Philip Severin 1894-1986

Known as “Mr. Larchmont” Philip Severin was a lifelong resident of Larchmont who played an integral role in the evolution of our present-day community. Severin was a realtor, developer, planner, landscape architect, historian, artist and writer. He recorded his surroundings and experiences  in both his art and his writing, preserving a record of life in Larchmont that brings the past to life today. His contributions are memorialized in a plaque in the West Gazebo of Manor Park.

The Historical Society acquired a collection of his original sketches in 2006 and is gradually scanning and posting them in this digital presentation of his work.

Philip was born in 1894 in Ne York City. The Severin family moved to Larchmont in 1899. They lived on 28 picturesque acres know as Wilmarth Farms, stretching from the Post Road to Palmer Avenue and from Chatsworth to the stone wall along Concord Avenue, Virginia Place, Devon Road and Nassau Road. His father, Jacob Zvirin (name changed later) was a printer who also operated Zvirin’s News Store. The Historical Society is fortunate to have several of the beautiful photo postcards what he published and sold to residents of Larchmont Village in the early 1900s.

Two residents celebrated at Flint Park during the 1940s

Herb Roth was a local resident who was a well-known cartoonist. He worked for the New York World and the New York Herald Tribune, but also published his cartoons and illustrations independently. The Larchmont Public Library has a collection of his photographs of Larchmont in the early 1940s.

This is a 1920s illustration of Larchmont Village Hall

The Larchmont Public Library maintains a collection of images from documents in the Library, as well as the Herb Roth Photograph Collection.

A Fire from the 1960s on Larchmont Avenue

Collection link: Fire Company Collections

These are photographs of the Fire Company Rooms when they were in the third floor of Village Hall. The collections also include scans of photo collections from the Chiefs and the Companies.

There are photos from the Memorial Day Parade and Flint Park Celebrations in 1940, and photos from an Engine Company boat trip in 1940.

The Hook and ladder collection includes scans of “Count Screwloose” cartoons by Milt Gross who was one of their members.

The Hose Company collection includes pictures of the mural that decorated the wall of their Company Room during the 1970s through the 1990s.

The Larchmont Store

Site Link Streetscape Pictures from 2002

These photos were taken by Ned Benton in July 2002, when the Larchmont Gazette was developing an online business directory. The photos were used to illustrate the directory and to confirm that the directory was as complete as possible.

They are included in the LHS Archive as an historical record of the Larchmont business district at a point in time. The Historical Society’s plan is to update this every decade, so in 2012 we will photograph the same sites.

We have also indexed the site using address tags, and we are using the same tags for older photographs of the same locations. For example, let’s say you are looking at a photo of Post Wine. If you click on the keyword bpr2112 you will see additional photos of the same site in the past.

Horseshoe Harbor Yacht Club

Collection Link: Horseshoe Harbor Yacht Club

The Historical Society has a notebook of  Horseshoe Harbor Yacht Club photographs from the 1950s. In addition, the Historical Society has photographs from earlier times:

• There is a historical collection that includes both early pictures and pictures of the fire and renovation in the 1990s.
• There is a mixed collection developed by scanning the LHS slide collection.

Site-wide, searching on the keyword “hhyc” will also identify photographs of the HHYC.

Larchmont Times, June 1, 1901

Site link: The Larchmont Times

The Larchmont Times was a weekly newspaper published by George S. Forbes. The paper was produced in New Rochelle from offices at 225 Huguenot Avenue. It became the Larchmonter-Times in 1908 and was published until 1922. It was then succeeded by the Larchmont Times which was published until 1955.

The Historical Society obtained an original set of the Larchmont Times in 2008, digitized it, and then posted in online in this collection. We also scanned an cropped separately a set of advertisements by local merchants and professionals.

Readers should note that, when a page is being displayed, you you click on the page a larger image appears. This makes it easier to rad some of the small print.

There are many interesting articles in 1901 and 1902, including the following:

• On June 1st, a group of residents called for the impeachment of the School Board. One resident, on the front page, explained that the schools were much better 50 years ago!
• On July 6th, residents were warned on a new risk brought on by technology: burglars calling before the break-in make sure the residents were away!
• On July 27th, readers were treated to the details of the Palmer’s divorce. They were a wealthy couple living in a large mansion in Mamaroneck. Were the “marks” on he body the result of “fits” as Mr. Palmer explained, or had he “ill-treated” her?
• On August 10th readers are told of the auction of Morris Kane’s safe. Mr. Kane was a Mamaroneck lawyer who had disappeared owing thousands of dollars. At the auction was a mysterious blond woman who had filed a beach of promise suit, but who was concerned about the love letters apparently stashed away in the safe.
• On September 21st, the paper covers the assassination of President McKinley.
• On November 2, Frank Hardy is nominated for Town Supervisor and the Republicans express confidence of victory in the upcoming election.
• On January 11, 2002, the headline is “New Rochelle in Mourning” and the paper describes a commuter train wreck in the tunnels in New York City. The train was a New Rochelle express, and 15 New Rochelle residents were killed and 50 injured. For several weeks there is extensive coverage of the wreck and the people involved.
• On February 1st, the entire transcript of the proceedings of a Board of Education hearing to fire Samuel J. Preston the principal of the school in Mamaroneck for whipping several young students. Was this cruel and unusual punishment, or well-deserved discipline? In the March 1st issue, the Board announces its decision.
• On February 22nd, the paper featured the proposal to develop a large cemetery – the Hickory Grove Cemetery – in the unincorporated area of the Town of Mamaroneck. The site is basically the area of the Duck Pond. On March 8th, a citizens group has organized to vigorously protest against the development.
• On March 1st, the paper reviews the recent indictments of the former Mayor and several Aldermen of New Rochelle.
• On October 4th, the paper presents the entire tax roll – the owners of all of the Lots in Larchmont and Mamaroneck.

These major stories are accompanied by advertisements, newsy tidbits about the lives of local residents, stories of parties and celebrations, and summaries of the deliberations of the governing boards.

The Mamareoneck Fire Department on Parade

The Mamaroneck Public Library maintains a collection of photographs of businesses, churches, the Mamaroneck Fire Department, as well as people and events.

LPD Chief William Keresey

William Keresey was the Chief of the Larchmont Police Department from 1934-1974. During his years of service, he collected pictures of police-related events such as collisions, as well as general pictures of the Village. His son, who was chief from 1986-2001, allowed the LHS to scan these pictures for the digital archive. 

The 1962 Swim Team

Collection Link: Pictures from Manor Beach

The is a collection of photographs posted in the entrance to the bath house at Manor Beach, of the staff, the swim teams, and life at the beach. Over the years, the pictures have faded.

The Historical Society obtained permission to scan the photos, and to post them in our collection. On many of the photographs there are names, and we have entered them into the index of information for each photo.

Do you recognize someone? If we haven’t identified someone in a photo, please let us know so we can add the name to the photograph index.