Evangeline Craft Charlick House
207 East Broadway, Roslyn
Project Files
Adapted from the 1984 House Guide
The Evangeline Craft Charlick House does not appear on the Walling Map (1859), the Beers-Comstock Map (1893) or the Wolverton Map (1891). According to an interview with Mrs. Arnold Craft (see Rafferty-Craft House, TG 1983-84), John Langley Craft (1818-1902), who lived at 197 East Broadway, "built a house located next to his, at 207 East Broadway, Roslyn, for his daughter around 1875, Evangeline Craft Charlick, cost $1700 to build (land and house). Mr. Charlick was a builder." According to a letter to Jean Davis Chapman (James K. Davis' granddaughter (TG 1984)), from Evangeline Craft Charlick's granddaughter, Constance Charlick Terrell, "the house was built in 1880, not in 1875." Mrs. Terrell further commented, "It was not built by my great-grandfather John L. Craft for his daughter Evangeline Charlick (Baldwin). "She was a widow with three children and she had it built herself for $2500.00 and paid it off by dressmaking."
In a conversation with the writers (PNG and RGG), early in 1951, Warren Terrell (husband of Constance Terrell) said the house was built between 1890 and 1895. Since Evangeline's husband, John Charlick, died November 17, 1879, Warren Terrell's estimate probably was fairly accurate. Constance Terrell has donated a number of documents relating to the house to the Landmark Society. These indicate that the site was assembled from two parcels of land. The larger, a lot approximately 50 x 85', was conveyed by "John Craft (widower)" to Evangeline Charlick, widow of John Charlick, owner of the Mansion House, for the sum of $200.00 on 6/29/1895 (Queens County Liber 1073 of Deeds, pg. 175, 7/2/1895). The second, a land-locked parcel to the east of the first, approximately 25' x 50', was purchased by Evangeline Charlick from W. Wallace Kirby for $75.00 on 10/7/1895. No recording reference was specified. Mrs. Charlick paid Mr. Kirby $50.00 at the time of closing and the balance ($25.00) on 5/18/1896. On 10/29/1895 Evangeline Charlick obtained a mortgage of $500.00 from Elizabeth R. Hewlett, using the parcel of land she had acquired from her father for $200.00 as security. This mortgage was recorded in Queens County Liber 713 of Mortgages, pg. 435, on 11/15/1895 and was satisfied on 9/30/1901. The proceeds of the mortgage probably were used to defray at least part of the cost of building the house.
The foregoing does not satisfy the question of who actually constructed the house, although it probably does establish that it was built circa 1895-1896. It could have been built by John Langley Craft, even though his granddaughter, Constance Charlick Terrell, wrote that he did not. If he did build the house he would have been 77 at the time of its construction. He did, however, survive for another five or six years after the house was built. Regardless of who built the house, Evangeline Craft Charlick was surely the driving force behind its construction.
On 7/16/1932, Evangeline Baldwin (formerly Evangeline Craft Charlick), sold the combined properties (and the house) to her granddaughter, Constance Charlick Terrell, for a purchase money mortgage of $2000.00 plus $1.00 "and other good and valuable considerations." This deed was recorded in the Nassau County Liber 1685 of Deeds, pg. 231, on 7/18/1932. In 1951 Constance Charlick Terrell sold the house to Peggy and Roger Gerry who, in turn, sold it to Ethel Huff in April, 1956.
In September, 1966, Ethel Huff Burkhard sold the house to Mr. and Mrs. Walter Jankowski. Subsequently, about 1972, the house was bought by Alexander and Susan Prisant who sold it to Mrs. Joshua J. Nasaw, in 1974.
1 Comments
Ethel Huff was a very kind lady, as I grew up across the street at 208 E Broadway. She had a son, Gary, who served in the Vietnam War. When she sold 207, she moved to another house on Main St (I forget which one it was). Fond memories of Roslyn, a fabulous town to live in.