CUTTING UP THE ESTATES

Not sure what road in Mastic Beach is being built here. It could be in sections one, two, three, four or five. What I know is, that is one Victor Barty atop his road building machine circa late 1920's or 1930's. The gent behind him on the tractor could be one of the Hulse Brothers or Clarence Penney as they were the main road builders in Mastic Beach. Victor Barty and his wife Emma appear in the first directory (1937) of Mastic Beach at the corner of Elder Dr & Neighborhood Road. It was on that corner that Emma Barty operated a small resturant and gasoline station known as The Sugar Bowl in the 1930's & 40's. The Sugar Bowl was gone by the end of the 40's and it became the parking lot for Harer's Market (The laundromat today) Special Thanks to Barty grandson Chris Taylor another longtime Mastic pioneer ( Taylor Brothers Garage) for sending me these rare gems and allowing me to cross another photo off of my want list that is posted below the photo archives.

This is the south east corner of Neighborhood Road & Elder Drive. Smack in the center of town. That long building on the left became Harer's Market around 1949 or 50. It appears that the Sugar Bowl's roof is plain tarpaper? That is most likely Emma Barty's daughter standing outside the door. Look at the steplate on the fender of the car pulling out in the right foreground. That means RUMBLE SEAT! That appears to be a 35 or 36 Packard at the pumps. There's a '34 Ford Roadster parked on the Elder Drive side.

THE WAR YEARS