36 Main St, Roslyn, NY, 11576

John F. Remsen House

58 Glen Avenue, Roslyn

Date Built1885
Original UseResidence
Restoration StatusCompleted Restoration Date1990
Roslyn Landmark Society Covenant Yes
View House Tour Details 1994 (Page784)

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The construction of the John F. Remsen House, in the Queen Anne Colonial Revival style, began in 1885 when it overlooked Roslyn Village and Hempstead Harbor. Substantial alterations were made through the years to accommodate its several owners, but due to encroaching development some 100 years later, it was moved piece by piece in the 1990’s and found new life through the Roslyn Preservation Corporation, with funds donated by Floyd Lyon and Roger Gerry.

It was physically impossible to move the house as one unit, so highly specific and intricate studies were made on framing, placement of windows, doors, etc, and all architectural details and historic finishes. Then it was carefully dismantled, each piece marked to facilitate re-assembly at its present Glen Avenue location. Of course, bathrooms and kitchen renovations were made with sensitivity to period detail. The rear section of the house is visible at 58 Main Street.

Of Dutch ancestry, John S. Remsen was born in 1862. An older brother, Cornelius Remsen became Supervisor of The Town of North Hempstead. Others from this particular Remsen line were Chairman of the Board of The Roslyn National Bank & Trust Company, a founding Commissioner of the Roslyn Water District, and a member of the Roslyn Board of Education.

Two Remsen grand-daughters, who spent considerable time in their grandparent’s home as children, still live nearby and served as consultants in its restoration.

Adapted from the 1994 House Tour Guide (Page 784)


The story of the John F. Remsen House is really two stories—one story relates to the development of the house, and the second to the history of the two lots that have played host to the building. The Remsen House was located on Remsen Ave. until 1991, when it was dismantled and moved to its current location, Glen Ave.

Although the lots are on opposite sides of the Village of Roslyn, the sites are very similar in being hillside sites overlooking the Village. The Remsen House was located on the entrance road to the Park Ridge Development and had been moved from its original site in 1987, making its relocation necessary to its survival. The Roslyn Preservation Corporation already owned a hillside site, which extended from Main Street to Glen Avenue, which had been donated by Floyd Lyon and Roger Gerry. It was determined that the house would have to be dismantled and moved wall by wall as part of Glen Avenue is only twelve feet wide and flanked, in part, by concrete walls. It was understood that the relocation and restoration of the house would be the most extensive project ever undertaken by the Roslyn Preservation Corporation.

The house was studied to determine all historic materials. Drawings were made of all the framing members and the locations of all windows, doors, closets and other architectural details noted and photographed. "Paint ghosts" were identified and recorded. The removal of later flooring revealed the locations of the original interior walls and doorways. The building was then carefully dismantled and each piece marked to facilitate re-assembly. It is believed that much more was learned about the structure of the house as the result of its dismantling than might have been learned had it been possible to re-locate the house intact. Certain elements from Phase III and later were not salvaged due to reasons of practicality and /or use of non-historic materials.

Reconstruction of the house on its new site on Glen Avenue commenced on January 3rd, 1991. The house is situated on its new site in a different orientation from on its original site. The original north front now faces east. Compass directions used in describing the house, in this account, relate to its present location. A few changes have been made to the interior plan of the house, such as the inclusion of bathrooms, and to the north porch to accommodate to the needs of the end of the twentieth century. However, the house, as finished, will be substantially representative of its appearance during the final years of the nineteenth century.

History of The Original Site (Section 7/Block 106/Lot 140)

The original site of the John F. Remsen House, on a wooded hillside overlooking Roslyn Village and Hempstead Harbor, was at the end of Remsen Avenue, just to the east of the remains of the Hempstead Harbour Burying Ground, an area known as "Remsen Hill." Because of the size of the holding and the multiplicity of additions and subtractions, it has not yet been possible to work out the complete title chain for the house site, itself. At this time we will describe the several conveyances involved from the death of John Remsen to the present.

