Friday, April 25, 2025
The Malverne Historical and Preservation Society officially re-opened their Historical House for public tours on Feb 16.
The house, which is located on the corner of Ocean Ave. and Church St., was built in the late 1800s and was owned by the Walls family. The wealthy Walls family also owned the property of Walls Pond, which is now called Halls Pond Park. The family lived in the house until 1995, when the last family member living on the property died.
Around that same time, the Society, which was founded in 1986, was looking for a place to call home.
With the help of a private donation to the society by Jeanne Landers, in memory of her husband Joseph Landers, the Historical Society was able to purchase the property from the Walls family. The Historical House became a dedicated space to display the society’s collection dedicated to Malverne’s history.
Previously, the house was always open to the public on Sundays but access had been limited in recent years. This is due to a multitude of issues, including structural damage, issues resulting from a car crashing into the building and water damage after a burst pipe.
The majority of the Society’s collection remains intact, but public access was limited throughout the lengthy renovation process. Throughout construction and re-routing of the pipes, careful detail was taken to maintain the memorabilia and the house itself.
The house itself remains as true to its original state as possible, with slight changes for necessary infrastructure.
“We didn’t want to open with under construction signs,” said Dave Weinstein, Malverne village historian. “We wanted to clean it, restore it. We wanted to get it open.”
The rooms of the house are decorated with artifacts of Malverne. Rooms are dedicated to different events and periods in the village’s history. There is a war hall that displays memorabilia from the Malverne soldiers who fought in World Wars I and II. The first responder’s room showcases a collection dedicated to Malverne’s police force, volunteer firefighters and the former volunteer ambulance corps.
One room is dedicated to Malverne’s businesses. Dave shared, that in Malverne “you could shop all your needs.” He reminisced about his childhood, spent running around the village with friends and visiting these stores, which are now displayed on the walls of the Historical House. You can find brief descriptions of the local delicatessens, grocers, and department stores that once lined Malverne’s streets.
Throughout the house, there are dedicated displays featuring Boy Scout and Girl Scout memorabilia from former troops, along with 10 quilts that were hand made in Malverne.
The Historical House is open to the public on the third Sunday of each month between 2 and 4 p.m. Admission is free, but the Society relies on donations to maintain the house.
Tours for schools, groups and organizations can be arranged by appointment. Call the historical society for more information, (516) 887-9727.
