Hicks-Zeifman House
1326 Old Northern Boulevard, Roslyn
Project Files
- Map-of-Roslyn-Beers-Comstock-Cline-1873.pdf
- Map-of-the-Village-of-Roslyn-Chester-Wolverton-1891.pdf
- Map-of-the-Village-of-RoslynRoslyn-Estates-and-Bulls-Head-E.-Belcher-Hyde-1914.pdf
- 1932-Street-Road-Property-Ownership-Map-Roslyn-Roslyn-Harbor-Glenwood-Landing-Greenvale-East-Hills-Roslyn-Heights.pdf
Adapted from the 1980 House Tour
The first member of the Hicks family to reside in Roslyn (then Hempstead Harbor) was Benjamin Hicks (Census for 1800). His son William was born in 1803 and became an extensive landholder. He purchased 100 acres of land in Roslyn Harbor in 1830 and shortly thereafter started a lumber yard. In 1838 he bought the Anderis Onderdonk House (T.G. 1970-1971) from the Consistories of the Dutch Reformed Church of Oyster Bay and Success and started the extensive lumberyard conducted by him and later by Joseph Hicks & Sons. Joseph Hicks, William's younger brother, was born in 1805. William Hicks was designated the first postmaster of Roslyn when its name was changed from Hempstead Harbor in 1843. The Roslyn section of Curtin's Directory for 1867 includes a listing for "Joseph Hicks & Sons, Lumber, Coal and Sawmill, near the Mansion House," which was on the east side of the village. Joseph Hicks expanded his business operations extensively. He modernized his large lumber yard, east of Roslyn Creek, by the addition of an early steam-driven sawmill. He also purchased the old Robeson Williams Grist Mill (T.G. 1976-1977), probably prior to 1852. Apparently he became over-extended and had to turn to his uncle, John D. Hicks, for financial assistance. Joseph Hicks' sons could not get along with Uncle John and left the family firm to start the Hicks' Bros. Lumber Yard on the other (west) side of the Creek. John D. Hicks gained control of the Joseph Hicks' lumber interests, as, in the Directory for 1878, John D. Hicks is listed as the "assignee, Roslyn Mills." The firm of John D. Hicks & Co. advertised in the Roslyn News at least as late as 1895.
Joseph Hicks did retain ownership of the old Robeson-Williams Grist Mill and his sons, Benjamin, Isaac, Walter, Jacob, Robert and John, for the most part devoted their energies to several local businesses. Jacob died early and was not involved in any of these ventures. Walter, whose wife was an invalid, was unable to make a strong commercial commitment in any direction. Benjamin operated the Grist Mill for a number of years, probably beginning prior to 1852 as his wife (Martha Titus Hicks) wrote in her diary that he was commuting there (from Westbury) on horseback. For an unknown period of time Benjamin's brother, Walter, operated the Mill and the grocery store which went with it, as it is shown as "Walter Hicks' Grist Mill" in the 1886 Sanborn Atlas.
By 1893 Benjamin's youngest brother, Isaac, acquired the Mill as shown by the Sanborn Atlas for that year, and donated it to the public for use as a museum in 1916. Benjamin Hicks also operated a general store on the site of the present Roslyn post office. This passed on to his son Joshua in 1901 or 1902 who continued its operation until 1925. John and Robert Hicks operated the Hicks' Bros. Lumber Yard but after John died, about 1901, Benjamin became involved in the Yard and his son Joshua operated the General Store. According to the Beers-Comstock Map of 1873 the land upon which the HicksZeifman House is sited was owned by "J. & B. Hicks", probably Joseph and Benjamin Hicks. According to Lydia Hicks, Joshua's daughter who supplied much of the Hicks family historical data, the land was owned by Benjamin D. Hicks, a cousin. Regardless of which source is correct, and both could be, if there was a title change at the right time, Joseph Hicks established a drug store for his son Walter on this site. Apparently this was before 1886 as the Sanborn Atlas for that year shows
the drug store and indicates that Walter was running the Grist Mill across the road. Perhaps he was operating both.
The drug store was on the site of the present house but was only about half as wide from east to west. The drug store is described in the 1886 Sanborn Atlas as "1 & FR/RF", possibly meaning one storey with a French (mansard) roof. The 1893 Sanborn Atlas shows a building of the same dimensions on the same site, but marked "2S," for two storeys. Probably this is the same building as the 1886 one.
Between 1893 and 1902 the building reached its present form and included the original part of the building, which is described as a vacant store two storeys in height, plus a two-storey residence with an attached open porch. Lydia Hicks states that before her father, Joshua Hicks, rented the house, there was a millinery shop there. Probably the milliner occupied the earlier drugstore and the entire building was enlarged to serve as the residence of Joshua Hicks and his family. Joshua resided there for several years, during the very early 20th century. He never opened the store as he was operating his general store further east across the Milldam. He did, however, use the store area for storage. During the Joshua Hicks' tenancy, which lasted until 1905-1906, a fine photograph of the house and shop was taken, which shows how little the building has been altered over the years.
About 1905-6, Nathan and Annie Zeifman purchased the property. Mr. Zeifman was an antique dealer. Mr. Zeifman enclosed the open porch on the north front of the eastern addition, by means of sash windows, to enlarge the shop front. He used the entire street floor for his antique shop. Mr. Zeifman also built the barn, which survives in modified form at the edge of the old Mill Pond. He also installed the small pre-fabricated "Hodgson" house with its sheet-metal clapboards, for use as a utility building. Mr. Zeifman conducted his business on the premises until 1945.
During the following year a short-term tenant altered Mr. Zeifman's shop window and removed the original shop window of the pre-1902 shop front and installed a lower window to match the one installed in the east section. This involved dropping the ceiling of part of the original drug store. A photographer named Bambach operated his business in the building from 1946-1949. In April of that year Mrs. R.W. Tierney rented part of the premises and, gradually, rented the entire building, which Mr. and Mrs. Tierney purchased in 1965.
Throughout its history though 1980 the house has had only three owners. It survives as an outstanding example of sympathetic ownership of a commercial building. It retains most of its original exterior and much of its original interior floor plan notwithstanding its gradual changes in use.
As it appeared in 1895.
The building is the headquarters for Summer Discovery founded by the Musiker Family as Musiker Student Tours in 1966.
1 Comments
Patty Melville
Our good friend Adele Tierney ran the decorating store downstairs - I think it as called the the Shooting Box and had THE MOST wonderful home upstairs!