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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSD-125D "' BUILDING-STRUCTURE INVENTORY FORM FOR OFFICE USE ONLY UNIQUE SITE NO.103 i©. 5i•L-L _ DIVISION FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION QUAD NEW YORK STATE PARKS AND RECREATION SERIES ALBANY,NEW YORK {5181 474-0479 NEG. NO. - YOUR NAME:.Town, of Southold/SPLIA DATE: April 1987 YOUR ADDRESS: flown Hall, Main Road TELEPHONE:(516) 76 5-1892 Southold L. I. , N.Y.11971 ORGANIZATION (if any):Southold Town Community Development Office IDENTIFICATION I. BUILDING NAM1✓((S). Dr. Elmer house 2. COUNTY: Suffalk TOWN/CITY: Southold VILLAGE: Southold 3. STREET LOCATION: Cedar Beach Road, north 4. OWNERSHIP: a. public ❑ h private E 5. PRESENT OWNER: E. Heacock ADDRESS same 6USE: Original: residence Present: residence 7. ACCF.SSIBII.ITY TO PUBLIC. Exterior visible from public road: Yes IX No ❑ Interior accessible: Explain DESCRIPTION 8. BUILDING a. clapboard ❑ b. stone ❑ c. brick ❑ d. board and batten ❑ MATERIAL: e. cobblestone ❑ f. shingles 9 g. stucco ❑ other: t). STRUCTURAL it. wood frame with interlocking joints -, SYSTEM: b. wood frame with light members W Of known) c. masonry load bearing walls d. metal (explain) e. other 10. CONDITION: a- excellent 31 b. good ❑ c. fair ❑ d. deteriorated ❑ 11. INTEGRITY: a. original site ❑ b. moved ❑ if so,when? c. list major alterations and dates (if known). SD RSM XXI-9 12. PHOTO: From south east 13. MAP: N.Y.S . DOT Southold Quad East and south elevation �autt+o d ara ase a Yacht Chu Point w -J- 0 i 4. NECK IS 7 ' EALtK R Q W �l Beach " Cr Cedar Beach 27 Point SD 125D 14. THREATS TO BUILDING: a. none known Ll b. zoning ❑ c. roads ❑ d. developers ❑ e. deterioration ❑ f. other: 15. RELATED OUTBUILDINGS AND PROPERTY: a. horn❑ b, carriage house ❑ c. garage ❑ d. privy ❑ e. shed ❑ f. greenhouse ❑ g. shop ❑ 11. gardens ❑ i. landscape features: On this property there are two j. other:houses and two small observatories. 16. SURROUNDINGS OF THE BUILDING f (check more than one if necessary): a.open land ❑ b. woodland 'n c. scattered buildings ❑ d.densely built-up ❑ e. commercial f. industrial ❑ g. residential ❑ h.other: beachfront 17. INTERRELATIONSHIP OF BUILDING AND SURROUNDINGS: (Indicate if building or structure is in an historic district) Low density shore front area with County Park across the road. I& OTHER NOTABLE FEATURES OF BUILDING AND SITE (including interior features if known): 12-story, 5-bay, gable roof cottage with craftsman-style roof overhang and wide shed roof dormers on both slopes of main roof. 1-story gable roof wing on south. 6/6 windows . SIGNIFICANCE 19. DATE OF INITIAL CONSTRUCTION: 1880 's and 1920 ' s ARCHITECT: BUILDFR: 20. HISTORICAL AND ARCHITFCTURAL IMPORTANCE: A number of men on the North Fork were interested in astronomy. They met here with Dr. Elmer and formed study groups. When this place became too small, they founded Custer IrodOftute . (Mrs. Elmer was a Custer - niece of General Custer, ) Dr. Elmer founded the Elmer-Perkins Co. which is involved in outer space projects. Dr. Elmer was one of the foremost amateur astronomers of the country. 21. SOURCES: Interview E. Heacock, owner. 765--5279. Feb . 1987 Long Island Forum. March 1950 22. 7110117: Form prepared by Rosemary Skye Moritt, research assistant. SD 125d "Teri M house " has platform inside with crank to turn roof which is on wheels. * Concrete platform ;s: was for telescopes. PhotojSD RSM XXVI-S (from north east) - __ Front (east) and - - north elevation i c This roof could slide off completely. - ` There are tracks that L�-n = ` N out of the house at the eaves level on which the roof could slide out. -Platform also for a telescope. Photo tSD RSM XXVI-7 (from south east) Front (east) and south �' elevation f SD 125d i Main house from west PHOTO :5D-R5U X/,VI-1 1 JJA Jolt lit,,, T Polar Cottage - -�� note oriel window r - where roof opens for telescope with mirror to reflect m the Polar Star PHOTO : 5D-RSM XKVI-6 �r � 7 v' r (110 yr? -5044) Sough e +�1eeLe -L — tut srinouncement of the next mining In this paper. . ,,7-____ 77--, - SD 125d aite-s—W ei,, down Ci1;1I]14i7.1 31?klLGy N111L 11 Ll1raC 111c 111Li.�_.per_.