This structure was built for Roslyn merchant William M. Valentine during the Civil War and was the first brick building in Roslyn. It had a pitched roof with cornice returns. The first floor had shop windows on either side of the centered double-door entrance. At one time, the building had a front porch. Valentine's store was described by the New York Times as "a regular country sales place for all kinds of domestic commodities, and is one of the largest in the village."

William M. Valentine was one of the most important Roslyn merchants in the 1800s. He built the adjacent row of frame stores for his "emporium"at 17-21 Main Street. It is considered the oldest commercial block in Nassau County in continuous use.

William M. Valentine was born in 1809 and lived in the nearby William Valentine House on Paper Mill Road and East Broadway, built by his father. As described in the March 23, 1882 issue of the New York Times (see project files), at the age of 73 years, Valentine was beaten near his home and robbed of a small sum of money. He never fully recovered and died on July 17, 1884.

After Valentine's death, the building's tenants included: the J.B. Remsen & Son. Store, The Roslyn News offices, an ice cream store owned by Charles Pearsall Jr., the Ugly Duckling store and the Cornerstone Music Store.

Sadly, in October 2001 the building was destroyed by a fire and subsequently demolished. Over the last 19 years, the property remains an abandoned lot.

1882 Wanted Poster for the assault of William M. Valentine.

#1 Tower Place (circa 1982)

Home for the Roslyn News and the J.B. Remsen & Son. Store (circa 1900). Note the porch.

Charles Pearsall Jr.'s ice cream store (circa 1910).

Ugly Duckling store (circa 1962).

The October 2001 fire. Photo courtesy of John Collins.

Current view of the property.