This website is dedicated to the history of "Awixa" Long Island as well as the historic homes remaining on South Awixa Avenue and its surrounding area in Penataquit Point. This is a work in progress which will ultimately show pictures and histories of the historic homes on South Awixa Avenue and then later the surrounding avenues and streets of Penataquit Point. The website will be describing the history of the area called "Awixa", which the author believes was the original (Indian) name of the eastern point of Bay Shore. (Effectively Bay Shore's earliest name.)

In 1880 through 1888 Daniel D. Conover at great financial risk purchased much of the land between Saxton (now Saxon) Avenue and South Awixa Avenue. He dredged the rivers between (Orowoc, Champlin's and Awixa) improved the roads and built Queen Ann Style cottages for rent. Conover's plan for Awixa Creek was to create a freshwater lake at the northernmost point at South Country Road (now Main Street) with a dam which would have a road on it connecting Saxton and Awixa. In 1887 the project was completed without the road which was never done. Mr. Conover who was known for his beautiful roads (the Town's were horrible). Conover built a beautiful house for himself on Saxton Avenue. William H. Moffitt later purchased (1906) land from Conover's estate the best being Olympic Park. (Along the Great South Bay by Harry W. Havemeyer)

The southernmost point of South Awixa Avenue is known as Penataquit Point now and Thurber's Neck previously.

Here the first Moubray (later changed to Mowbray) family lived in the early 1700's. It was reached by three roads from South Country Road (later called Montauk or East Main Street). Awixa Avenue being one, Montgomery Street and Penataquit Avenue the other two. 1st Court, 2nd Court, and South Court were added between the avenues.

During the 1880's the area became known for its New York Brooklyn residents who moved to and owned or rented here. Early residents included E.P. Jones, W. Wiswall, Dr. J.V.S. Wooley, William Wray and Albert Young. On the northernmost part on the corner of Awixa and South Country later lived E.F. Hutton and next to him to the east "Woodlea" of Thomas Adams Jr. and J. Dunbar Adams (American Chicle Company). This area became the home of the Penataquit Corinthian Yacht Club in 1900. Under the stewardship of Commodore J. Adolph Mollenhauer many of the most prestigious and affluent people in the New York area became members.

Neighbors on surrounding streets included Simon Rothschild (A&S Department Stores), Edward Blum (A&S Department Stores), August Belmont Jr., Harry O. Havemeyer, and The Doxsee Family (also James Harvey Doxsee). On Montgomery Avenue the home of Robert E. Montgomery - Real Estate Broker and Developer lived Robert A. Pinkerton - son of the founder of the Pinkerton Detective Agency who took over Montgomery's home after 10 years.. On nearby Clinton Street resided Charles C. Guilden (Guilden's Mustard).

32 Awixa (show full size)

Built in 1897 by William H. Wray, and named "Whileaway", who sold the home to Fred Lemmerman and then on to William Clarkson. Clarkson had the home for about 68 years and sold it to Janet Lambert and her husband whom had 11 children in the house. In October 2003,Dr. Mark Foehr, his wife Suzanne, and their three children moved into the home. Extensive renovations were undertaken. (Home listed in Long Island Country Homes and Their Architects 1860-1940 pg 532). As of May 2007 the home was for sale with Eric Ramsey Realtors.

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65 Awixa -

Built by Dr. J.V. Wooley, This property is being completely renovated by Jeffrey Sperling for his family. Jeffrey owns Jeff Scott Construction a high end construction firm here in Suffolk County. House pictures to follow.

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82 Awixa (show full size) Mollenhauer Farm designed in 1913 directly across from Homeport included a dairy, silo, greenhouse and cottage for the farmer all in white shingle.

85 Awixa (show full size)

-Homeport - built by J. Adolph and Anna Mollenhauer - Designed in 1898 by architect Cornell of New York, constructed by J.E.Van Orden of Great River, and landscaped by N.F.Barrett of New York designers of Bayberry Point. It was unusual due to its Italian aura and beautiful gardens, ponds and rivers. (Long Island Country Homes and Their Architects 1860-1940 pg 513)

Mollenhauer Sugar Refining Company, Brooklyn, NY was Mollenhauer's sugar refinery, est.. abt.1869, on Kent Ave. near So.11th in Brooklyn. John Mollenhauer, born 1827 in Germany, came to NY in 1850 and found employment in a grocery store. He opened his own in 1852. In 1869 he established the sugar refinery on Kent & Rush. 1887 he turned the business over to his eldest sons, J. Adolph & F.D. Mollenhauer The Mollenhauer Sugar Refinery bought the water front property of the Peoples Gas Light Co. (est. 1864) for the sum of 300,000 dollars on June 11,1896. Mollenhauer's steam yacht Thelma, burned off Huntington, L.I. on July 7, 1896. (Above from: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~blkyn/Streets/K.Street.html)