['µ(fir..... iii u�s-o „ ...�. ,v: 1 passeesed in generous measure, the Elmer at the [Teiver_I.j-4 Church Astronomer and Custer group devised and built mechanisms! Southold, at 2 P. M, on 7rid3y, De- } ry which permitted the telescopes and i cember 10th, the Rev. Pvlattt;:li9`'Heili: Institute Fours r �i cameras to track the stars. The result officiating. U of their coperatlon was some of the Mr. Elmer Is survived by two brothers, H/ti5()r e O Yth Bes now finest astrophoto mphs which had Royal G. Elmer, Ironton, thio, nuc'' thus far been made. Earle R. Elmer, Syracuse, N. Y., and Amateur Astronomers in This The quality of their weak is best one sister, Miss E. Frances Elmer, Country; Funeral is Tomorrow shown by the fact that their plates' Monroe, Mich. Charles Wesley 41mer, one of the were used in some of the :finest ob- most distinguished residents of South- servatories in this country. old Town, passed fkw4Y at the Eastern Long Island Hospital on Tursday, De- So intense was the interest of the cember 7th. Mr. Elmer was born in group that it was not long 'before Nelson, N. Y., on May 22, 1872, a son others in the neigaooring villages be- of Theodore and ousephine (Darrow) gan to go to the Elmers' place when f `Elmer. Soon therealter, the family they knew the group was at work. Ur. Cottrell fives Talk (moved to molr roe, Michigan. r:her, Followed informal meetings and fin- cwtes hail('his elementary and high > ally, from these meetings And dis- Dr.Custer C troll ratlilt� Dr. George Crtttrell of Pltiat Island school education. He serredYas Clerk cessions, Cester Institute came Into Animal Iiesesrch Laboratory was the with a law firm tick Toledo His nexts1 being. guest: speaker at the regular trteetlrtg connection was as maretery to the Mr. Elmer's growth in the world of duster Institute twit Satta-day eve- ,president of the Cloverlead Railroad —. I 'ning. Dr. Cottrell spoke unit Interest- When his chief was called to Panama of astronomy was remarkable. He, I WY and informatively on cancer in to take charge of the work :,f building atunbered among his associates the the domestic chicken. Although the the Panama Canal, Charles went along heads of many of the great obaerva-` average person may not know that In the capacity of secretary. He CCU— ` tories In the country. To the Institute,f chickens are frequent victims of this tinned 1n this capacity until the work he brought some of the country's out- IdIseoze. the poultrryetnn is well 4LImre on the Canal was taken over by the- standing astronomers to speak before! �that it is a costly item in hu �ittass, tes UniStates Army. his frienda. I over t9,000A00 being lost in UW in- He was married on September 28, The Institute rapidly broadened its' dustry in one year from the dlonse. 1898 to Mlm May Ci aster, a niece of the program and diy,,;usslons thereafter i The speaker showed horn the disease famous General Custer, of Indtast ranged Over every field of ,scientific affects the bird In varlotts organs the massacre fame. The ;doting couple came and artLstic endeavor, f eye, the liver, the digestive tract and to Now York where Charles' skill In 1930 he formed a comparsy The &0 forth. The disease, rtuearch itas brought him excellent amployinrrit as a Perkin Elmer company--=for the pro- shown, is transmitted by a vlrus like QGUrt nteno�pher. Soon tl�e%ftey, duction of preeisio] optical material: agent. It may be a vires in actuality, Ito joined the court recut{lung firm of The business grew bo rapidly that they,4 >ut this electron microscope bels not jAda� da Chambets with which he were forced to incorporate it in 1939, bated such an obj'ct as yet, The wp conneetad. uintfl hls -further Ar,- a2d they did such outstanding work., cancer virus, if it may be called so, tlPitles form-1 •Lira-to resign. In the production of precision prisms is transmitted from one tndlviaitlal to and such vital equipment, that they, another. The disease is rarely found Wis;ta the young coup.. stili Picea p � in jungle fowl and the thought h 40n N: �i Ygrl(,,,ns they were out for on + were several times cited by the armed; 'oivCrau,j afro]!, titer stopped to l;Ao➢[ forces for their great contribution to been advanced that artificial Incuba- the national