Greenlawn

 

I knew as far back as August of 2001, that the Knapps had property in Greenlawn. I found the deed while searching for the Mastic Beach one. They sold the Greenlawn property in June of 1917, eight months after they acquired the Mastic Beach estate. Because Joseph P. his wife Elizabeth and Claire and Dodi's name are all on the sale deed, I did not know who actually lived there. It appears that it was primarily Claire's residence and she might of shared it for a time with her mother Sylvia as they had both been living in Bellport just a few years prior. Sylvia Kepner Knapp drops off the radar screen around 1914. She may of re married or passed away. At this point I just don't know.

UPDATE ......SHE DID NEITHER
TO FIND OUT WHERE SYLVIA T. KNAPP WENT
CLICK HERE

In late December I found this ship manifest for a trip that Joseph P and Claire took. The date is Feb 1913 and Claire's address is listed as Greenlawn. I knew from the deed I had that the property was formerly owned by a C. A. Brush. The Brush name is an old one in that area (Huntington township) of Long Island.

 

 

On my January trip, one of the maps I found shows the location of the property

 

 

Centrally Located Between Huntington & Center port

What I didn't know, that true to it's reputation of holding nuggets, there was a scrapbook in the closed stacks of Queensboro's Long Island Room that had a 1916 Newspaper Clipping of.....

The copy under the illustration is as follows:

The home of Miss Claire A. Knapp in Greenlawn is a splendid example of the successful reconstruction of an old farmhouse. The original building was built 125 years ago. While many of the lines of the old building have been retained, the changes made cause the present structure to be modern in every detail. In the summer the house is surrounded by beautiful flower beds. There are many trees young and old on the twelve and a half acre tract of land.

PHOTOS OF TOWN CIRCA 1910

 

This partial text of the steamship France is the last trace I have been able to find of Sylvia Kepner Knapp until her U.S. customs fight in 1925-29. Here she was most likely traveling with her daughter Claire as that is Claire's age that is listed here. She was 20 days shy of turning 25. Ellis Island.Org uses these cards when the actual image of the ship's manifest is not available.

 

SOLD

 

Got to hand it to Miss Claire...she was way ahead of her time restoring old homes...I hope this place is still standing and will be finding out soon. She lived here from around 1911 or 12 to October of 1916 , when her brother bought the Lawrence Estate in Mastic Beach and then signed it over to in less than a week. After that it was pack your bags girl and head for the South Shore and adventure.....

 

A Knapp Litho Of Course.....Art imitating life?

Next Stop

MASTIC

 

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