H. B. Hollins
Encyclopedia
Harry Bowly Hollins was an American
financier
, banker, and railroad magnate
. He was responsible for organizing the banking and brokerage firm bearing his name, H.B. Hollins & Co. in 1878.
. Colloquially known as HBH or HB. He was notable in New York society life. Members of the Hollins family were such prominent figures and were regularly mentioned in the New York Times social diary.
Hollins resided between Manhattan at his multiple town residences and at his 600 acres (2.4 km²) country estate, Meadow Farm in East Islip, Long Island
. Hollins entertained family and friends at Meadow Farm each summer and early autumn; these renowned guests to summer at the estate included Hollins' friend, the future King Edward VIII
. Meadow Farm is also believed to be the birthplace of his children. His family's residences, mainly the East Islip mansion were said to contain many valuable paintings and rare objects of art.
Hollins began business as a marine
insurance broker
, and became a banker in 1888. At one time he was a partner of Fernando Iznaga, whose sister Maria Consuelo Iznaga Clement was the Dowager Duchess of Manchester. In fact, he was along with close friend William K. Vanderbilt
, the executors of Iznaga's will. Along with Eugene Zimmerman
of Cincinnati, Ohio
, the father of the Duchess of Manchester, had owned an interest in a number of properties in the Midwest. These properties included Superior Colliery Company and Superior Development Company.
J. P. Morgan
and H. B. Hollins were also business partners and the closest of friends until the former's death. In fact Morgan's offices were located across the street from H. B. Hollins & Co.'s exclusive banking offices, at the southwest corner of Wall and Broad Streets. On November 13, 1913, H.B. Hollins & Co., one of Wall Street's
most highly regarded houses failed in debt of $5,000,000. The failure of the house was related to a number of issues including the Company letting their Stock Exchange business go adrift, paying more attention to floatation of new companies and to banking operations in addition to their expenses boring them down. After the news of the firm failure had spread through the financial district, Hollin's attorney's Beekman, Menken & Griscom released a press statement downplaying the collapse:
A large portion of the securities was understood on the Street to represent a number of companies in Mexico that were adversely impacted by political turmoil south of the border at the time. These enterprises were thought to include Mexican Crude Oil, Asphaltic Products Company, and United States Asphalt Company. Harry B. Hollins belonged to the Union Metropolitan, South Side Sportsmen's, Knickerbocker
, New York Yacht, Meadow Brook, Racquet and Tennis, Riding, and Garden City Golf Clubs, also the Automobile Club of America.
and Champlin Creek
. The family renovated one of the farmhouses on the northern portion of the approximately 480 acres (1.9 km²) remaining to which they relocated. After the death of Mrs. H. B. Hollins, a month after her husband, her daughter Marion as the administrator of the estate sold most of the property not utilized by the family.
Meadow Farm was demolished in 2002/03 as part of the Harbour View project. This project was completion of The Moorings, a wealthy gated community
by the subdividing Meadow Farm's remaining 16 acres (64,749.8 m²) into 11 lots. The purchaser of the 5.88 acres (23,795.5 m²) parcel (now 150 Meadowfarm Road) containing Meadow Farm learned the cost of refurbishing the mansion would have well exceeded $1 million and opted to replace it with a newer estate. According to a New York Times article written in 1999, the new estate's owner planned to salvage marble fireplaces, panelling and other appurtenances from the mansion.
Remnants of Hollins' Meadow Farm can still be found off of Dock Road, including the original gates now leading to a small community named after the family, Hollins Estates. The once private road leading to the manor house was named Hollins Lane. The Hollins' stable and clock tower remains as a residential house at 37 Blackmore Lane. A carriage house, located west of Meadowfarm Road and last used as a residence, was demolished in the late 1980s to make way for a subdivision. At 35 Blackmore Lane is what was believed to have been the estate manager's (Blackmore) house, which had been moved from another location nearby.
At 42 Blackmore Lane is a structure on a 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) parcel which also belonged to Hollins. It was the renovated farmhouse they relocated to after parting with Meadow Farm. Harvard Class books from the 1930s were found in the house in the 1980s - a member of the Hollins family was pictured in those books.
