Gardiner Smith Family

A GUIDE

MC 02

Dates: 1702 - present

Bulk dates: Late 18th - early 20th century

Size: 3.34 cu. ft. in 8 boxes; Processed: June 1991
1 model (19"x 36.5" x 36.5")

Processed by: Louise Dougher, Peggy L. McMullen

Acquisition: Gifts of Henry E. & Elizabeth

Gardiner Shea; William Wicks; and Nancy Teufel.

Guide prepared by

Peggy L. McMullen

and

Louise Dougher

Greenlawn-Centerport Historical Association

Greenlawn, NY

August 1991

Access: Access is by appointment.

Reference also via correspondence.

Photocopy: Due to the nature of the materials, photocopying

is at the discretion of the director. Copies of photographs are available.

Fees available upon request.

the collection should be addressed to:

Director
Greenlawn-Centerport Historical Association
Box 354, Greenlawn, NY 11740.

Location: Greenlawn-Centerport Historical Association

Harborfields Public Library
31 Broadway
Greenlawn, NY 11740

Citation: The Gardiner-Smith Family Papers. MC 02
Greenlawn-Centerport Historical Association
Greenlawn, NY

HISTORY OF THE COLLECTION

The bulk of the Gardiner and Smith family papers in the collection had been kept in a safe for many years at the Alexander Smith Gardiner (1835-1914) farm on Park Avenue, Greenlawn. In the early 1900s, son Egbert and his family lived with Alexander. Egbert continued to run the farm after his father's death in 1914, with the help of his son, LeRoy. In 1926, the family moved to the Gardiner Lake Road farm. At that time the safe was moved along with the household furnishings. Subsequently, the papers were removed from the safe, boxed and stored in the attic. In 1979 LeRoy became ill and directed his wife, Bernice to give the "forgotten" boxes in the attic to his sister Elizabeth Gardiner Shea and her husband Henry. The Sheas made the decision to donate the papers to the Greenlawn-Centerport Historical Association in memory of Elizabeth's grandfather, Alexander S. Gardiner; her parents, Egbert and Elizabeth Coyler Gardiner; and her brother, LeRoy Gardiner.

Volunteers at the Association separated the papers, and put them in mylar folders. The papers were stored in a map drawer in the Association's library until they could be arranged, processed, and described.

During the statewide Historical Documents Inventory (HDI), archivist, Arthur F. Sniffen documented the need to process the collection and make it available to researchers. The arrangement, processing and writing of the finding aid was made possible through a "circuit rider" grant from Long Island Library Resource Council (LILRC).

BIOGRAPHIES

The Gardiners whose papers are included in this collection are direct descendants of Lion Gardiner and his wife Mary Deurant. They came to the colonies in 1635 and settled on Gardiner's Island. By the mid-1700s, fifth generation members were living at Eaton's Neck. One of their grandchildren came to the Greenlawn area. As evidenced by the land deeds, account books and other financial records, these Gardiners were large land owners, successful, innovative farmers who also owned small businesses and shares in sailing vessels.

For biographies of the Gardiner and Smith family members, the researcher should see the genealogies prepared by Edwin L. Soper included in this collection as well as the following works:

Smith, Frederick Kinsman. The Family of Richard Smith of Smitht0wn, Long Island: Ten Generations. Smithtown Historical Society, 1967.

Thompson, Benjamin F. History of Long Island From It's Discovery‑ and Settlement to the Present. 3d ed. by Charles J. Werner. Vol. II, III. Port Washington, NY: Ira J. Friedman, Inc., 1962.

SCOPE & CONTENTS

The papers of the Gardiner-Smith family contain the papers of not only the Gardiner and Smith families of Greenlawn but of related family members as well as friends and associates. The papers date from 1702 to the present. Included are land deeds, wills and estates, mortgages, guardianship papers, financial documents, maps, photographs, memorabilia, oral histories, paintings and an architectural model. The land deeds document the acquisition of land in Oyster Bay, Town of Huntington, Eaton's Neck, Centerport, Greenlawn, Crab Meadow Harbor, Sunken Meadow Harbor, and the Town of Brookhaven. One document cites a Suffolk County Public Highways Act of 1729, other papers document ownership of slaves, and others deed property to ex-slave, Rebecca Ballton. Among the miscellaneous papers is a holograph recipe for a "cure for the mange." There are a few unidentified fragment documents filed at the end of II. Papers of the Gardiner Family.

The bulk of documents are related to Capt. Alexander Smith (d.17587);~ Alexander Smith (1773-1842), farmer; Matthew Gardiner (1772-1831); and Alexander S. Gardiner (1835-1914). The papers of Alexander Smith (farmer) document life on a 18th century Long Island farm and those of Capt. Alexander Smith include numerous land deeds. The papers of Matthew Gardiner document 19th century education on Long Island. The Alexander S. Gardiner papers document his several businesses and include correspondence with the Long Island Railroad, financial papers, land surveys, leases, photographs and memorabilia. The personal correspondence of Alexander S. Gardiner includes a letter to his family written while he was in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1882. Among Egbert Gardiner's papers are included military documents, registrations for his Touring car and Runabout (1915), and a 1917 agreement with LILCO.

For documents relating to more than one family member, provenance is observed. The majority of documents, financial records, correspondence, and maps are holograph.

Researchers will also want to see the Edward Lange painting: "Residence of Alexander S. Gardiner" which is on permanent display in the Association's research room. For extensive research and documentation of the Gardiner and Smith families, see the works of Russell Brush, John Deans, and Edwin L. Soper.

