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Beau Sejour - 1908 - 1972

From Central Park Historical Society Encyclopedia

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Built circa l852 by William C. Hawxhurst of Farmingdale. The Beau served as a mansion estate from l852 to l865 for Alexander McConochie and his son-in-law Jeremiah T. Weaver. They were land speculators and developers of what is now Bethpage. It was Mr. Weaver who named the hamlet Central Park. Weaver lived at the mansion while serving as second postmaster for the area.

Chronological history: (compiled by Jack Gifford from Terry Hunt's

Bethpage: The Years of Development l840 to 1910)

1847 Built at northwest corner of the intersection of Central Ave. and Stewart. by William G. Hawxhurst of Farmingdale between 1847 and 1853. At that time the area was known as Jerusalem Station or Central Park.
1853 Hawxhurst sold the mansion, together with 31 acres of land between Central Ave. and the railroad tracks, to John S. Walters.
1856 Walters sold the mansion, along with land on the south side of Central Ave., to Alexander McConochie. (McConochie was Jack Gifford's great-great grandfather.)
1858 McConochie sold the mansion to Mr. Truman Richards.
1859 Jeremiah T. Weaver, Jack Gifford's great-grandfather and Central Park's first Postmaster, was living in the mansion with his wife Adelia, the daughter of Alexander McConochie
1860 Catherine McConochie, Alexander's wife, mother of Adelia and mother-in-law of Jeremiah T. Weaver, repurchased the mansion from Truman Richards as well as another large similar looking house south of Central Ave. and west of Stewart Ave. This second house became known as the Weaver house and later as the Totten House and the Texido House.
1865 Catherine McConochie sold the mansion, shortly after her husband died, to Charles W. Hayes.
1868 Charles W. Hayes sold it to Charles G. Vail.
1870 Charles Vail sold it to Orville and Jane Jones and later that same year Orville and Jane Jones sold it to Euphehia Beeckman.
1871 Euphehia Beeckman sold it to Albert Van Dyck for $1.00, evidently in exchange for some service or debt. Later that same year Van Dyck sold it to the Powers family and it was owned by various members of the Powers family and operated as a hotel until 1908.
1908 The Powers family sold it to Bernard Pouchon.
1918 Bernard Pouchon sold it to Harry G. Wilson. Three generations of the Wilson family worked in the restaurant. The Beau Sejour hosted the carriage trade which utilized the Vanderbilt Parkway ( The Old Motor parkway.) They entertained the rich and the famous as well as hosting local organizations. The beau had a reputation for very fine dining. They grew and catered to the aircraft industry, especially the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation which held many corporate functions and luncheons at the Beau.
1973 The Beau was sold and demolished.

Below information from Edith C. Nicholson's remembrances - 5/19/93

Twice only was I in the Beau Sejour. Once I had lunch there and at another time a drink at the bar. The lunch was very fine, and on the latter occasion the bartender presented my companion and myself with long white cigarette holders with the name of the Beau printed on them in gold letters.

But a more significant memory which stands out in my mind is that of a spring evening in the 1940s. The church choir at St. Paul's was practicing in the old choir loft near the alter (this was before the extension to the church was built). Mrs. Mildred Morselli was at the organ when two heads appeared in the open doorway. She invited the visitors in and asked if they would like to join us.

They explained that they had driven out from New York City and were having dinner at the Beau when they heard the sounds of a country choir drifting across the fields. It turned out they were professionals who had in the past been choir singers. They obliged us with a duet. I can see them now standing in the aisle in front of the alter steps and singing. They did not wish to tell us their names.


Below information from Ed Wilson's Memories

Scanning the roster of early visitors evokes memories of Long Island Golden Era. Those were the days of goggles and dusters, when many noisy autos raced for the Vanderbilt Cup over the Old Motor Parkway. Then it was off to the Beau Sejour for a victory toast and dinner. We ourselves motored out here in our 1916 Ford to Central Park (later Bethpage).

When my parents started their stint here at the Beau Sejour, at the close of World War One, they would often proudly present us children to their favorite customers. It did not matter even if we were already in bed. I recall my sister and I standing at the foot of the stairs being instructed and presented to an important New York Banker. He gave us each a quarter.

My parents always aspiring to do their very best would, on special occasions, create an unmistakable highly motivated atmosphere noticeable throughout the establishment. When a very important guest was here you knew it. Especially Enrico Caruso who sang after dinner out on the front lawn.

Famed explorer Roland Amundsen stayed with us for almost a month while preparing for his next trip to the North Pole.

