Jim Belling: History on North Village, Vassar Place, Marion Place

On Nov 7, the Rockville Centre Historical Society concluded its fall Long Island Author Speaker Series with our third featured author. The events were informative and well-attended. Our next gathering will be our annual holiday party, and all are invited. Enjoy light refreshments, live music, and the opportunity to explore the museum. More information below.

This week, here are three of our “Then and Now” stories from our website.

358 North Village Ave. appears quite unchanged since its original construction year, circa 1905, when only a handful of homes existed on Village Ave north of Lakeview. The original owners were Augustus and Alwine Schabbehar, and they had four children, Dorathea, Edwin, Julia and Elsa. Augustus was born in 1863 to German immigrants, and moved to RVC once he married. Alwine lived at 358 N. Village until her death in the 1950s.

Their son Edwin was born in 1894, graduated from South Side in 1911, attended Union College and studied electrical engineering. After college he was hired as the head wireless operator of a steamship that traveled the world through the newly opened Panama Canal. He then got involved in the early motion picture industry, working for Warner Bros, NBC and Paramount, doing sound for movies and television.

One of his more notable projects was the documentary of King Edward of England’s travels around the world in 1931.

Outside of film, Edwin was active in the RVC Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and its theater productions, sometimes acting and sometimes producing. He was single and living at home until 1947, when he married a woman from Oceanside and moved to Massapequa. Just 10 years later, after her death, he married RVC native Mabel Yale (who grew up at 300 Lakeview), and he died in 1967, at age 73.
Pierson Wells was a successful patent lawyer from Brooklyn, born in 1870. He and his wife, Jeannette, moved to Rockville Centre with their two children, Webster and Hetty, and built 23 Vassar Place around 1911. The Wellses were active in the Presbyterian Church and donated money for the construction of a new church at the corner of Lakeview and Morris avenues. But Pierson died suddenly in 1912, at age 42, of acute appendicitis.

In 1925, Jeannette married Andrew J. MacElroy, president of Acorn Publishing and editor of the Long Island News and the Owl, the local paper in town. Andrew was a distinguished World War 1 veteran, having served as an aviator in the British Army, and was decorated by King George for his service. Jeannette continued to be active in town as president of the PTA, the Fortnightly club and the RVC Garden Club, also serving on various boards at the Presbyterian Church.

The MacElroys continued to reside at 23 Vassar. The original property was much larger, and Mrs. Wells/MacElroy had beautiful gardens on the property that stretched from where 21, 23 and 25 Vassar all stand today. The lot remained its original size until 1992, when it was subdivided and 21 and 25 were constructed.

73 Marion Place was also part of the Davison Park development, and its original owner was Floyd Grant, a well-known New York City auctioneer. Floyd was born in 1840 and lived in NYC until he moved to RVC around the turn of the century. This house remains intact, with most of its original features. In a photo taken in 1910, Floyd is seen in front of the house, riding in a “late model, expensive car.” Along for the ride is his daughter, May, and her dog. May would later marry Charles Davis, a well-known clothing designer. They lived just down the block from her childhood home, at 44 Marion Place, until her death in 1936.

Unfortunately, due to space constraints, we cannot include the photos we have of these historic properties. To see them, and all of our other “Then and Now” features, please visit our website, rvchs.org. There are numerous other historical narratives and videos available there.

Please join us for our annual holiday party on Sunday, Dec. 8, at 2 p.m., at the Phillips House Museum, at 28 Hempstead Ave. There is no cost, and all are welcome. Visits and tours can be arranged by appointment.

Jim Belling is a member of the board of trustees of the Phillips House Museum and the Rockville Centre Historical Society.