Publisher's Synopsis
If those walls could talk...this is what they would say. A story about Long Island.
Windmills... Culper Spy ring... slavery... iron horses... kiddie rides... Big Duck... religious camps... "a large black dog"... the CCC... Oysters... Southside Fizz... the golden age of motoring... King of Suburbia... early aviation... Plein Air Painting... Myra... America's most regal McDonalds... turnpikes... polo... red gold... Tile Club... grave robbing... Great Hurricane of 1938... bay houses... "The Pencil"... kit houses... "Stewart's Folly"... Demolition derby... "World's Greatest Price Wrecker"... The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone... Potatoes... This book will have you telling stories like a native in no time.
The photos and stories collected here are a fast and fun way to learn the explanations behind the quirks, the traditions and the secrets that make Long Island uniquely Long Island. Who held the world's largest company picnic?" Solved. What was America's first golf clubhouse? A mystery no more. What is America's first ranch? Identified. What was New York's first official Port of Entry? Revealed. What is the oldest house on Long Island? No one knows.
Imagine a group of settlers arriving in an undeveloped location. First come shelters in which to live and then structures in which to work and shop. There are buildings for worship and education. As the community grows government buildings are required. With prosperity comes places in which to spend leisure time. And each step along the way builds a story only Long Island can call its own. A story told in 100 buildings. Almost all of the selections within are open to the public, or at least visible from public spaces. So, if you haven't seen these landmarks in person, fire up your GPS and get out and see the story of the Empire State standing in plain sight on Long Island streets!
