In
the series
... "I REMEMBER THE ROCKAWAYS"...
Stevie S. Stevens writes
about "Our Wonderful Edgemere Bungalow" |
Shortly into the new century, small groups of tent colonies began to appear on the beach side of the peninsula. People were beginning to realize the value of the clean air and lovely white sand and had decided to make the trip to the Rockaways last for more than a single day. We are told that the first tent "cities" sprang up during the summer of 1901 in the general vicinity of Beach 108th Street and each new summer season saw more and more similar activity. Within a period of about five years, these open-air colonies became extremely popular and were housing well over 2,000 summer visitors before the year 1905.
Of course the more wealthy (called "swells") built substantial summer cottages (homes) which by today's standards border on what we would call "mansions." Those less well off would have to settle for accommodations of a smaller scale if they were to enjoy the activities provided by the beach resort areas and they soon discovered that for less than $300 a season, they too could avail themselves of what the peninsula had to offer.
By the year 1906, New York's middle class had an additional option - a small but permanent wooden shack which for a modest sum could be constructed nearby the water's edge enabling those with above-average incomes to take advantage of seasonal living on the beach. Local real estate agencies and developers purchased parcels of land in desirable locations and began sectioning it off for sale with and without a small wooden hastily-built "house" soon to be known by the name "bungalow."
Most of the original bungalows were constructed entirely by local labor and followed only one or two specific architectural designs. After the basic "bungalow" concept became popular, major out-of-state manufacturers (the largest being located in Grand Rapids, Michigan) began putting together packages or pre-fabs - homes constructed elsewhere and then dismantled in sections to be re-established elsewhere. Large groups of bungalow communities were located in various sections of the peninsula over the next decade and were known under a variety of different names - such as Hollywood Cottages and Eagan Courts.
By the early 1920s, a general pattern began to emerge and it was obvious that although tents would continue to play an important role in summer housing in the Rockaways (at least throughout the next decade) the bungalow was to become the permanent fixture as the least expensive and most practical seasonal living accommodation. By the end of the 1920s, most tent colonies had been supplanted by bungalow courts. Even today, a small handful of those wooden "shacks" continue to survive on the Rockaway peninsula. Homes which were constructed for under $1,000 have been redesigned and rebuilt over the period of one hundred years - now converted for all-year-round living. When you really think about it, not a bad investment! In any event, the bungalow, once a Rockaway tradition, is now a valued part of the local history.
Our documentation for this retrospective is a very early photo album which a young couple complied back in 1909 - a little over one hundred years ago. It must be remembered that way back then almost all photographic work was left to professionals - men working with expensive and very heavy/bulky equipment - film slides were made of glass and lighting was accomplished by using "flash powder." The earliest "personal" cameras were "boxy" type and the photos, once developed, were usually small (less than 3 inches square) and were always of the non-color variety. Developing chemicals and photo papers were unstable and no one really was aware of the life-expectancy of the pictures they took - they just didn't consider that as an important issue. It must also be noted that the process of taking personal photos was rather an expensive hobby and it was extremely unusual for a child to own a camera. Our young couple, in their excitement of owning a new summer home wished to immortalize the event and so they took a series of snapshots and then purchased an appropriate album in which to cement their memories. The impetus for this documentation was probably on the part of the wife - something she could "hand-carry" to impress her friends and relations during the off-season; perhaps she just wanted to relive those fleeting summer months. In any event, we are fortunate to be able to offer you a little bit of history provided by the memories represented in a handful of old photographs.