Timeline: History of the Fire Island Pines

Also see: Bibliography: History of the Fire Island Pines

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Earliest listed first.

1952, August 15

"Fire Island Store Sites Sold." New York Times.

Home Guardian Company of New York sells land/store sites at the Pines to Vincent P. Fair, William R. Stryker, and Warren E. Christopher who will build a general store, and Clarence F. La Fountaine, who will open a plumbing supply and gasoline service store.

1952, August 20

"Sites Bought at Fire Island". New York Times.

Home Guardian Company of New York sells five more sites in its Fire Island Pines development, on Long Island. Buyers are Florence Pitcoff of the Bergdoff-Goodman store, Captain Ken Stein, ferry service operator; Dr. Paul Benedict of Glen Cove, Guy O. Walser of Bay Shore, and Milton J. Hopper of Huntington, L.I.

1957, Summer

The deck at Peggy Fears' Yacht Club, 1957

1959, May 31

The Fire Island Pines Yacht and Dune Club, and a hotel and store operated by Miss Peggy Fears, former Ziegfeld show girl, is destroyed by fire. See 1951, June 1.

1959, June 1

"Blaze on Fire Island. Clubhouse, Hotel and Store Are Razed by Flames." New York Times.

See 1952, May 31

1968, August 26

"Raid on Fire Island Nets 27 on Sodomy Charges." Special to The New York Times, August 26, 1968. Page 32.

"Detectives and uniformed policemen of the Suffolk County Police Department" crossed the "Great South Bay to the Fire Island communities of Cherry Grove and Fire Island Pines and arrested 27 men on misdemeanor charges of consentual sodomy. All were arraigned this morning in First District Court, where several pleaded guilty to the charges."

2003

Crayton Roby (Director). "Where Ocean Meets Sky." (Documentary Film) Starring Carson Kressley, Laura Hartstein, Michael Hartstein. Directed by Crayton Robey. With Laura Hartstein, Michael Hartstein, Dino Georgiou.

Storytellers include Larry Kramer (renowned dramatist, author, and gay activist), Carson Kressley (beloved fashion expert and TV personality from Queer Eye For The Straight Guy), Jerry Herman (composer and lyricist of hit Broadway musicals, Hello Dolly!, Mame, and La Cage Aux Folles), Hal Rubenstein (fashion director for In Style magazine), Alan Poul (ground breaking executive producer of Six Feet Under, Tales of the City, and My So Called Life), Wakefield Poole (pioneer film director of “Boys in the Sand”), Mart Crowley (author of the groundbreaking gay classic “The Boys in the Band”), Tedi Thurman (TV’s first weather girl, Miss Monitor on the Jack Paar Show), Gilbert Parker (retired, powerhouse William Morris Literary Agent) Jim Pepper (founder of the Stonewall Foundation), Scott Bromley (architect of Studio 54 and Creator of the circuit party), Howard Rosenman (distinguished film and television producer) and Alice Thorpe.

2004, Decembeer 26

S. Fischler. "The Dearly Departed, Class of '04; John B. Whyte -- Mr. Fire Island Pines". New York Times. December 26, 2004

"For 40 years, John B. Whyte, a dashing former fashion model, owned 80 percent of the commercial property" in the Fire Island Pines. The obituary adds: "In 1970 Mr. Whyte co-founded and was president of the Pines Conservation Society, an organization dedicated to maintaining the landscape. To help raise funds to repair storm damage, he brought in designers like Perry Ellis and Calvin Klein and their models for an annual fashion show that became one of the highlights of the summer season. In 1984, he also founded From the Pines With Love, raising money for AIDS research by enlisting celebrities like Peter Allen and Dionne Warwick to perform at events." In 2002, the Fire Island Pines Community House was named Whyte Hall to acknowledge his community service.

2010, January 21

Weinstein, Steve. "Major Fire Island Pines Property Sold". EDGE January 21, 2010.

After two days of frantic speculation set off by a report in Next magazine, a press release from the New York City public relations firm Edelman confirms that Eric von Kuersteiner and his life and business partner Tony Roncalli have sold their properties in Fire Island Pines.

2010, January 22

Weinstein, Steve. "The Bay Front Business District of Pines Changes Hands for an Estimated 18M". Fire Island News. 22 January 2010

2010, March 22

"ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: Eric Von Kuersteiner Opens Up About Selling The Pines Resort". The-Nexus (Next Magazine), 03/26/2010 - 4:47pm.

2010, March 23

Fred A. Bernstein. "Square Feet. Renovation in Store on Fire Island Pines". New York Times. Commercial. March 23, 2010

2010, April 7 Steve Weinstein. "New Fire Island Pines Commercial Property Owners Reveal Plans". EDGE. Apr 7, 2010