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I stumbled across this 1951 aerial shot of Gerritsen Beach. What the hell is that in the soccer fields? Is that a gypsy town?
Look at the park in the upper left, that looks interesting. Does anyone know what this is or have any pictures of this?
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Dedicated to Gerritsen Beach Offering Current News, Links & Reviews with some Memories
From what I was told. There were quanset huts and barracks for servicemen and their families during WW II. Walking back in the weeds, I use to see old fire hydrants back there. Probably from that time period.
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that is true… when i was a kid back in the 70′s we used to build forts in the sand ditches and we used to see the service men on training exercises and they would share there rations with us… i remember only seeing 2 fire plugs… one was over in the back of 277 and the other was over by the old mill
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what your looking at in the upper left hand corner is where 277 is and the park and the cement softball fields are… you can also see where the old cement checker boards used to be…
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yep quanset huts
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As memory serves me, I was told that there were guantam huts back there during WWII for the soldiers and their families, I remember going back weeks in the 60′s and at the edge of the water you would still see wood pilings sticking out of the water from what was probably some kind of docks for boats at one time or another. There is an aerial shot of Gerritsen Beach from the 1920′s on Wikipdia showing Gerritsen Beach.
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After the war veterans were offered housing at the site you discovered. The buildings were the standard wooden Army barracks of WWII, divided into 4 apartments, with a full balcony providing private entrance to the upper apartments. The community had it’s own school, annexed to PS194, and some new section kids went there including Buddy and Bobby DeWitt. VFW Chaplain Lew Smith lived ther fo a while. By the summer of 53 it was almost empty, providing many opportunities for young boys to find adventure and trouble.
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Ray Schaefer has it right, I lived in those old army barracks for 3 0r 4 years and went to the PS 194 annex along with the Dewitt brothers, Bobby was in a few of my classes and I remember my third grade teacher Ms.Seagull. The annex was across the street from John McBride’s “Food Haven”. The complex was broken up into “Eastway,Westway,Northway and Southway. I lived on the second floor overlooking back weeds in Eastway. It was a great time for us kids always heading into the weeds and hunting for tad poles and frogs. After the 3rd grade we went to PS194 on Knapp St. I was shocked when I found out that I had my mothers teacher in the 6th grade, a Mr. Collins who was there forever and taught most of Bertosen kids and when asked remembered most of them including my mother Kitty. I’m now retired from the NYPD and living in Northwest NJ. We raised all five of our children in the beach and will always love it as our roots run deep.
I spent my whole childhood while in school working on the fishing boats at the
Tamaqua and later when older ran my own charter boat from there. Thats one experience I look back on and wouldn’t trade it for the world. Great memories.
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Hi William Church,
I was your classmate and friend on East Way. We were together from kindergarten through part of the 5th grade, when I moved away. Somewhere my mother has our kindergarten picture. We had Mrs. Fullerton in kindergarten, Miss MacAteer in the first grade or second grade, Miss Segal in the 3rd grade at the annex. I remember being madly in love with you.
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@Carol Gitlin,
I have memory of living on 69 south way second floor. This is first site I found the mentions those barracks. It was a great place for kids with a lot of open space. I moved from there to the sheepshead projects. I’m a retired techer living in New Mexico now. I got my open spaces back
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@Herb Glazer, I lived at 16 East Way. Did you go to P.S. 194 Annex?
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@Carol Gitlin, I think I went to 194. I moved to the sheepshead projects from there and went to ps 194
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Bill Church Sr besides being a great fishing boat Captain he was some great roofer.
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I lved in the beach through the early 60′S. As a child in the 50″s I remember the barracks still being along the avenue
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lol What is this Gerritsen Beach Memories?
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Clever :)
IF ANYONE HAS OLD PICTURES OF THE
BARRACKS COULD YOU POST ON THE
GERRITSENBEACH.NET SITE WOULD LOVE
TO SEE THOSE!
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@, Hello. I was born in 1947 and I believe I lived in the barracks from 1948 or 1949 until 1953 when the family moved to Lindenhurst. In speaking with my 88 year old aunt at a family reunion, she told me the barracks were in Gerritsen Beach. I always thought they were in Sheepshead Bay. I do vaguely remember going the kindergarten near the barracks as well as first grade a little further away. I found a few old photos in my mom’s photo albums – some of them have the barracks in the background. I do remember the two story wooden green buildings with balcony entrances and the many young serviceman families that lived there. We lived on the 2nd floor. I would be happy to share the few photos but I don’t know how to post them on this website.
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I remember the barracks. My aunt and uncle lived there after he returned from the war. I couldn’t have been more than 3 or 4 but I have vivid memories of rows and rows of clothes lines and white sheets billowing in the wind
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I lived in the barracks until 1952 then we moved to Manhattan. They were great memories, block parties, tad poles and grassy fields. I remember a one room school for 1st and 2nd grade. I have had contact with my next door neighbor Michael Schoenfeld. It was fun talking to someone who remembers that time not that many do.
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I lived with my parents and sister in the barracks in around 1950 or so for several years. My mother Irene Connors was in a terrible car accident crossing the street to buy milk at night. We had such wonderful caring neighbors. I remember the nursery school, the walks to the beach and the trips to Ryback’s. My mother is still going strong at 90!
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