Millicent Vollono

Since the 1930's the Long Island communities of Hewlett, Woodmere, Cedarhurst, Lawrence and Inwood have been known collectively as "The Five Towns." One of the oldest population centers on Long Island, the area attracted Victorian vacationers, many of whom returned and settled in lavish homes. During the Gilded Age, captains of industry, government... and finance came from New York city to enjoy the Rockaway Hunting Club, Woodsburgh Pavilion and the Holly Arms Hotel. The growth of the railroads created service industries and turned quiet fishing and farming villages into a suburban commercial and residential hub. A microcosm of the great metropolis to its west, the Five Towns strived to maintain their distinct characters despite the development and homogenization of the 20th century. In The Five Towns, vintage photographs from unique library and personal collections are brought together to recreate the rich history and charm of the Rockaway Peninsula. Millicent D. Vollono has been a librarian and historian for her professional career. As Head of the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library Readers Advisory and Reference Services, she coordinated the Librarys Local History Collection, began their digitization project, created and wrote the Local History Blog, and curated its history-related exhibits. As well as authoring The Five Towns (Arcadia Publishing, 2010) and a commissioned commemorative pamphlet for the Village of Woodsburgh's Centenary celebration, her chapter on "Robert Burton's Woodmere" appears in Gardens of Eden: Long Island's Early Twentieth Century Planned Communities (W.W. Norton, 2015). The article, "Designing Suburbia: Olive Tjaden on Long Island," originally published in the Nassau County Historical Society Journal (December, 2016) provided the perfect opportunity to collaborate with daughter, Lauren Drapala in a rediscovery of the pioneering architect. More of their work on Tjaden will appear in the forthcoming Routledge Companion to Women in Architecture. From: The Nassau County Historical Society ...Read More