Fleet's Hall facts for kids
Fleet's Hall was a very important building in Oyster Bay, New York. It was a place where people gathered for many different reasons. This building was especially significant when Theodore Roosevelt lived in Oyster Bay. He later became the Governor of New York State and then the President of the United States. People used Fleet's Hall for public meetings, concerts, dances, and dinners. It even showed the first moving pictures ever seen in Oyster Bay!
Contents
The Story of Fleet's Hall
Building a Community Hub
Fleet's Hall was built by a man named Samuel Van Wyck Fleet (1851-1911). Before 1885, there was no building at this corner of East Main and South Streets in Oyster Bay. However, by 1897, maps clearly showed the building standing there.
Fleet's Hall was one of a few buildings in Oyster Bay named after the person who owned and built it. Other examples include the Ludlam Building, Snouder's Drug Store, and the Moore's Building. Many of these buildings and their owners became very successful when Theodore Roosevelt was Governor and then President.
A Place for Important Events
Samuel Van Wyck Fleet was very active in the Oyster Bay community. He helped start the Youngs Memorial Cemetery in Oyster Bay. Fleet's Hall quickly became a key spot for community gatherings and social events. When Theodore Roosevelt was elected Governor of New York State in 1898, a big celebration was held for him right inside Fleet's Hall.
Roosevelt and Elections
Fleet's Hall also served as a place where people voted in elections. In 1904, when Roosevelt was running for president, the hall was used as a polling place. However, the person in charge of calling the election, William S. Moore, was late. Voters felt it wasn't right to start without him.
So, the next day, a new election was ordered for April 2. That night, only one voter, James Buchanan, showed up. The New York Times newspaper later wrote that the hall was "dark and gloomy" and Buchanan waited alone for half an hour.
Theodore Roosevelt himself would often travel from the White House to Fleet's Hall to cast his vote in his home district. He and his wife, Edith, did this for the 1908 Presidential Election.
The End of Fleet's Hall
Samuel Fleet passed away suddenly in Oyster Bay on August 8, 1911, at 60 years old. Fleet's Hall continued to stand for only a short time after his death. It was torn down in the 1920s to make way for a new store called Nobman's Hardware Emporium. Parts of the old Fleet's Hall building were actually used in other buildings around Oyster Bay.
Nobman's building later burned down in 2005. A new building now stands in its place, which is still a noticeable part of downtown Oyster Bay.
See also
