2 —————————— The Peconic Bay Shopper • Preserving Local History • MARCH 2017 —————————— Taylor’s Island publisher/editor — Michael P. Hagerman art department — Rita M. Hagerman | [email protected] advertising sales — Kristin Ulmet 631.466.8363 | [email protected] This publication is a division of Academy Printing Services, Inc. 42 Horton Lane - POB 848, Southold NY 11971 PH 631.765.3346 FAX 631.765.3369 EMAIL [email protected] Taylor’s Island is a tombolo in Coecles Harbor, Shelter Island. The Island and its historic Smith-Taylor Cabin, built around 1900 by F. The Peconic Bay Shopper is published monthly, excluding January. M. Smith. Taylor’s Island (deed) was left to the Town of Shelter Island Recent issues can be viewed and downloaded at “for the use and enjoyment of the general public” by S. Gregory Taylor www.academyprintingservices.com (Soterios Gregorios Tavoulares) in his last will and testament and ac- cepted by the Town of Shelter Island in 1979. Under the terms of the will, Mr. Taylor’s nephew, Stephen Stephano, had the use of Taylor’s Island until his death, which occurred in 1997. The Town took actual possession of the Island in 1998. The Taylor’s Island Preservation and Management Committee and the Taylor’s Island Foundation exist to restore the Island and fulfill Mr. Taylor’s wish. Francis Marion Smith, of 20-Mule Team Borax fame, on the porch of the The Smith-Taylor Cabin is listed on the New York State Register of Adirondack style Cabin he built on Cedar Island, Coecles Harbor with his wife Historic Places and on the National Register of Historic Places. Taylor’s Mary “Mollie” Rebecca Thompson Smith, her secretary Evelyn Kate Ellis, and Island is part of the Coecles Harbor Marine Water Trail. The trail is a friends. (early 1900’s) Photo courtesy of Dorothy Smith Bayley Kane joint project of the Town of Shelter Island, The Nature Conservancy, Learn more about this local historical treasure... and Shelter Island Kayak Tours. Taylor’s Island Foundation has “Tay- lor’s Whaler” to meet people at the Town Dock at the end of Congdon Road and take them out to the Island and give them a docent tour. Walt Whitman, 1869, courtesy of the Library of Congress, with the help of Enjoy some of Taylor’s Island history in this issue, University of Nebraska-Lincoln rep Brett Barney and Walt Whitman Archive and for more information visit Co-Director Ed Folsom. www.taylorsisland.org Locust Grove School, 1896, courtesy of the Whitaker Collection. See the story on page 6. Above photo: West lawn on Taylor’s Island, courtesy of Andrew Arkin 3 —————————— The Peconic Bay Shopper • Preserving Local History • MARCH 2017 —————————— Taylor’s Island, THE SMITH ERA \ Taylor’s Island, THE TAYLOR ERA \ rancis Marion Smith (1846-1931) bought Cedar Island in 1899 from n 1921 the title to Cedar (Taylor’s) Island was transferred to various de- Fthe Nicoll family as part of many purchases to expand his Shelter Island Ivelopment companies until its purchase by Mr. Taylor. The cabin still had summer estate known as “Presdeleau.” Smith’s Pacific Coast Borax Company the original authentic log wall construction, unfinished cedar poles as porch marketed as “20 Mule Team Borax” was the industry leader for decades. posts, and an over scaled stone chimney and hearth. Frank, or “Borax” Smith built the simple log shelter on Cedar Island as a S. Gregory Taylor (Soterios Gregorios Tavoulares —1888-1948) acquired rustic retreat for picnicking and entertainment. He often hosted outings and Cedar Island from Shelter Island Developments, Inc. in 1939. Mr. Taylor clambakes on the Island. emigrated in 1908 at twenty, and worked his way from bellhop to owner of several large New York hotels, including The Montclair, The Hotel Dixie, and the Hotel St. Moritz. Forty years after F.M. Smith built the original cabin on Friends of the Smiths at the well,early 1900’s, courtesy of Dorothy Smith Bayley Kane. Taylor’s Island Main House-1940s, courtesy of Jim Nestor and Constantine Foltis, Jr. 4 —————————— The Peconic Bay Shopper • • MARCH 2017 —————————— Preserving Local History Cedar Island, Mr. Taylor added a bedroom, a kitchen, running water, a heating system, and a tower. Mr. Taylor cherished his Island retreat and is buried on the northeast side of the Island overlooking the en- trance to Coecles Harbor. He stipulated in his will that his nephew, Stephen Stephano, should have the use of the Island and that title would pass to the Town of Shelter Island for “the use and enjoyment of the