Gaslight & Gingerbread A photographic recollection of old Sea Cliff by Charles E. Ransom

business buildings, churches,fire department, hotels,introduction, private residences, recreation,scenic, schools, sports,shore,transportation

Business Buildings


Koop's home and plumbing shop n the south side of Sea Cliff Avenue east of Roslyn Avenue is now a small apartment house.


Vic Dambach's barber shop, circa 1900, was located on the east side of Central Avenue between Sea Cliff and Twelfth Avenues. For many years, Vic's was Sea Cliff's "cracker barrel."


H. C. Smith's pharmacy on the northeast corner of Central and Summit Avenues in early 1900. It is now the site of a small apartment house.


Forster's store on the north side of Sea Cliff Avenue west of the North Building, circa 1900


Home and shop of Conrad Wilhelms, Jr, in the early 1900s. The building on the right, at the corner of Central and Nineteenth Avenues, was Sea Cliff's only blacksmith shop.

 As the Camp Ground Association began to sell lots instead of leasing them, the little hamlet gradually took on the character of a real village. All-year-round residences replaced summer quarters, and the population increased.

Of course this development resulted in more commercial enterprises. However, the lot of the individual grocer or baker was not necessarily a bed of roses. A good many of the residents could find employment only during the summer season. Many others relied on summer boarders to gain a livelihood. Consequently, money was often tight during the winter months and merchants carried some of their customers "on the cuff" for a time. Often the old barter system was used, and the debtor reduced his bill by supplying fish and game which he had managed to catch, or fruits and vegetables which he had grown.

One grocer failed to follow the unwritten rules of the game and posted in his window a list of those who owed him sums ranging from fifty cents to thirty-six dollars. However, his violation of the rules cost him dearly. His store was boycotted, and he went out of business a short time later.

Before the turn of the century it was necessary to climb steps to enter most of the stores in the village. In the early 1900's the main floors of Glover and Squire's Store and Schoelles' Drug Store were lowered to ground level.

When the Fire House was built in 1895, the ramp leading to the two entrances had a considerable slope. This was probably designed to enable the firemen to get a better start with their hand-drawn apparatus. When the new hook-and-ladder truck was purchased, it was discovered that, because of its length, the rear portion of the ladders struck the ceiling. Consequently, the entire floor had to be lowered to the level of Roslyn Avenue.