Baruch & Bagatelle: Part 2

Last week, we ended the story of my journey into Baruch research with my finding Herman Baruch's stepson through Facebook.  Here's what happened next in my several week  long quest.....

We spoke on the phone the very next day, and he shared with me his memories of his mother and stepfather, of the Bagatelle estate, and of what happened when Herman Baruch died.  He gave me his sister's email address, who was older, and would have a better recollection of what happened after Herman died.  He did however know that his mother was not involved in the Sisters of the Good Shepherd transaction, but did not know if Herman's son had sold or donated the estate.  He was so excited to share his story with me, and I was so excited to hear it that I felt rejuvenated in my research. 

He mentioned something to me about Herman Baruch's son from his first marriage, Robert, who was living in a house on the corner of Burr's Lane.  I pulled out the Huntington tax map and tried to determine where the house was.  I looked for odd-shaped plots.  Then I went on the Town of Huntington website and did a "Site History Summary" for the lots that I thought could be it. 

Most of them were new construction, but finally I found one where an old house had been demolished before the new one was erected.  I looked up and started laughing when I saw the address—.  I had written an article for this column just a few weeks ago about the history of this house; why didn't I remember seeing this name on the list of notable owners?  I went back to the file on the house, and there it was Herman Baruch was listed as the owner on the 1931 map.  Another connection made!

The following week I was still waiting to talk to Herman Baruch's stepdaughter because she was out of town, and so I was not ready to begin to write about this just yet.  Instead I decided to write about , another historic treasure that was lost to Huntington.  When doing the research for that article, I first went to get the 1979 Historic Inventory Form.  There were two inventory forms in the "Carll's Straight Path" folder, and out of curiosity I looked at the other one, located just across from 1378.  To my surprise, Bernard Baruch, Jr., Herman's nephew, was referred to as the owner in the 1920s. 

Then, while looking in another folder for something totally unrelated, I came across a misfiled report entitled "Half Way Hollow Hills- Dr. Baruch- Bagatelle & Madonna Heights."  Upon reading through it I discovered that the information it contained was, for the most part, all the recycled information from the Deer Park- Wyandanch History book.  But there was more information regarding the transition from private estate to girls school.  I looked to the bibliography and saw a listing for a 1960 Newsday article all about this conversion. 

I knew the online archives for Newsday went back only as far as 1985, but I also knew the library had microfilm.  So I headed over to the Huntington Public Library, sure I was about to find the article that would answer at least one of the big unanswered questions, but was saddened to learn their microfilm also went back only as far as 1985. 

Having still not received any response to my email, I called to see if they had a copy of this article or a story of their history.  I left a message, and received no response. 

But then a new week began and Herman Baruch's stepdaughter returned from her trip.  I spoke to her and she filled in some more blanks.  The story was coming together a little more.  She too relayed the story to me of the estate originally being owned by Willie K. Vanderbilt and she said he built it as a home for his mistress.  Though again she had no proof. Shortly after getting off the phone with her, I received a FedEx package from her brother.  Inside were the pages of a scrapbook his mother had kept with clippings about her marriage to Dr. Baruch.  I was excited; it was good day of Baruch research!

But my two big questions remained unanswered.  So I emailed the Half Hollow Historical Association to see if they had any proof that Vanderbilt that had owned the estate, and they did not and also told me they had checked with Vanderbilt's estate museum in Centerport and they too knew nothing of it. 

In desperation, I pulled out the 1909, 1917, 1931 and 1941 maps again in order to trace the property ownership.  I took the names I found and I Long-Islander searched again.  Finding nothing, I decided to go to the library and take out the new biography on Willie K. Vanderbilt in the hopes that there would be a mention of the Dix Hills estate in there.  When I returned to my computer, I decided to try the Babylon Town Historian and see if they had anything.  They did have a file, and I am waiting on the copies of to be sent over. 

So that is the long and winding path I have taken to get to where I am today.  I am still hoping that a copy of the 1960 Newsday article will turn up.  I am also still hoping that some proof will turn up one-way or the other regarding Vanderbilt's ownership of the estate.  But in my quest for those answers, I found some great stories about some interesting people who lived in historic houses—and the best part is it all happened right here in Dix Hills!

So now that you know the most up-to-date story on how I found the history of Dr. Herman B. Baruch, Bagatelle, Bagatelle Nurseries and all the other branches of this story's tree, I hope you will visit us again next week when I actually share those stories!