It’s 1959 and you are in a small plane, taking pictures of the
property that is about to become developed into Soundview. For
many decades, this area has been mined for the fine quality of its sand.
This "Cow Bay Sand" was sent directly to New York City by
the barge load, 6 days per week.
1.
The Millpond is at the bottom of the picture, with the landmark
restaurant Guildo’s (now The Wreck) at the left
end of the pond. The Dodge Homestead is barely visible through
the trees on the right end of the pond. Slightly above the pond on the
left side you can clearly see the Lewis Oil tanks, which were
taken down to create the Stop & Shop complex.
2.
Sousa School, built just a few years earlier, can be seen on
the far side of Cow Neck Road, the northern border of the sand
mining operation. If you have ever run in the Thanksgiving Day Run
(the “turkey trot”) then you’ve run up this road.
The original four model homes for Soundview can be seen just
above the number 10.
3.
In the lower right corner is the Port Washington Water District.
4.
Land’s End, where F. Scott Fitzgerald is said to have
stayed, and partied, and observed the local elite while he wrote portions
of The Great Gatsby.
5.
Execution Lighthouse.
6.
The RCA radio towers, at the top of what became Radcliffe
Avenue. The complete story of these towers, and the development
of Soundview, was recently chronicled by George Williams in the
journal of the Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society.
7.
Sands Point Park & Preserve’s, still known to many
locals as the Guggenheim Estate. Clearly visible is Hempstead
House, built by for Gould, purchased by Guggenheim,
this 200 acre property can be wandered 7 days per week (no bikes or
pets though!)
8.
Sheet’s Creek inlet, where three sand barges can clearly
be seen. Sand was mined from the Soundview area for many decades, providing
“Cow Bay Sand” for the building of the sidewalks,
the skyscrapers and the subways of Manhattan.
9.
Just above the number is Manorhaven Blvd.
10.
The central portion of the Soundview sandmining area, you can see the
dark angular line which is the conveyor belt. The cliffs at the back
right side of the area border the Sand Point Golf Course (to
this day) which can be see above the top of the points of the RCA
towers. Note the far border of the golf course, which is Middle
Neck Road and the Guggenheim Estate beyond.
11.
The southern end of the sandmining area, bordering Pleasant Avenue.
The structure just below the #11 is the current home of Happy Montessouri
School. To the right, where the sand mine workers loaded sand onto
the conveyor belt, is the area currently developed as Mill Pond Acres.
If
you would like a high quality copy print made of this photograph, please
make a tax deductible donation to the organization that is creating
a monument to the sandminers of Port Washington. Email info@sandminers.com
or call Glen Andersen at 883-8547 for more information. (Photograph
courtesy of Thomas Airviews)