanderbilt)
Willie K's first wife 'Birdie' stayed in Deepdale for a very short time after their separation in 1910, but soon built her new house in 1911, the Virginia Graham Fair Vanderbilt estate designed by John Russell Pope in Brookville.
A residential neighborhood replaced the estate many years ago. Members of the Motor Parkway Preservation Society searched the neighborhood for estate remnants, but other than a garden wall and a few other small items, nothing remains.
#187 Mrs. August Belmont (Eleanor Robson Belmont)
Stage actress, Eleanor Robson married financier August Belmont Jr. on February 10th, 1910 and immediately retired from acting. Eleanor and Belmont lived in their estate, 'Blemton Manor', built in 1865 on Fulton Ave in Hempstead. August Belmont's older brother O.H.P. Belmont and Alva Vanderbilt Belmont lived nearby in 'Brookholt'.
#346 George Rose
George Rose was the son of J. Benson Rose, the first president of Royal Baking Powder Co.
Rose travelled on the Motor Parkway from the Royal Baking Powder factory in Williamsburg Brooklyn to stay at 'Overland House', his estate designed by Hoppin & Koen circa 1910 in Old Westbury.
George Rose connections to others on this list are Clarence Mackay and John W. Mackay. George Rose's daughter, Josephine Gwendolyn Rose, married Clarence Mackay's son, John W. Mackay ('Happy House' from Part 1) in 1929.
Sadly, 'Overland House', nor any of the estates in this post are still standing and all have been demolished or destroyed.
Comments
Greg, Your right of course, regarding the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges and FDR was made aware of the fact. Plus, he was told that even a direct hit on Moses bridge would not bring it down. Only the destruction of the bridge’s cables would cause that. The constant pressure from his wife ended by FDR. saying the “military” were against the building the bridge. Moses knew about her role and it was said he was furious and lashed out and called her all kinds on names, not publicly of course. It wasn’t until after she died he made some negative comments about her.