Huntington To Honor 20th Century Woman Architect

GREENLAWN, NY — Fay Kellogg, a woman architect of the early 20th century, is due to be honored at 1 p.m. Tuesday in Greenlawn. She is considered the foremost woman architect of the 20th century by the Town of Huntington, according to a news release.

A historical marker honoring Kellogg is slated to be unveiled, as Supervisor Chad Lupinacci will be joined by Town of Huntington officials and members of the Greenlawn-Centerport Historical Association at 22 Boulevard Ave., Greenlawn. The event would take place next to the entrance to the LIRR Greenlawn Train Station parking lot and across the street from the Greenlawn Fire Department.

The historical marker was funded by a grant secured by the Greenlawn-Centerport Historical Association, from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, according to the town.

Kellogg, who was born in 1871 and died in 1918, was a summer resident of Greenlawn. In addition to being considered the leading woman architect back then, she also advocated for women's rights, including the right to vote.

Kellogg was born in Pennsylvania and studied in Washington, D.C. and at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. She continued her studies in Paris. The prestigious Ecole des Beaux Arts was opened to women through her efforts, though it was only after Kellogg had finished studying elsewhere.

She joined the practice of New York architect John R. Thomas, where she helped design the Hall of Records on Chambers Street in Manhattan. After Thomas died, she launched her own architectural practice in 1903.

She designed numerous buildings in New York, as well as a skyscraper in San Francisco. She also designed "hostess houses" on military bases during World War I in South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee. She was the lead architect for all building projects nationwide for the American News Company. She usually supervised the construction of her designs.

In 1907 and 1909, Kellogg purchased land in Greenlawn that spread across 15 acres. She spent six months a year in Greenlawn, raising chickens and commuting into the city.

Kellogg was commissioned in 1911 to design a new home and post office for Greenlawn’s postmaster, Elizabeth A. Hilton, near the entrance to the new train station on Boulevard across from the firehouse. Hilton's bungalow provided her a place to live, as well as space for the post office. When Hilton died in 1919, the building was sold to her sister, Sarah Hilton. The building continued to be used as the post office until 1929. The building is now a house.