defense. tion, and forced draft brooders which throng)} the telescope of a sidewalk �puts great number of eggs +tttG chichi ,laarkar..l'l,c teat a ntr. xbtch Chsrlrs After the Elmer of the con qwg '� fiat eoatsct 1s responsible i'ar paid for the opixrtuuity to look pony Air. Elmer sewed as Se.TCtary-k �the caner. Chicks are readily 'Nice((- :tbroorgh the teleftooe, cdtsuWed leis en- Treasurer, until 1949, 'When he retire(.. Istpd, alder birds are not �st�rfn(tis . a rs We. The barker ]sad told them Ai,:4 �'me+ haci gasseu away in 1945, and much as he loved his home at Dr. Cottrell r�txd i2tE irlterastllsf ons» It sxt they could fool at Jupiter, but Cedar Beach, there were top man ;slbility that,in htunans, canercr may, I tLe planet which showr4 in, the irr- y :Begin in babyhood,'not to appear sattll scan^.Lent wase Saturn with Its rings. menwries of Mrs. Elmer and the happy days they had expeilenced there en- maturity, and i nay be transmitted Zile ,iRht awakened a new interest to twined about Cedar Beach. He sold through inoculation as with the do- U'.0 r1awrs, and from then on, tl y _ mesticfowl. This is, lie said. only, ii acre lire; of All Astronomers. theory which bisro`. (ren prlrven brit hplace there and I,urcC3 n i his Ion, research is being ctraodUCtatl Coustitrltli, eUoz,g about IBIT; the couple began home on Fourth Street, t'.rcrnport, " to torte out to the East End for their where he lived until his pa_tsing. It may be thWUgL wtSrY with dear,—­;cfowl that the arlsrcer to fixe Cancer slurnnlerz, partIS to get away fro;rl,,the Mr . Elmer was perhaps the best -city, bur, also because the skies %TM known amateur .astronomer in this problem In human bt,,Ajm will he in "netly Clear and observriUon arae country. Fie was fast 'reairtent tai the` found. At present a twelve-abot (tensa COOd. EventuaLl, they Hvhased of vaCcirtationi can p:e�4'r_t nstt * fiat American AssocialSira of Variable Stir,` pante at Cedar Belch, Smftld and chicicr tbservers, Past }?rt�ident of the De,? ; , Ur. Zinn_ xn try build tap his as. partnient of Astronomy of Broo'slyn tronomical esluinrinert: ;4Cae]wlaile tike Institute of Arts anti Sciences, a mein- L40 stiud,ent that he was, h t_&jipL1rj-, her of the Americtut Astronomical 80-,,11 iiimbelf diligently to the study of as, clety, with which organization lie at t trouomy,.$e installed Isla puellent re- tended the-dedication of the 20o-ttict{€ Clectcr in what he called the Polar little telescope at N't. Palomar. He was ' House, and he built a Maria!; hquse to 'literally the Sounder of Custer In. �' ;hold an excellent re rectlttP telescope, istitute (named in honor of his wife). In his spare hour*, he was a very buq He was a Royal Arch Maasaat, 218, a euld a very happy mesio, Akmg In the member of the KnPFlldel I`e_4iji4r ear;y 39I1s, be had the '1ko.7d fortme Erase Contmandery No. 77), a member to re(luire the servicez of `Fhcrar;as A of Grecnport 13o", the Lambs Giubj Eitacy, and thrit m;etZ,-g e,2, ii>_i ; oast the. Canadian Giub. t i_,cnrrin„a wVf`;,t.. Mr, 5tr.tV and. his bl2 ' * � r Not everyone has an asteroid named after him, so officials at the Custer Institute in Southold can be forgiven for boasting of it these days_ For the heavens now display Elmer, an asteroid previously known only by J its number, 2493. With the help of its e discoverer, Dr. R.E. McCrosky, the t asteroid was recently renamed in h honor of the late Charles Wesley 11 Elmer, the founder of Custer. o A longtime resident of the North ,e Fork, Mr. Elmer, director of the as- 41 tronomy department of the Brooklyn 11 Academy of Arts and Sciences,. is turned his summer home on Cedar is Beach into an informal "lending li- e brary"for small telescopes. But busi- ness got so good that in 1927 he estab- lished the institute as a formal as- 3 tronomy center and named it for his , wife, Mary, the niece of General George Armstrong Custer. Mr. i Elmer died in 1954. i It took about a year for the Interna- tional Astronomical Union to make the designation official, said Tom Carey, a Custer member, "but now, to quote from his obituary, Mr. EI- mer's 'Jolly laugh and jaunty air will always live in the memories' — and the heavens 'of those who knew him.'" REMEMBER THE NEEDIESTI