Joseph Fairchild Knapp

Born Feb 3, 1892

nickname

"Dodi" or was it "Doty" ?

1890's Knapp Print : once again art imitating Knapp Life

 

Of all the Knapps that I have researched in the last few years, Joseph F. Knapp the namesake of his grandfather who founded Metropolitan Life Insurance, remains the one I know least about and yet find the most fascinating. Perhaps because he was the last Knapp to live in my home town? Today, Feb 3, 2004 marks the 112th birthday for J. F. "Dodi" or "Doty" Knapp. Once upon a time from 1926-1938, his Mastic Beach estate divided my town in two.

Golf like Boating and Hunting were some of the primary recreational activities of the Knapp Family and J. F. had Clarence Penney and his brothers of Moriches build a 9 hole course on the southern part his Mastic Beach property. I used to kyak in his golf course pond. Willis Penney, Clarence's youngest brother wound up marrying Dodi's sister Claire.

 

No stranger to Golf (His father J. P. won many tournaments) a young J. F. summered and probably first played on the course in Bellport ( about 7 miles west of Mastic Beach ) built by his father and his friends in 1899.

 

The Bellport Golf Club..In 1906 it also became the Bellport Yacht Club. That flagpole btw is the one Frederick Quinby clipped with his aero plane in 1910.

 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSEPH F. KNAPP

 

BORN AT HOME

This certificate was filled out on Feb 6th 1892 by Joseph P. Knapp, as I recognise his handwriting. That is also the day he officially became the head of his newly formed American Lithographic Co. In his excitement he may of mis read the number of previous children. I believe there were only two : Claire on Octber 23, 1889 and her brother Joe on Feb 3, 1892.

Below is a photo of 322 West 72nd Street Today . It is right off of Riverside Drive in Manhattan

The probable remains of the original 322 Knapp House is the shorter indented building. That's the Hudson River in the background. This is where young "Master Fairchild" lived for his first 6 or 7 years.

 

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