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Community Corner

My History House #5: 55 Roxbury Road

Fifth in a series about historic homes in Garden City built before 1930.

James and Mary Beth Griffin were curious about their house at 55 Roxbury Road. It's located in the Adelphi section of the Estates, between South and Salisbury avenues.

The approximately 2,500 square foot, four-bedroom house has charming architectural details with coved ceilings and three fireplaces located in the living room, the dining room and in the master bedroom. It was built in 1912 with a single detached garage.

"We fell in love with the house as soon as we saw it. When I saw the staircase in the center hall, I could see my daughter coming down the staircase at her wedding," James Griffin said.

"It has a beautiful view of the country club. We were also told that when the Garden City Country Club was built in 1916, this house was given a free membership. It has so much character," Mary Beth Griffin added.

Six families in almost 100 years have lived in the house.

The Meyer family was most likely the first family to live at 55 Roxbury Road. William H. Meyer (b. 1861 in New York) and Clara K. Meyer (b. approximately 1866 in Pennsylvania) were born in the United States and three of their parents were immigrants from Germany. William and Clara moved to Garden City from Manhattan between 1912 and 1915. William was a tailor, and later, a clothing cutter. He didn't marry until later in life, somewhere between 39 and 49 years old. This was Clara's second marriage, with two children from a previous marriage who were already living on their own. The couple shared the house with James Anderson, an uncle and clothier from Scotland, along with a servant. In 1929 the Meyers removed their single detached garage and built a two-car garage.

By 1920, the Meyers had an illustrious long-term neighbor at 61 Roxbury Road; C. Walter Randall, the lawyer who is credited for the 1919 "Gentlemen's Agreement," also known as the "Community Agreement." This system of running Garden City's government still continues today, with the election of volunteer trustees from each of the property owners' associations.

Clara Meyer's children were Myrtle K. Meyer and a sibling whose name is not known. Myrtle (b.  approximately 1890 in Pennsylvania) got her degree to be a registered private duty nurse.

She married Charles Legh Wilcox (b. 1888 in Pennsylvania) in 1916. He was a toolmaker in the automotive business while they lived in Pennsylvania with their son, William H. Wilcox (b. 1919 in Pennsylvania). Around 1922 they moved to Floral Park and rented a place. Charles continued his tool making, but he switched to the nascent airplane business. Daughter Betty A. Wilcox was born in 1923.

William Meyer passed away before 1930, and Clara took in a boarder at the Roxbury Road home. By 1936, daughter Myrtle Meyer Wilcox and her children moved in with her. Charles either passed away or they got a divorce. Myrtle and Charles' son, William Wilcox, graduated college and was an actor. He became an aviation cadet in the Army Air Corps during WWII. By 1943 he was a lieutenant.

Meanwhile, Myrtle Wilcox's daughter, Betty Wilcox, met Lieutenant Charles Harry "Bud" Wieland III (b. 1922 in Maryland- d. 2012 in Maryland) while he was stationed during WWII in Mitchel Field nearby. He had enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1941 where he became a major. It's possible they met through her brother, William. They married in 1943 at the Mitchel Field Chapel followed by a wedding reception at their Roxbury Road home. At the time of her marriage, Betty worked in the engineering department for Sperry Gyroscope Corporation. Betty and Bud Wieland lived at the Roxbury house too.

Eventually, the Wielands moved to Maryland and had six children. Bud worked in the life insurance field and volunteered for various charities, including the Rotary Club.

In 1947 the Meyer/Wilcox/Wieland home was sold to the second owner, Virginia D. Flynn. Myrtle Wilcox then moved to 12 Hamilton Place, a short block located between Second and Third streets. Mrs. Flynn lived at 55 for a short time.

The third family to move to 55 Roxbury around 1953 was James Byron Bell, Sr. (b. 1902 West Virginia - d. July 1967 in Garden City) and Virginia Bell (b. approx. 1905 in Massachusetts). Earlier, in 1930 James was an architect living in Ohio with his family. He married Virginia Bell by 1936 and they had two children, James Byron Bell, Jr. and Judith Bell. They lived in Hempstead before moving to Roxbury Road.

The Bells lived on Roxbury Road for about 14 years until around the time James, Sr. passed away in 1967.

Son James Byron Bell, Jr. graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor's degree and Columbia University with a Master's in architecture. He is a partner in Byron Bell Architects and Planners in Manhattan. According to its website, the company had several name changes from the original 1880 firm of the famed McKim, Mead and White who designed the third Garden City Hotel. Bell's notable achievements include designing the Rare Book and Manuscript Library for Columbia University. In 1995 Bell received a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA), which is an award for outstanding architectural contributions given to fewer than two percent of all AIA members.

James B. Bell, Jr. married his wife, Susan, a vertebrate paleontologist who works at the American Museum of Natural History. Currently, they live in Manhattan. Together, the Bells enjoy the arts, traveling and collecting artifacts from around the world.

The fourth family to live at 55 Roxbury Road was Vincent P. and Anne Murphy, who bought the house in 1967 from the Bells. They lived at 121 Willow Street beforehand. Not much is known about them. They lived there for 13 years until 1980, when they sold it to the Pompilios.

The fifth family was the Pompilios. Robert "Bobby" Cesare Pompilio (b. Bronx, New York) graduated from St. John's University College of Pharmacy and owned John's Pharmacy in Ozone Park. He married Ruth Ann Stewart Pompilio and lived with her and his three children: son, Robert who lives in New Jersey; daughter, Cathy Sama who lives in Rockville Centre and son, Andrew residing in Pennsylvania.

Bobby Pompilio "was entrenched in Garden City’s sports. He coached the Garden City Rams...He was a head coach for numerous Little League and Babe Ruth squads and he was the title sponsor for the John’s Pharmacy Softball Team," according to his obituary.

Andrew Pompilio remarked, "Our house was originally black and white with black and white awnings. We changed it to red and white. The den had a great bay window to sit in. My sister's bedroom in the back had a balcony... We lived across from the golf course where all our friends gathered...Also, we lived near the train station, so when we heard the train whistle, my sister and I had enough time to run to the station to catch it. We took it to New York where I went to the Fashion Institute and she went to work." He is currently a talent buyer and produces rock and roll shows.

Ruth and Bobby Pompilio retired to Florida where she passed away in 2003 and Bobby in 2012.

The current owners of 55 Roxbury Road are the Griffins: James Griffin and Mary Beth McCaughey Griffin. James grew up in Huntington and Mary Beth lived in Stewart Manor. After their marriage, they lived in Bellerose Village. They bought the house in 2004 and now have four children.

Last year the Griffins put on an addition to the back of the house. It was the first time the large house had square footage added since 1929. Their kitchen was designed by Gustavson and Dundes Architect and Design. The commercial and residential company's work was featured in the September 2012 Elle Decor Magazine and in the New York Times Real Estate section the same year. The Griffins will be using the firm to expand their family room and add a master bath in the next few months.

Village historian Suzie Alvey would like to thank Bob Tynan for a Mott Brothers brochure and other ephemera, as well as Norma Gregson for Olive Tjaden blueprints for a Washington Avenue home. These items will be deposited in the A.T. Stewart Room with the Village of Garden City Archives for historical research.

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