36 Main St, Roslyn, NY, 11576

Henry Western Eastman Law Office (Original Roslyn Savings Bank)

65 Main Street, Roslyn

Date Built1850
Original UseOffice
Restoration StatusCompleted Restoration Date1978
Roslyn Landmark Society Covenant Yes
View House Tour Details 1999

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Eastman Law Offices Bank Ext Day lores

Henry W. Eastman was born in 1826 and started his law practice in Roslyn in 1847. To supplement the income from his practice he also taught at the Locust Hill Academy, which was founded by Samuel R. Ely, D.D., circa 1850. The Academy still stands behind Dr. Ely's home, the Hendrickson-Ely House, at 110 Main Street (T.G. 1962, 1983,1984, 1994, 1995 (Brower)). Shortly thereafter Eastman in 1850, founded the "Roslyn Plaindealer" with Augustus William Leggett. The "Plaindealer" survived in Roslyn until 1852 when it was moved to Glen Cove. Eastman sold his interest in the Locust Hill Academy to E.A. Hyde and concentrated on his law practice.

He had a long and distinguished career and, at his death in 1888, was the President of the Bar Association of Queens County, which at that time included Nassau County. With other prominent local citizens he founded the Roslyn Savings Bank in 1876. The bank operated in the Eastman Law Office until it moved to new quarters, on the site of its present building, in 1905. While the bank was located in the Eastman Office, a brick bank vault, which survives, was built to provide greater security.

The Eastman Law Office is illustrated in John Kenneth Galbraith's "The Age of Uncertainty," published 1978, as an example of a small 19th century country bank. In 1863 William M. Valentine sold Henry Eastman a lot, immediately to the north of his house lot, for $1,000. It had 36'8" of street frontage (Queen Co. Liber 204 of Deeds, Pg. 124, 4/28/1863). The high price suggests that a building was on the lot. If so, the building was 65 Main Street, the Henry Western Eastman Law Office.

This building is indicated as a "store" on the Walling Map of 1859. Since William M. Valentine built his new brick store, which still stands facing Tower Street, in 1862 or 1863, the Eastman Law Office probably was William M. Valentine's first store.



RSB 2

65 Main Street was the location of the Roslyn Savings Bank from it founding date of 1876 to 1905. Photo (circa 1900) is courtesy of the Roslyn Savings Bank.

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