Arranged in eleven series: I. Genealogies; II. The papers of the Gardiner family; III. The papers of the Smith family; IV. The papers of related family members; V. The papers of friends and associates; VI. Photographs; VII. Books; VIII. Memorabilia; IX. Oral histories; X. Maps and architectural drawings; XI. Model.

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

I. GENEALOGIES

.47 cu.ft. (Box 1)

Arranged alphabetically by author.

Includes the working notes related to the Gardiner family and notes related to land deeds prepared by Russell Brush; copies of Gardiner biographies from the Long Islander collected in John Deans' "Scrapbook;" the manuscripts of Edwin L. Soper "Gardiner Family" (2 vols.) and "Gardiner Genealogy;" and the Gardiner Coat-of-Arms.

II. THE PAPERS OF THE GARDINER FAMILY (1796- )

3 in. (Boxes 2, 3, 4)

Arranged alphabetically by family member.

Includes land deeds; mortgages; wills and estates of family members; maps; and memorabilia including school certificates, advertisements, wedding invitations, and World War II ration books. The papers of Matthew Gardiner include correspondence and receipts relating to the local school. The papers of Alexander S. Gardiner include correspondence, leases, and receipts relating to his businesses along with some personal papers including several guardianships. For additional items relating to Alexander S. Gardiner, see the following series: Books; Photographs; Maps; and Memorabilia. Miscellaneous documents and unidentified fragments are filed at the end of this series. Provenance is observed in filing papers relating to more than one family member. Oversized maps are filed in Series IX: Maps.

III. THE PAPERS OF THE SMITH FAMILY (1702-1841)

1 in. (Boxes 3, 4)

Arranged alphabetically by family member.

Primarily land deeds and mortgages. The papers of 18th century Capt. Alexander Smith include numerous land deeds. The papers of 19th century Alexander Smith, a farmer from Old Fields, documents his farming business as well as a transcription of an article appearing in the 1842 Long Islander describing his murder and that of his wife. Provenance is observed in filing papers relating to more than one family member. Oversized maps are flied in Series IX: Maps.

IV. THE PAPERS OF RELATED FAMILY MEMBERS (1778- )

1 in. (Boxes 3, 4)

Arranged alphabetically by family member.

Includes land deeds, estate documents, memorabilia, along with 1942-43 issues of the "Spotlight" from the Toaz Jr. High School, Huntington. Oversized maps are filed in Series IX: Maps.

V. THE PAPERS OF FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES (1732- )

1 in. (Boxes 3, 4)

Arranged alphabetically.

Includes some land deeds and maps; the publications of the Greenlawn-Centerport Historical Association related to the Gardiner family; early documents from the Sammis and Whitman families, including one documenting ownership of slaves. Of particular note is a manuscript documenting the Suffolk County Public Highways Act of 1729. Oversized maps are filed in Series IX: Maps.

VI. PHOTOGRAPHS (1880- )

.5 in. (Box 5)

Arranged by subject.

Includes photographs of Gardiner family members; photographs of Gardiner family homes, including the "slave house" on the Ireland Gardiner farm, and Gardiner's Lake; and a photograph of the glider plane built by Herbert and Harold Gardiner and Walter Eppinger.

VII. BOOKS (1779-1912)

.86 cu.ft. (Box 6)

Unarranged.

Financial records include account and ledger books of Alexander Smith (1773-1842) and Alexander S. Gardiner documenting their businesses. Miscellaneous books include Alexander S. Gardiner's copy of John H. Moore's The New Practical Navigator. [lst Am. ed.], 1799 and Elizabeth P. Gardiner's wedding book.

VIII. MEMORABILIA (c. early 20th cent.)

.05 cu.ft. (Box 6)

Arranged alphabetically by family member.

Includes personal items belonging to Alexander S. Gardiner: a watch fob, wallet, tobacco pouch, wagon label, and puzzle.

IX. ORAL HISTORIES (1988- )

.05 cu.ft. (Box 7)

Arranged by format, then alphabetically.

Interviews recorded on sound cassettes and videocassettes with Herbert Gardiner and Elizabeth G. Shea.

X. MAPS AND ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS (1869-1977)

1.1 cu.ft. (Box8)

Arranged by format, then alphabetically.

Includes land survey maps relating to the acquisition of property for Alexander S. Gardiner, including a map of Gardiner's lake and land surveys for the estate of Egbert C. Gardiner. Architectural drawings are by Nancy Teufel for the execution of the model of the Smith-Gardiner house located at Park Ave. and Little Plains Road, Greenlawn.

XI. MODEL (1977)

14.64 cu.ft. (Box 9)

The model of the Smith-Gardiner house and surrounding buildings located at Park Ave. and Little Plains Road, Greenlawn (19" x 36.5" x 36.5) built by Nancy Teufel.

CONTAINER LIST

Box Contents

1 I. Genealogies

2          Papers
                        II.            Gardiner Family
                                                A. Alexander S. Gardiner

3          Papers
                        II.            Gardiner Family (cont'd)
                        III.            Smith Family
                        IV.            Related Family
                        V.            Friends and Associates

4 [oversized]            Papers
                        II.            Gardiner Family
                        III.            Smith Family
                        IV.            Related Family
                        V.            Friends and Associates

5 VI. Photographs

6 VII. Books
VIII. Memorabilia

7 IX. Oral Histories
8 [oversized] X. Maps and Architectural Drawings

9 XI. Teufel model: Smith-Gardiner House