Push for Oakdale train station to be a national landmark
Sam Desmond -
The Long Island ADVANCE:
Wednesday, December 1, 2021
 Built
in 1895 under the auspices of William K. Vanderbilt, the Oakdale train
station was meant to receive the well-heeled and well-connected pinnacle
members of New York society, the kind that Wharton gossiped about.
When Dave Morrison, a train
connoisseur who retired from the Long Island Rail Road, was researching for
his book on trains, he wondered if Oakdale train station, with its lavish
history and enduring beauty, was landmarked.
In speaking with Maryann Almes,
the president of Oakdale Historical Society, it was determined that while
the Oakdale train station and freight station (both of which are in current
use) were registered as historical sites with the Town of Islip, neither had
been designated official landmarks, a process that requires the owner of a
site to apply.
Currently, there are six LIRR
train stations that are nationally landmarked:
Sea Cliff, Oyster Bay, Farmingdale, East Hampton, St. James and
Southampton, the majority of which are still used in everyday commuter life.
Not wanting Oakdale train
station to become another casualty of railroad modernization, like the
Mineola tower or the third-oldest railroad station in East Williston that
was demolished unceremoniously to make way for new tracks, Almes sought help
from Sarah Kautz, Preservation Long Island, who advised her to reach out to
local elected officials to help with the process.
Assemblyman Jarett Gandolfo
(R-7th District) and Legis. Anthony Piccirillo (R-8th District), the latter
of which has been instrumental in advocating for another Oakdale historical
site, the Idle Hour Mansion, were enthusiastic to help.
“Assemblyman Gandolfo was eager
to start the ball rolling and within days of my Facebook post about
designating Oakdale train station a historical landmark, was coordinating to
set up a Zoom call with the appropriate LIRR representatives who could make
the application,” said Almes.
“Like many of our communities on
the South Shore, Oakdale has a rich and fascinating history that must be
preserved. When the Oakdale Historical Society approached me about seeking
historical designation for the train station, I thought it was a great
initiative to work together on. I’ve had preliminary discussions with the
State Historic Preservation Office and representatives from the LIRR, and my
office will continue working with the Historical Society to get this done,”
said Gandolfo.
The Oakdale train station, which
boasts two period fireplaces, could be replaced with a modern monstrosity
like the stone unit that replaced an invaluable hearth built in 1898 in
Garden City. “These [Oakdale station
fireplaces] were built with the finest of people in mind to gaze upon them,”
said Almes. “We can’t let it be taken away for some utilitarian purpose.”
In a previous correspondence
with the LIRR, Almes said that while they recognize the historic
significance of the Oakdale train station, they did not desire to have it
landmarked. Since that conversation, Almes
and the Historical Society has written a letter of intent to the National
Trust for Historic Preservation to be included in their annual list of
“America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.”
Over 300 sites have been put on
this list since 1988 with less than 5 percent being lost to new construction
or demolition.
In the late 19th century,
Oakdale, Sayville and Bayport were at the heart of the sportsmen’s clubs of
the era, with expansive and fruitful hunting and fishing that can be seen
today preserved in our town and county parks.
When the wealthy elite of New
York City built their awe-inspiring mansions, their families and friends
could visit and escape the summer heat of Gotham.
The original Oakdale train
station was a dilapidated structure and William K. Vanderbilt did not find
it fitting for his high society guests to be received in. Thus, it was transformed into a
1 ½ brick building with Richardsonian arches on the east side, English-style
triple casement windows, and a porte-cochere so guests could be received in
the appropriate carriage style.
After her wedding of the
century, the newly betrothed couple Consuelo Vanderbilt and the Duke of
Marlborough came out to Long via train and arrived at the Oakdale train
station.
In 1994, a wedding, the only
wedding to ever take place in a LIRR station, was held at Oakdale train
station.
“Preserving our history on Long
Island is almost a right of passage. We must make efforts to save and
preserve the past so future generations can enjoy it and learn from it as
much as we have,” said Piccirillo.
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