A company, Yarmouth Estates of Bay Shore, New York
, has purchased the house at 42 Blackmore and is requesting a subdivision. Harry Hollins Jr.'s estate house, designed by the architectural firm of Cross & Cross and built in 1907, remains at 18 Crick Holly Lane and Gerald Hollins' home remains at 180 Bayview Avenue. The carriage house for Gerard Hollins' house still stands at 158 Bayview Ave and is now used as a private residence. Gerald Hollins later built a home on White Oak Lane, which still stands and is now the visitor's center for the South Shore Nature Center.
Another Hollins' house, that of Robert L. Hollins, stands on the border of Hecksher State Park. That house is believed to have been one of the earliest houses in the area, originally part of the Nichol farm. It is now owned by the East Islip School District and is used for special education services.
A private road once ran across all of the Hollins holdings, crossing Bayview Ave and through the estate of HB Hollins Jr., where it continued into what is now Hecksher State Park. The outline of this road can be seen running through the woods on one of the last undeveloped parcels of land off White Oak Lane. As recently as the 1980s, one area resident was concerned as the road was still listed as a legal right-of-way in his property deed.
The town has named several things in the family's honour. Most notable is Hollins Memorial Beach, which the family generously donated to the town.
Hollins, along with members of his family, are interred at the Episcopal Church Cemetery in Great River, NY.
. The family used the island primarily for hunting yet before his bankruptcy, and some speculate that they contemplated the erection of a grand estate on the bay. The island retains the name Hollins Island, however it is sometimes referenced as East Fire Island (not to be confused with East Island, an island succumbed to the sea off Hollins Island's northeast shore) or Middle Island.
The island was originally owned by William Nicoll who purchased the property on November 19, 1687 from Winnequaheagh Sachem of Connetquot. The purchase was confirmed on a patent by Governor Dongan on June 4, 1688. Harry B. Hollins purchased the island in 1906 from the estate of Sarah Nicoll and presented it to three of his sons, Messers. Gerald, John, and McKim Hollins.
Legend tells that the island was a hideaway for pirates' gold, most notably Captain Kidd's buried treasure of the Spanish Main
. Due to this legend, the island was also referred to as Money Island and was the site of many excavations by treasurer seekers.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
financier
Financier
Financier is a term for a person who handles typically large sums of money, usually involving money lending, financing projects, large-scale investing, or large-scale money management. The term is French, and derives from finance or payment...
, banker, and railroad magnate
Business magnate
A business magnate, sometimes referred to as a capitalist, czar, mogul, tycoon, baron, oligarch, or industrialist, is an informal term used to refer to an entrepreneur who has reached prominence and derived a notable amount of wealth from a particular industry .-Etymology:The word magnate itself...
. He was responsible for organizing the banking and brokerage firm bearing his name, H.B. Hollins & Co. in 1878.
Life and business
He was born to Francis Hollins and Elizabeth Coles Morris. Hollins, a native New Yorker educated in private schools was married to socialite Evelina Merseole Knapp on January 25, 1877. The couple had four sons, Harry B. Jr,McKim (Kim), John K. (Jack), Gerald V. and a daughter, MarionMarion Hollins
Marion Hollins was an American amateur golfer.Hollins was born in East Islip, New York. Her father, H. B. Hollins, owned a Wall Street brokerage firm, H.B. Hollins & Co....
. Colloquially known as HBH or HB. He was notable in New York society life. Members of the Hollins family were such prominent figures and were regularly mentioned in the New York Times social diary.
Hollins resided between Manhattan at his multiple town residences and at his 600 acres (2.4 km²) country estate, Meadow Farm in East Islip, Long Island
East Islip, New York
East Islip is a hamlet and CDP in the Town of Islip, Suffolk County, New York, . At the time of the 2000 census, the CDP had 4,578 households and a population of 14,078.-History and overview:...
. Hollins entertained family and friends at Meadow Farm each summer and early autumn; these renowned guests to summer at the estate included Hollins' friend, the future King Edward VIII
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
. Meadow Farm is also believed to be the birthplace of his children. His family's residences, mainly the East Islip mansion were said to contain many valuable paintings and rare objects of art.
Hollins began business as a marine
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...
insurance broker
Insurance broker
An insurance broker finds sources for contracts of insurance on behalf of their customers. The three largest insurance brokers in the world, by revenue, are Aon, Marsh & McLennan, and Willis Group Holdings.-Purpose of insurance brokers:...