The entire parcel, including the house, was sold by the Executors of the estate of John F. Remsen to the Foregger Company, Inc. on Sept. 5th, 1951 (Liber 4654, page 264). The Foregger Company conveyed the parcel to Lilly M. Foregger on Nov. 27th, 1953 (Liber 5421, Page 550). On Sept. 18th, 1979, Lilly M. Foregger sold the parcel to Longlife, Inc. (Liber 9228, Page 691), Jamjar, Inc., a successor to Longlife, conveyed the holding to Simon Lechtenstein on March 11th, 1980 (Liber 9591, Page 671). On August 1st, 1984, Simon Lechtenstein deeded the property to Joseph Lechtenstein (Liber 9591, Page 676). On February 25th, 1987, Joseph Lechtenstein conveyed the holding to Park Ridge, Inc. (Liber 9874, Page 958) who moved the Remsen House off its original foundation and began the construction of a development.

History of The Present Site (Section 7/Block F/Lot 1023)

The early history of the current site is described under the title "Hillside" in the 1977 and 1978 Tour Guides. That article describes the ownership of the property until August 1st, 1922, when it was purchased by John and Helga Anderson (Liber 732, Page 246). On October 9th, 1956, Helga Anderson sold the property to Alfred and Jeanne Edwards (Liber 6107, Page 86).

The County of Nassau apparently acquired title to a part of the property and on October 18th, 1972 sold it to Alberta Parker (Liber 8457, Page 9). On August 20th, 1975 Alberta Parker purchased the remainder of the property from the Estate of Alfred Edwards (Liber 8840, Page 357). For details of the Edwards ownership see the 1977 & 1978 Tour Guides.

On August 21st, 1975 the property was purchased by Roger Gerry and Floyd Lyon (Liber 8842, Page 108) who donated it to the Roslyn Preservation Corporation on December 21st, 1990 (Liber 10112, Page 784). Over the years various parts of the holding had been separated from the main parcel so that the gift to the Preservation Corporation consisted of 0.5554 acres.

The 1977-78 Tour Guide articles describe the presence of the early 19th century Caleb Valentine House on this site. According to Francis Skillman the house was built between 1800 and 1810. According to a later advertisement in the Roslyn "Plain Dealer" the house was three storeys high and forty feet square.

Its most prominent owners were Augustus Wright Leggett and his wife, Eliza Seaman Leggett, who called the estate "Hillside." Mr. Leggett was an official of the New York "Evening Post" and the co-publisher of the Roslyn "Plain Dealer." He was a close friend of William Cullen Bryant and one of those responsible for the naming of Roslyn. Mrs. Leggett was the recipient of the well-known letter from Bishop Benjamin Tredwell Onderdonk in which he carefully describes life in Roslyn between 1796 and 1811. The Leggetts were active socially and well acquainted with many of their prominent contemporaries.

There were two cottages on their property which they sometimes rented. One of these probably was theGeorge Allen Tenant House (TG 1978-79-80-81-82). The other was the Augustus W. Leggett Tenant House (TG 1977-1978) whose most prominent tenant was Charles A. Dana, an editor of the N.Y. "Tribune," an associate of Horace Greeley and Assistant Secretary of War during the Civil War. He also was the founder of the "N.Y. Sun."

A history of the Leggett family has been prepared by Larry and Kathleen McCurdy of East Lansing, Michigan from which much of these data has been obtained. This work includes a drawing of "Hillside," dated 1852, drawn from the west side of the house. It appears to have been taken from the front porch of the W.A. Leggett Tenant House (TG 1977-78). "Hillside" is indeed "three storeys high" and may well be "forty feet square."

According to the "Roslyn News," "Hillside" burned on February 5th, 1887. The stairway and walk up from Main Street still survive although the lower part of the staircase was re-poured, in concrete, in 1913 and is so inscribed. Apparently, the staircase and walk continued to be used by residents of the Thomas P. Howard House (TG 1977-78) or the Augustus W. Leggett Tenant House, one of which was designated "#58 Main Street." This street number has now been assigned to the John F. Remsen House. The Remsen House has been re-constructed on the site of "Hillside," just west of the early 19th century stone retaining wall. Foundation stones from "Hillside" were used to repair this early wall during the current procedure.

During the excavation of the Remsen House sewer trench, a stone retaining wall was found buried five feet east of the present west curb. This gives some indication of the width of the original street.

