The Lamb-Ramsauer house, located at 44 East Broadway, Roslyn, is now part of lot 542, in section 7, block B, and is owned by the Roslyn Savings Bank. Lot 542 is comprised of lots 9, 10, 33, 111, 112, 213, 510, 512, 513, 514, 523, and 524. The Ramsauer property is comprised of lots 213 (southerly parcel) and 514 (northerly parcel), having separate ownership history until Edward and Katherine Ramsauer purchased them both in 1909. The northerly parcel seems not to have ever had buildings on it. The earliest record known for either parcel is a deed conveying the southerly parcel from Alfred J. and Margaret A. Lamb to John S. Hicks, April 1, 1873, in consideration of the sum of $3,000, a high price for an empty lot, at that time. The deed refers to . . that certain lot with buildings thereon... " (April 1, 1873, Liber 410 (Queens), pg. 108), and though the reference to buildings is standard generally in the language of deeds, it was not used much locally and it is likely that the house was already in place by this time. John D. Hicks, assignee of property and estate of John S. Hicks, conveyed the property to Henry M.W. Eastman, a well known real estate investor, for the sum of $100, subject to a "certain mortgage now a lien on said premises for $1,500 and interest made by said Alfred J. Lamb, and wife to Benjamin D. Hicks and Henry W. Eastman" (November 20, 1877, Liber 516 (Queens), pg. 204).

Henry M.W. Eastman conveyed the property to Frederick M. Eastman (at an unknown date), who, with his wife Leila, conveyed the property to Simon Replogle and wife Mattie (April 16,1890, Liber 9, pg 379) for a sum of $1,050. On October 30, 1905, Simon and Mattie Replogle conveyed the property to Edward Ramsauer (not yet married), for $1,000 "and other good and valuable considerations" (Liber 74, pg. 219).

Edward Ramsauer was a plumber who had been trained in a trade school. He never served an apprenticeship. He was a protege of Benjamin Hicks, who encouraged him to settle in Roslyn. Edward and Katherine Ramsauer acquired the northerly parcel in September, 1909 (Liber 195, pg. 452), earlier that year having conveyed the southerly parcel to Dorethea Hirsch for the consideration of $1.00 (Liber 216, pg. 152). Soon after acquiring the northerly parcel, Dorethea Hirsch conveyed the property back to Katherine Ramsauer for the same consideration, $1.00 (Liber 236, pg. 202). The Ramsauers thus occupied the property from 1905 to 1957, although the property was involved in a tax sale to the Village of Roslyn at one point during their tenure (Libers 2529, 2529 and 6256, pgs. 256, 252 and 414 respectively).

In August of 1957, Katherine Ramsauer conveyed the property to Irving and Ruth M. Kriesberg, for the sum of $10.00 and "other valuable consideration" (Liber 6256, pg. 535). The property was conveyed to Kenneth D. Molloy in June, 1970) (Liber 8125, pg. 303), and then to Roslyn Savings Bank within the same month (Liber 8171, pg. 138). All recent work on the house has been completed by the Bank, and the house has been used as a rental property. The garage on the property, discussed below as the workshop, is currently used jointly as equipment storage for the Bank, and a garage by the tenant.

The Ramsauer House is a fine example of a vernacular building which was substantially altered to conform to a new stylistic idiom. The removal of the porch with classical detailing, and the recladding of the building with shingles and clapboards, was an attempt to update the building by the aspiring and young Ramsauers. Interestingly, the Herbert Conklin House at nearby 62 East Broadway, followed an almost identical path of change, as a wing was added to the north in 1907, and the house shingled in the Queen Anne style, with skirtings, in 1916 (TG 1988-89).

Edward Ramsauer's Sanitary Plumbing Store (circa 1908).

Spring 1919