, and became a banker in 1888. At one time he was a partner of Fernando Iznaga, whose sister Maria Consuelo Iznaga Clement was the Dowager Duchess of Manchester. In fact, he was along with close friend William K. Vanderbilt
William Kissam Vanderbilt
William Kissam Vanderbilt was a member of the prominent American Vanderbilt family. He managed railroads and was a horse breeder.-Biography:...
, the executors of Iznaga's will. Along with Eugene Zimmerman
Eugene Zimmerman
Eugene Zimmerman, cartoonist, was born on May 23, 1862 and died on March 26, 1935. Known by his famous signature "Zim", he was born in Basel, Switzerland. He lost his mother and was sent to live with relatives in Alsace. In 1867 his father, who was a baker, and an older brother emigrated to the...
of Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, the father of the Duchess of Manchester, had owned an interest in a number of properties in the Midwest. These properties included Superior Colliery Company and Superior Development Company.
J. P. Morgan
J. P. Morgan
John Pierpont Morgan was an American financier, banker and art collector who dominated corporate finance and industrial consolidation during his time. In 1892 Morgan arranged the merger of Edison General Electric and Thomson-Houston Electric Company to form General Electric...
and H. B. Hollins were also business partners and the closest of friends until the former's death. In fact Morgan's offices were located across the street from H. B. Hollins & Co.'s exclusive banking offices, at the southwest corner of Wall and Broad Streets. On November 13, 1913, H.B. Hollins & Co., one of Wall Street's
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
most highly regarded houses failed in debt of $5,000,000. The failure of the house was related to a number of issues including the Company letting their Stock Exchange business go adrift, paying more attention to floatation of new companies and to banking operations in addition to their expenses boring them down. After the news of the firm failure had spread through the financial district, Hollin's attorney's Beekman, Menken & Griscom released a press statement downplaying the collapse:
- The failure was due to withdrawal of large deposits, thus greatly reducing the firm's working capital, which is largely invested in securities which cannot be readily sold in the present market.
A large portion of the securities was understood on the Street to represent a number of companies in Mexico that were adversely impacted by political turmoil south of the border at the time. These enterprises were thought to include Mexican Crude Oil, Asphaltic Products Company, and United States Asphalt Company. Harry B. Hollins belonged to the Union Metropolitan, South Side Sportsmen's, Knickerbocker
Knickerbocker
Knickerbocker, also spelled Knikkerbakker, Knickerbakker, Knickerbacker, is a surname that dates back to the early Dutch colonists in New York. In 1809, Washington Irving published his satirical A History of New York under the pseudonym "Diedrich Knickerbocker", and since that time "Knickerbocker"...
, New York Yacht, Meadow Brook, Racquet and Tennis, Riding, and Garden City Golf Clubs, also the Automobile Club of America.
Meadow Farm and East Islip
After Hollins' bankruptcy, Meadow Farm, the country manor, was sold to Charles L. Lawrance along with 116 acre (0.46943576 km²) bordering the Great South BayGreat South Bay
Great South Bay is a lagoon situated between Long Island and Fire Island, in the State of New York. It is approximately long. It's protected from the Atlantic Ocean by Fire Island, a barrier island, as well as the eastern end of Jones Beach Island and Captree Island.Robert Moses Causeway adjoins...
and Champlin Creek
Champlin Creek
Champlin Creek is on Long Island, located between the hamlets of Islip and East Islip, flowing southward into the Great South Bay between the Seatuck National Wildlife Refuge and The Moorings...
. The family renovated one of the farmhouses on the northern portion of the approximately 480 acres (1.9 km²) remaining to which they relocated. After the death of Mrs. H. B. Hollins, a month after her husband, her daughter Marion as the administrator of the estate sold most of the property not utilized by the family.
Meadow Farm was demolished in 2002/03 as part of the Harbour View project. This project was completion of The Moorings, a wealthy gated community
Gated community
In its modern form, a gated community is a form of residential community or housing estate containing strictly-controlled entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and often characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fences. Gated communities usually consist of small residential...
by the subdividing Meadow Farm's remaining 16 acres (64,749.8 m²) into 11 lots. The purchaser of the 5.88 acres (23,795.5 m²) parcel (now 150 Meadowfarm Road) containing Meadow Farm learned the cost of refurbishing the mansion would have well exceeded $1 million and opted to replace it with a newer estate. According to a New York Times article written in 1999, the new estate's owner planned to salvage marble fireplaces, panelling and other appurtenances from the mansion.