In 1986, Daniel and Madeleine Ehrlich considered buying the property and building a house there. The project continued to the point of preparing plans and elevations for the structure. John Stevens, an architectural historian who has worked extensively in Roslyn, designed a structure based upon the missing "Kirby's Corners" (TG 1986-1987—"Cap't J.M. Kirby Storehouse"). Guy Ladd Frost, A.I.A. was the architect. However, the Ehrlichs bought another house and the project did not progress beyond the planning stage.

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA

The Remsen family originated in Holland and this branch apparently emigrated to Brooklyn during the late 17th century. Jeremiah Remsen (1792-1865) moved to Cow Neck (Port Washington) where he and his son, John Burtis Remsen (1817-1901) owned a farm in the Beacon Hill area. John F. Remsen (1862-1951) was born in this farmhouse. On this basis, it may be assumed that this branch of the Remsen family was not descended from Henry Remsen, a partner in the Onderdonck-Remsen-Gaine Paper Mill which was built in Roslyn in 1773.

John Burtis Remsen married Ann Maria Edwards in 1843 and John F. Remsen was born in 1862. An older brother, Cornelius Remsen (1858-1929) became Supervisor of The Town of North Hempstead. Ultimately, his father and grandfather sold the farm and bought a store in Roslyn when John was seven years old. John F. Remsen married Norah Hicks Smith, daughter of William H. Smith (TG 1984-85) on October 6th, 1885 in the Roslyn Presbyterian Church (TG 1990-1991). It is assumed that their house was built at that time.

At the age of 14, John Remsen left school and became a clerk in the firm of F.J. Luyster of Glen Cove where he remained for about five years. At the age of 20, he went into the grocery business with his father, in Roslyn. The firm was named J.B. Remsen & Son and was located in the former William M. Valentine Store, facing the Clock Tower.

After a few years, the firm sold out, by which time John had gone into the livery stable business with his brother, Cornelius. The partnership continued until 1887, after which date John continued on his own. The firm was a large one which owned 28 horses and more than 40 vehicles. The saddlery building of this operation survives at 1431 Old Northern Boulevard. Later on he built the Hewlett & Remsen Garage, across the road, at #1446 Old Northern Boulevard. This building also survives. He also was a partner in the real estate firm of Mott & Remsen in a small surviving building which has been much enlarged, at
#1424 Old Northern Boulevard. He continued in the real estate business until shortly before his death, in 1951.

Mr. Remsen was Chairman of the Board of The Roslyn National Bank & Trust Company at the time of his death and had been President from 1938-1947. This building survives at 1432 Old Northern Boulevard. The Bank building was designed by William Bunker Tubby, in 1931, and was one of ten restorations of New York State commercial buildings described in "Preservation for Profit" which was published by the Preservation League of New York State in 1979. John F. Remsen was a founding Commissioner of the Roslyn Water District, whose earliest building survives on the West Shore Road. He also had been a member of the Roslyn Board of Education for many years. The Remsens celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary, in their house, on October 6th, 1945. The only known, surviving photograph of the interior of the
Remsen House was taken on that occasion. This photograph confirmed the type of door in use in the house. Mrs. Remsen died on August 31st, 1948 and was followed by her husband in 1951. On the occasion of his death, the North Hempstead Town Board adjourned their regular meeting in John F. Remsen's honor.

Two Remsen grand-daughters survive, Joan Gay Kent of Port Washington and Janet Gay Hawkins of Manhasset. Both spent considerable time in their grandparents' house, as children, and both have served as consultants in its restoration.

The date of construction of the Remsen House is fairly accurately placed in 1885, the date of the marriage between John F. Remsen and Norah Hicks Smith. It is assumed that the carpenter builder was Stephen Speedling, the most prominent local carpenter-builder of the late 19th century. It is known that Mr. Speedling was involved in the enlargement of the Jacob Sutton Mott House, in 1876 (TG 1988-1989); the construction of the Presbyterian Parsonage in 1887 (TG 1978-79) and the Ellen E. Ward Memorial Clock Tower in 1895 (TG 1971-1972). Stephen Speedling signed his work at the Presbyterian Parsonage and the Jacob Sutton Mott House. He may also have done so at the John F. Remsen House. If this should have been the case, his signature has been lost as the result of haphazard alteration during the 1950's and 1960's and the total lack of control during the first part of the re-location of the house.


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The rear section of the house as seen from Main Street.

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