In 1884, Abel Miller Conklin opened a drug store at 108 South St.
His Conklin’s son-in-law, Andrew Snouder, took over the location in 1887, shortly after Conklin’s death, and changed the name to Snouder’s Drug Store. The store, which would continue until 2010, was home to Oyster Bay’s first telephone and was used by Theodore Roosevelt after he became president in 1901 to speak with national and international elected officials.
On Wednesday, September 3, the Town of Oyster Bay unveiled a plaque to celebrate the building’s 141-year-old history, just weeks after the opening of downtown Oyster Bay’s newest restaurant, L’Etoile, at the site.
“The symbolism of protecting this incredible relic in our history is so important to everything that we’re doing,” said Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino.
Local officials and business owners gathered to unveil a plaque recognizing the building’s significance and celebrate its 141-year history.
“It’s so meaningful to see this day come true, and we not only do we celebrate our future, but the extraordinary past of Oyster Bay,” said Town Clerk Richard LaMarca, a lifelong Oyster Bay resident.
Saladino said Roosevelt extended the telephone via wire located in the store to his Sagamore Hill residence and used it to broker peace between Russia and Japan during the Russo-Japanese War.
“This is part of the fabric of America,” he said.
John Hammond, town historian and a direct relative of Roosevelt, attended the event, as did Judith Colwell, the daughter of Snouder’s former pharmacist.
But world politics isn’t the only memorable aspect of the building’s history. Saladino said in 1889, Snouder’s installed a soda fountain in the drug store, creating a “center of social life” in the neighborhood.
Saladino and LaMarca thanked the community members for their support in preserving the building, noting help from the historical society, Raynahm Hall Museum, Chamber of Commerce, and Main Street Association.
“There are so many people who embrace progress by killing the past,” Saladino said.
Tim Lee, a Cold Spring Harbor-based developer who specializes in historic restoration, said he “had a vision” for the building.
Lee said that when the previous owner said he wanted to “tear down” the site, Lee purchased it with his partners, Claudia Taglich and Lenore Mahoney, to preserve and restore the building.
“You can’t rebuild what we have here,” Lee said.
Officials and business owners also held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of L’Etoile, a French restaurant that is part of the Stellina Hospitality Group.
Saladino said Tom Milana and his family, who own the restaurant, are committed to keeping “downtown vibrant, thriving, and a true, top destination.”
Saldino said that the new restaurant opening in the historic building showcases the town’s commitment to its past, present, and future.
“Progress in a historic community like Oyster Bay means building on our history,” he said.
