Garden City Historical Society President Brian Pinnola, right, enthusiastically accepts information from Susan Cerrutti, second from right, the first Village resident to complete the Society’s Historic Structure Survey application. Assisting Brian in accepting information about Mrs. Cerrutti’s Stewart Avenue home, which will be recorded in the Society’s digital survey system, are Maureen Traxler, education chairperson, and Vincent Seyfried, longtime Society board member and Village of Garden City historian. The Garden City Historical Society recently began a Historic Structure Survey, cataloging all pre-1935 residential and non-residential structures in the Village of Garden City. The Society is seeking past and present property owners and tenants to help complete our survey which will compile a list of some of the Village’s oldest structures.

In conjunction with the start of the Historic Structure Survey, the Society is hosting a free lecture, on Thursday, November 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Garden City Casino, Cathedral Avenue and Sixth Street. Professor Donald Dwyer will lead the lecture entitled “Architecture, Garden City and Recording our Past.” Society members will be present at the end of the lecture with Historic Structure Survey forms to help those who want to submit a property.

The purpose of the Survey is to collect information about properties of historic significance. Such information as the address of the property, who the architect and/or builder was, the year of construction, alterations or additions, availability of plans, the architectural style, and landscaping details will comprise our database. In addition, if photographs of the structure at any stages of its existence are available, they would be helpful (and will be returned after photocopying if required).

Other information deemed historically important is the structure’s association with important or significant persons or events, for example, if your home was originally constructed for the president of the Long Island Railroad, or if Charles Lindbergh visited your building while he stayed at the Garden City Hotel.

As part of our Historic Structure Survey, the Society will compile and maintain a database of the information. From the survey, residents, property owners, and other interested parties will be able to tap our resource. The Society intends to post the collected information on our Web site, www.gardencityhistoricalsociety.org .

Anyone interested in providing information to the Historic Structure Survey may download the Survey Form from our Web site, complete it and return it by mail to The Garden City Historical Society, P.O. Box 179, Garden City, NY 11530-0179.

Technical assistance, such as identifying architectural styles is being provided by Angelo Francis Corva, Architect, who is also the Chairman of the Town of Hempstead’s Landmark Preservation Commission. Information is also available by calling Society President Brian Pinnola, 516-456-0433 or Education Chairperson Maureen Traxler, 516-319-1906.