In 1899 Mr. Mollenhauer purchased all of Penataquit Point for the future use of his yacht club Penataquit Corinthian Yacht Club. The club remained active until July 1, 1909 when it was announced that the yacht club would not reopen for the summer season. Mr. Mollenhauer passed away in 1926 after 40 summers spent in Bay Shore. The yacht club later reformed (click here to read more about the Penataquit Corinthian Yacht Club.)

Emil Frank House - purchased by Julian D. Fairchild President of Kings County Trust Company (being researched)

117 Awixa Avenue - Awixaaway - Rudolph Oelsner -. It had sold in 1923 for $100,000. The estate's contents were auctioned in 1933 and the property itself was sold at auction in 1939. The home was ultimately raised. Here is an original picture compliments of smugmug.com.

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143 Awixa (show full size)

Rafael Guastavino son of the famous architect Rafael Guastavino (Pictured Below) and his all tile home. Rafael built this home in 1912. It is presently up for sale as of April 2003 for 2.5 Million Dollars with a little more than one acre and is located at the mouth of the Awixa Creek in a beautiful spot. It was subsequently owned by Mr. and Mrs.. Frank Gulden (Gulden's Mustard) .(Long Island Country Homes and Their Architects 1860-1940 pg 500). This beautiful and historic home boasts 16 rooms, 8 Bedrooms,3 Full Baths + 1 Half Bath, with 230' Bay frontage, and is on a 230x227' lot..

In 2005 "The Tile House" is being designated in Albany by the Preservation League of New York State as one of the houses on its "Seven to Save List". In addition there are reports that the house in in contract to be purchased by a couple from Center Moriches who intend to restore it. You can read the Newsday article about these facts, including more of the Guastavino history, by clicking here.

History of The Guastavino's

Rafael

Guastavino (1872 - 1950) came to New York from Catalonia, Spain in 1888 at the age of 10. His father, (1842-1908) pictured left, also Raphael, was famous for his invention of "cohesive construction" techniques. He is credited as the inventor of the "Guastavino Arch" which was used in the construction of the New York City subway system. (Click on picture to read more about the father and then click here and then here) and here and here. The junior Raphael apprenticed under his father' company and became known for the invention of interlocking tiles used in the interior of domes in elliptical work. This work became even more famous than his fathers "Arch". His work using this process created amazingly large expansive arches of tiles in many famous structures including: The Cathedral of St. John the Devine in New York's. Bartholomew's in Riverside, NY, and Temple Emanuel in Manhattan. His arches are also found in the Gould library at NYU.

This beautiful home is still used as a landmark by sailors who traverse the Great South Bay. Built like a Mediterranean style villa it is covered entirely by beautiful tiles. (Along The Great South Bay, Harry W. Havemeyer)

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was next to the E.F. Hutton Estate, both of which were the northernmost houses on South Awixa/North Country/E. Main Street) on the north side of the Awixa Pond which lay just north of the Awixa River. It later became Mimi's Awixa Ponds Restaurant. Damiano Maffei, known as Mimi, had a restaurant on Fulton Street in downtown Brooklyn. He always had a wad of cash in his pocket and he bought an Edsel in the 1950s. Mimi was a gambler who won the Adams (chewing gum) mansion in Bay Shore, Long Island in a two-day crap game. First he won the man’s money, then his wife’s furs and jewels, and finally the property. When the game was over Mimi gave the man back his wife’s diamond ring but kept all the rest. This is one of the family stories that may be exaggerated, however Mimi did indeed own a 36-room mansion in Bay Shore that even had a carriage house and a man-made lake with a little island in the middle. The upstairs was the home where he lived with his wife Tootsie and their two sons. He converted the downstairs into the Awixa Ponds, a restaurant with many dining rooms. (Ancestry.com). This beautiful residence later burned down under suspicious origins and the Windemere Development now exists there.

Below are some pictures thanks to smugmug.com.

Woodlea - J.D. Adams Estate

Summer home of Alan Pinkerton

Yeandle, Ernest H, Awixa Ave., Bay Shore. Pvt., Cac Co., 2d Bn.,Warfare Ser. Died of broncho pneumonia, October 4, 1918