Tottenville Historical Society

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Unfortunately, Facebook won't remove it because it "meets Community Standards."

"Number, please." Pictured are telephone operators at the switchboard directing calls for the TOttenville 8 exchange in the 1950s. The exchange was located in the house at 7255 Amboy Rd., Tottenville.

In November 1957, the new South Shore telephone building opened in Annadale serving TOttenville8 and YUkon 4 lines, bringing dial service and direct distance dialing to the South Shore. Some HOneywood 6 numbers remained. By April 1959 HOneywood 6 changed over and Staten Island became the first borough to have direct distance dialing from all non-coin phones.

This large decorative garden planter, over 100 years old, from the Atlantic Terra Cotta Co., Tottenville, may be the largest surviving piece of terra cotta from ATCC found locally. It features a molded grapevine and leaf relief, fluted lower body, and ornate pedestal base. The heavy rolled rim and weathered patina enhance its sculptural quality, making it a striking example of a historic architectural garden ornament. Gorgeous!

Another fine painting by a favorite local artist from the Art Collection. "O'Boyle Barges, 1957" by Ferdinand "Fred" A. Busing (1877-1962). We're happy to have several pieces of his artwork -- oils, watercolors and etchings -- in our collection.

Fred Busing was Art Manager for the "New York Sun" for 35 years. A longtime Prince's Bay resident, in later years he moved to Allentown Ln., Charleston, where his favorite subject matter became the woods and waterfront surrounding his property. Located near the Outerbridge Crossing, he could often be found painting atop the derelict barges.

The "O'Boyle Barges" painting is on display in our exhibit, "Still Waters: Reflections of a Maritime Community," located in the Rutan-Becket House, 6 Shore Rd., in Conference House Park.

Our Art Collection features many scenic paintings of the local area by local artists, accompanied by their biographies.

One of our favorites is "Lower Main St., 1900" by Tottenville native Chester Graham (1893-1973). Painted from memory, Chester also described every building and business on Lower Main St., then the commercial hub of the region, and captured the community's history and character through art.

How many buildings do you recognize?

Gift of The Johnston Family Trust

A message from our good friends at Sail4th 250. What a remarkable opportunity!

Today and every day we honor the courage and sacrifice of those who gave their lives for our freedom, and we remember them with gratitude that endures beyond words.

Early 20th century photographs of the entrance gate to the Tottenville Copper Co. (later Nassau Smelting & Refining Co.) and inside the factory. In the 1940s and 1950s many young men found first jobs at Nassau Smelting before going on to other work. It was nicknamed the “College by the Creek.”

We collect and care for all types of visual media including glass and film negatives. They document irreplaceable evidence of daily life of the people who lived here and the evolution of local architecture and streetscapes.

An interesting find! Two volumes of negatives that belonged to Norman Morrison. Norman Robert Morrison (1891-1968), landscape painter, and his partner, opera singer Graham Marr, lived in the 19th century house at 190 Meisner Ave., New Dorp, now a NYC Designated Landmark known as the Nathaniel J. and Ann C. Wyeth House. Morrison reportedly planted 12,000 bulbs there in the spring of 1955!

What will we learn from the negatives? Exciting!