general public.” THE FOLLOWING WAS WRITTEN BY PATRICIA AND EDWARD SHILLINGBURG, 2006, MENTIONING MR. TAYLOR’S MOTOR BOAT WAS AT HANFF’S SHIPYARD AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH: On Sunday, February 22, 1948, while visiting the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida, Taylor died of a heart attack. He was 59 years old. He was survived by his brother Charles, his wife Ioane (Zographidis), and his sister Martha Taylor Stephano. (The Suffolk Times reported at the time that his motor boat was at Hanff’s Shipyard in Greenport.) The funeral service was held on Saturday, February 28 at the Hellenic Cathedral, Holy Trinity Church, at 319 East 74th Street. One of the organizations announcing his death was the National Democratic Club. S. Gregory Taylor, his wife Ioane with Spaniel, SGT’s sister Martha Taylor Stephano standing, Mr. and Mrs. Alex Nestor with son Jim, Martha’s daughter Penny. — Courtesy of Jim Nestor and Constantine Foltis, Jr. 5 —————————— The Peconic Bay Shopper • Preserving Local History • MARCH 2017 —————————— Taylor’s Island, THE ARKIN ERA \ Taylor’s Island, THE SAUERS ERA \ on and Ronnie Sauers sailed by Taylor’s Island in 1979 and “fell instantly in Rlove with it”. They leased the Island from Stephan Stephano for the remain- der of his life until 1997. Recently Ronnie Sauers visited Taylor’s Island and sent Taylor’s Island Foundation an essay about her family’s time on the Island. She also shared several albums of photographs. Andrew Arkin with son Jason, courtesy of Andrew Arkin. ndrew Arkin (1924-2009) discovered Taylor’s Island while flying over Ron and Ronnie Sauers, dinner with friends, courtesy of Ronnie Sauers. ACoecles Harbor in a seaplane. Through a realtor, Greg Price, Andrew was able to contact Mr. Taylor’s nephew, Stephan Stephano, who had the lifetime Taylor’s Island, SI TOWN ERA \ use of the Island. Andrew was able to lease the Island in exchange for the main- Now it is the Shelter Island Town Era. Visit the Taylor’s Island Foundation web- tenance and restoration of the cabin, as well as providing access to Mr. Taylor’s site to see more photographs, learn more history and view the restoration proj- sister should she wish to visit her brother’s grave. Andrew was able to care for ects: www.taylorsisland.org Taylor’s Island for twenty-two years, until 1980. Andrew returned to Taylor’s On Saturday, March 25, Greek Independence Day, the Taylor’s Island Founda- tion is celebrating S. Gregory Taylor (Soterios Gregorios Tavoulares) at Hanff’s Island in 2006. In 2008 he arrived by seaplane, for a celebration in his honor. Boatyard, 190 Sterling Street, Greenport. 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Expires 03/31 /17 ©2017 LGM creative, LLC/631.775.7844 6 —————————— The Peconic Bay Shopper • Preserving Local History • MARCH 2017 —————————— by Daniel McCarthyThe and Margaret Guardi une 27, 1946 was the date an article about the History of the Locust Grove JSchool by Elizabeth Elmer was published in the Long Island Traveler- MattituckSouthold–Walt Watchman. The article had “many gaps,” Whitman according to the author. She was unable to find reliable records and she {appreciated} “any information that you readers can give me.” But in reality, Elizabeth Elmer’s write-up is generous and full of “out-and-out” justification. This article is available on microfilm at the Southold Free Library andConnection as a reference in the Whitaker Historical Collection. Willow Hill, Southold (where the recently closed Hart’s Hardware building stands) was where the former Locust Grove School was located, and also where infamous poet Walt Whitman taught in the 1800s. According to In Retrospect – The Good Gray Poet on the East End by Joy Bear: “Some say Whitman taught in Southold, in the Locust Grove School. Former Southold Town Historian Wayland Jefferson wrote: ‘Among the famous men who taught in Southold, and there were many, is Walt Whitman, who taught one term – not too successfully - in 1841. {in the Locust Grove School}’” Katherine Molinoff of C. W. Post College of Long Island University wrote about the Locust Grove School and Walt Whitman in her Walt Whitman At Southold compilation. It was learned that “It is unfortunate that the early school Walt Whitman photo courtesy of the Library of Congress, with the help of University of records have been burned, but {it was thought that} there may be other written Nebraska-Lincoln rep Brett Barney and Walt Whitman Archive Co-Director Ed Folsom.