Long Island may not be known for its pickles, but as many locals will know, Pickle Fest at John Gardiner Farm in Greenlawn is a pickle lover’s wonderland. Recently hosting their annual Pickle Fest, it is time we highlight how far back our local pickle history goes.
John Gardiner Farm is one of the few well known pickle farms on Long Island. Currently sitting on thirteen acres of land, the farm once took up 600 acres of our lovely Greenlawn and Huntington landscape. It has been in business since the 1800’s when Alexander Gardiner became known as the Pickle Pioneer for his “green prolific pickle seeds”, according to the Greenlawn Centerport Historical Association. As a descendant of the prominent Gardiner family of the Hamptons, Alexander gave the last name new meaning after introducing pickles to the town. Greenlawn became a thriving pickle industry, and they were a well-known delicacy for neighboring towns.
The house itself was built in the 1750’s and has belonged to the Gardiner Family since its construction. It has seen very little renovations. In fact, the house still does not have bathroom facilities and only has running water in the kitchen. Even in its most recent days as a residence of the late 90s and early 2000s, the Gardiner Family used the outhouse still constructed in the backyard. Herbert Gardener, the last living member of the Gardiner family, named the farm after his father, John Gardiner. Herbert wanted the farm to stay intact, never sold or developed, so he bequeathed the farm to the Greenlawn Centerport Historical Assocation in 2002. Now maintained as a museum complex, the farm and house have been run by the Historical Assocation and community-driven volunteers ever since.
Throughout the centuries, the farm has seen its fair share of disasters. 1842 saw the brutal murder of Alexander’s maternal grandparents while they were living in the farmhouse. The couple, Alexander and Rebecca Smith, were a prominent couple in the neighborhood, which used to be known as “Old Fields”, according to the Historical Association. Both were killed with a blunt object during what is believed to be a brutal robbery of the home.
“The crime was unusual in many respects,” explains the Greenlawn-Centerport Historical Assocation. “Although murder was prevalent in large cities such as Manhattan, violent crimes were relatively unknown in the small farming communities that dotted the north shore of Long Island. That the attack was committed against a respected older affluent couple made the crime all the more shocking and horrifying,”
The deceased couple was discovered the following morning by a farm employee who noticed the family dog locked in the woodshed. The dog used to sleep with the Smiths every night, making it odd that it would still be in the woodshed by morning.
“He observed that the window on the east end of the house was broken,” says the historical Assocation. “After proceeding to the front door, he noted that it was neither barred nor locked. Upon looking into the window, he observed Rebecca lying on the floor.”
The employee, George Weeks, ran to find help. He and two of his neighbors, Mr. Selleck and Mr. Curren discovered both Rebecca and Alexander’s bodies in the front parlor of the house.
“The Smiths appeared to have been left where they fell, and the position of the bodies suggested that Mr. Smith was struck first while sitting in his customary chair in front of a large fireplace,” says the Historical Assocation. “He sustained several blows to the head and fell into the fireplace. Much of the lower part of his body caught fire, most likely after his death. Mrs. Smith was found in the center of the room suggesting that she rose from her chair upon the attack. She, too, was struck several times about the head and body by the blunt side of an ax.”
A German immigrant, Anton Geisler, who had been working as a farmhand for the Smiths for two weeks prior to the murder was believed to be the culprit. He was nowhere to be found after the murders, suggesting his guilt. He was found a few days later in Port Jefferson, arrested, and ultimately charged with double homicide.
In 1873, the mills and barns of John Gardiner Farm were destroyed in a terrible fire. Newspapers of that day headlined it “the largest destruction of farm property by fire ever known on the island”, according to The Town of Huntington. Even with only 25% being covered by insurance, the farm was rebuilt within six months.
Today, the farm is known for its annual pickle festival, and the house is quite familiar for the beautiful geraniums in the window.
The Festival was held September 16, which attracted thousands of people from around Suffolk County.
The John Gardiner Farm is located at 900 Park Ave in Huntington.