Other famed and notable people who dined at the Beau were:

  • Arden, Elizabeth
  • Astor, Vincent - multi millionaire
  • Beaverbrook, Lord of London
  • Bellamy, Ralph - Hollywood
  • Bloomingdale, Mrs.
  • Burns, George and Gracie Allen
  • Byrd, Winefred
  • Carpenter, Scott - Astronaut
  • Chappelle - Of Central Park, New York City Furriers
  • Cluet - Upstate (Rochester) collar manufacturer
  • Cohen, Roy - McCarthy hearings attorney
  • Copperwaithe - New York City Furniture
  • Costello, Frank - 5th amendment fame
  • Crews, John - Commissioner , Brooklyn
  • Donahue - of Woolworth
  • Eisemann, Henry - Insurance 1900's Telephone Hicksville 9
  • Erickson - Blatz Beer king
  • Faruk I, Prince of Egypt
  • Feldmann, George - of Coney Island
  • Freidman, Samuel - of Bond Clothes
  • Gallon, W. J. - Arrow shirts and textile mills
  • Godfrey, Arthur - Radio and TV fame
  • Good, John - Inventor of Bendix Drive
  • Griffith, D. W. - Early movie pioneer.
  • Grumman, Leroy
  • Hammacher & Schlemmer - Hardware
  • Hardwick, Sir Cedric - New York, Hollywood, London
  • Hemple, Frida - Metropolitan Opera
  • Hendrickson, Milton
  • Henie, Sonja - World Skating Champ
  • Hines, Jimmy - Tammany Hall
  • Honer - Family harmonicas
  • Johnston - Long Island Judge, Hempstead
  • Kahn, Roger W., Jr. - Grumman Aerospace Field Service, composer,
  • Kass, Peggy - Singer
  • Katz, Lawrence - 1918 Metropolitan Opera Bootlegger
  • Kennedy - of Center Island, Bayville, L. I.
  • Kennedy's - of Cape Cod, Sr. and family
  • King, Alan - Long Island Comedian
  • Loy, Myrna - "The Good Earth", Hollywood
  • Marshall, George, K - General
  • Milgram, Jack - New York City
  • Mitchell - General 1918-20
  • Moses, Robert - N. Y. S. Commissioner
  • Nehru, Madame - Son Abdulla
  • Newman - New York Button King
  • Omally, Walter & Mrs. - Brooklyn Dodgers
  • Patterson, Holly - Nassau County leader
  • Poter, Cole
  • Ranier, Roy - Prince of Monte Carlo, Monaco
  • Raynor, Louise - Hollywood
  • Segal, Bub - L. I. Speakeasy King
  • Shea, Bill - Shea Stadium
  • Shildkraut, Sol - Lincoln dealer
  • Shubert - New York Theatre fame
  • Sidenberg - Schaefer Beer
  • Simpson, Wally and Edward Prince of Wales
  • Smith, Ben - Wall Street Tycoon & Grumman
  • Steinruck, Ken - New York City attorney and entrepreneur
  • Sullivan - Long Island Judge
  • Swirbul, Leon 'Jake' - Grumman executive
  • Tergusen's - Long Island first largest estate
  • Toscanini, Arturo - Director of the Metropolitan Opera
  • Traubel, Helen - Metropolitan Opera
  • Troy, M. B. - Sands Point (yuppie)
  • Truman, Harry - Senator and later president of U. S.
  • Tunny, Gene - Boxing Champ
  • Umdahl, Capt. - Pilot of Norwegian plane
  • Von Braun, Werner
  • Von Herter, Clarence - Countess
  • Voorhees, Don - New York Telephone Hour Orchestra
  • Wagner - Senator of New York City
  • Walker, Jimmy - Mayor of New York City
  • Walters, Barbara - New York City
  • Wanamacher, Rodney - 20's
  • Ziegfield & his follies in his own private luxury coach.

Below is information on the Beau Sejour submitted by Gary Hammond:

It seems that every couple of years the property changed hands until the turn of the 20th century. In 1897 the Beau was purchased by James J. Powers, and run as a hotel by his family. In 1908 Bernard Pouchan purchased the building and opened it as a restaurant. It is assumed that it was at this time that it was named the "Beau Sejour", which means "beautiful stay". Bernard Pouchan was born in France in 1860, having immigrated to the U.S. in 1891. He was described as being 5 1/2 feet tall, with gray eyes and hair and sporting a mustache. The building of the L. I. Motor Parkway, along with the annual Vanderbilt Cup Races, brought business to Central Park, including the Beau Sejour. On April 11, 1909, THE BROOKLYN DAILY EAGLE was a full page article entitled "A Day With Monsieur Le Cordeon Blue at the Beau Sejour", complete with several pen and ink sketches of Bernard Pouchan inhis chef' outfit.