Miracle House 1906
Built in one day to spite a competitors efforts in a real estate development race. This forever changed the layout of Lena Avenue and added Wilson Place.
Erected 1999 by Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings.
Location. 40° 39.673′ N, 73° 35.528′ W. Marker is in Freeport, New York, in Nassau County. Marker is at the intersection of West Lena Avenue and Wilson Place, on the right when traveling west on West Lena Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Freeport NY 11520, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Kelby House (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Seaman Ave School (approx. 0.3 miles away); Exempt Firehouse (approx. 0.3 miles away); Village Hall - 1928 (approx. 0.3 miles away); Water and Power (approx. 0.4 miles away); Parrot Rifle (approx. 0.4 miles away); The First Public School in Freeport (approx. 0.6 miles away); Trubia Rifle (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Freeport.
Also see . . .
1. Spite House (Wikipedia). "A spite house is a building constructed or substantially modified to irritate neighbors or any party with land stakes. Spite houses may create obstructions, such as blocking out light or blocking access to neighboring buildings, or can be flagrant symbols of defiance. Because long-term occupation is at best a secondary
this page online
Also in the 19th century, a Freeport, New York, developer who opposed all of Freeport being laid out in a grid, put up a Victorian house virtually overnight on a triangular plot at the corner of Lena Avenue and Wilson Place to spite the grid designers. The Freeport Spite House is still standing and occupied." (Submitted on November 28, 2018.)
2. A Freeport house with quirky history (Newsday, 11/27/2014). "A quirky piece of Freeport's history is on the market for $449,000. The turn-of-the-last-century house is known as the Miracle House, as it was built in one day by developer John Randall. With a rival developer planning to extend Lena Avenue west, Randall decided to swoop in and build the two-story house, a so-called "spite house," to thwart the project. He also had workers extend the street on an angle....Randall "maintains that a straight line would reduce his frontage of land so as to make it worthless," wrote The Brooklyn Daily Eagle on March 5, 1902." (Submitted on November 28, 2018.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 10, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 28, 2018, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 16,838 times since then and 1,402 times this year. It was the Marker of the Week February 11, 2024. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 28, 2018, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. 4. submitted on February 10, 2024, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