Remnants of Hollins' Meadow Farm can still be found off of Dock Road, including the original gates now leading to a small community named after the family, Hollins Estates. The once private road leading to the manor house was named Hollins Lane. The Hollins' stable and clock tower remains as a residential house at 37 Blackmore Lane. A carriage house, located west of Meadowfarm Road and last used as a residence, was demolished in the late 1980s to make way for a subdivision. At 35 Blackmore Lane is what was believed to have been the estate manager's (Blackmore) house, which had been moved from another location nearby.
At 42 Blackmore Lane is a structure on a 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) parcel which also belonged to Hollins. It was the renovated farmhouse they relocated to after parting with Meadow Farm. Harvard Class books from the 1930s were found in the house in the 1980s - a member of the Hollins family was pictured in those books.
A company, Yarmouth Estates of Bay Shore, New York
Bay Shore, New York
Bay Shore is a hamlet and a census-designated place located in the Town of Islip, Suffolk County, New York, USA. It is situated on the south shore of Long Island, adjoining the Great South Bay. Bay Shore celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2008. The population of the CDP was 23,852 at the time of...
, has purchased the house at 42 Blackmore and is requesting a subdivision. Harry Hollins Jr.'s estate house, designed by the architectural firm of Cross & Cross and built in 1907, remains at 18 Crick Holly Lane and Gerald Hollins' home remains at 180 Bayview Avenue. The carriage house for Gerard Hollins' house still stands at 158 Bayview Ave and is now used as a private residence. Gerald Hollins later built a home on White Oak Lane, which still stands and is now the visitor's center for the South Shore Nature Center.
Another Hollins' house, that of Robert L. Hollins, stands on the border of Hecksher State Park. That house is believed to have been one of the earliest houses in the area, originally part of the Nichol farm. It is now owned by the East Islip School District and is used for special education services.
A private road once ran across all of the Hollins holdings, crossing Bayview Ave and through the estate of HB Hollins Jr., where it continued into what is now Hecksher State Park. The outline of this road can be seen running through the woods on one of the last undeveloped parcels of land off White Oak Lane. As recently as the 1980s, one area resident was concerned as the road was still listed as a legal right-of-way in his property deed.
The town has named several things in the family's honour. Most notable is Hollins Memorial Beach, which the family generously donated to the town.
Hollins, along with members of his family, are interred at the Episcopal Church Cemetery in Great River, NY.
Hollins Island
Hollins purchased an island approximately three and a half miles south of Meadow Farm and about a mile north of mainland Fire Island in the Great South BayGreat South Bay
Great South Bay is a lagoon situated between Long Island and Fire Island, in the State of New York. It is approximately long. It's protected from the Atlantic Ocean by Fire Island, a barrier island, as well as the eastern end of Jones Beach Island and Captree Island.Robert Moses Causeway adjoins...
. The family used the island primarily for hunting yet before his bankruptcy, and some speculate that they contemplated the erection of a grand estate on the bay. The island retains the name Hollins Island, however it is sometimes referenced as East Fire Island (not to be confused with East Island, an island succumbed to the sea off Hollins Island's northeast shore) or Middle Island.
The island was originally owned by William Nicoll who purchased the property on November 19, 1687 from Winnequaheagh Sachem of Connetquot. The purchase was confirmed on a patent by Governor Dongan on June 4, 1688. Harry B. Hollins purchased the island in 1906 from the estate of Sarah Nicoll and presented it to three of his sons, Messers. Gerald, John, and McKim Hollins.
Legend tells that the island was a hideaway for pirates' gold, most notably Captain Kidd's buried treasure of the Spanish Main
Spanish Main
In the days of the Spanish New World Empire, the mainland of the American continent enclosing the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico was referred to as the Spanish Main. It included present-day Florida, the east shore of the Gulf of Mexico in Texas, Mexico, Central America and the north coast of...
. Due to this legend, the island was also referred to as Money Island and was the site of many excavations by treasurer seekers.
Residential locations
- Meadow Farm, the family's country seat, East IslipEast Islip, New YorkEast Islip is a hamlet and CDP in the Town of Islip, Suffolk County, New York, . At the time of the 2000 census, the CDP had 4,578 households and a population of 14,078.-History and overview:...
- 12 West 56th Street, New York City
- 14 East 60th Street, New York City
Sources
- H. B. Hollins news archive from The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...