Dain and Dill opened its Patterson lumber and building supply store in Patterson in March, 1948. This was the second store for the company, which was already operating a store in Carmel. An open house was held on opening day to introduce the new business and staff to the Patterson community. Fred Dill was instrumental in the creation of the Patterson Chamber of Commerce in October, 1948.

This first ad appeared in the Putnam County Courier on March 18, 1948. In 1967, Dain & Dill became part of the growing Lloyd Lumber chain, as shown in the second ad, which appeared in the May 11, 1967 edition of the Courier.

Eaton Kelley was incorporated in 1908 by L. F. Eaton of Amenia, New York, and Van Ness Kelley of Holmes, New York. The firm began with two locations, in Holmes and in Towners, and sold coal and feed. Stores in Patterson, Brewster, and Carmel in Putnam County, and Stormville in Dutchess County were added later. Eaton Kelly owned a feed mill and grain elevator complex in Towners along the railroad tracks that was destroyed by a disastrous fire in February, 1908. In July, 1923, Eaton Kelly was inconvenienced when a shipment of scales was delivered to Paterson, New Jersey in error, instead of Patterson, New York. In 1925, Eaton Kelley purchased the lumberyard of Everett K. Davis in Holmes, and gradually changed the focus of the chain, eventually becoming the leading supplier of building materials in eastern Putnam County. The second lumberyard was opened in Brewster in 1932, joining the existing coal and feed business. Eaton died shortly afterwards, leaving Kelley as the sole owner until his death in 1945. The chain then consolidated its business in the Brewster and Holmes stores, and sold the others. The Holmes store was sold in 1965. The Brewster store was sold to the Lloyd Lumber Co. of Patterson in April, 1966. With the sale of the Brewster store to Lloyd Lumber, Eaton Kelley ceased to exist. The new Lloyd location in Brewster would also use the "Cash, Carry, and Save" concept that was proving successful in the Patterson store. Dill announced several improvements to the Brewster store, and the addition of new products.

This ad appeared in the Putnam County Courier on January 13, 1932.

The Empire Store was located on Railroad Avenue (Front Street) across from the New York Central Railroad's Patterson Depot between Center Street and Lumber Street. The store was owned by H. H. Bloch, who also owned the large H. H. Bloch's Department Store on the corner of Railroad Avenue and Main Street (NYS Rt. 311). The Empire Store featured clothing for the entire family, and promised "high grade goods at the very lowest prices."

The photo shows The Empire Store in 1909. (Jane Cronin) The store is on the extreme right in the Judd Building, later known as the Brunow Building. This first ad appeared in the Putnam County Courier on April 12, 1911. The second ad appeared in the June 30, 1911 edition. The third ad appeared in the October 1, 1908 edition of The Patterson Weekly News. The September, 1910 receipt was issued to the Patterson Grange. It was signed by Hyman H. Bloch.

First National was a chain grocery store the eventually became the Finast supermarket chain in the late 20th century. First National was one the largest supermarket chains in the United States. The first stores were small, local grocery stores where customer orders were filled by the grocer or his assistant. First National announced the opening of its Patterson Store in November, 1930. The chain also operated stores in Pawling, Brewster, and Carmel. The store would open in the Cruthers building in a storefront that had been vacated by jeweler and optician Harrie Wright. The store was managed for 23 years by Jesse R. Knapp, who opened his own grocery store, Knapp's Superette IGA in the same space in September, 1953. The photo shows the First National Store on Railroad Street (Front Street) in the 1930s.

Barbara Gaydos owned this tavern on Main Street starting approximately in the 1920s. The Gaydos family also owned the building housing the Patterson Bottling Works, located a few doors west of the tavern, and later purchased the business from George Pfahl in 1926. The tavern still stands at the intersection of NYS Route 311 at the corner of Orchard Street. The building has been extensively remodeled, and its appearance has changed much from this photograph, taken in 1940. (The Patterson Historical Society) In the mid 1950s, the establishment was called Wally's, and was owned by Wallace Pledger. The bar was later operated as One Bucks starting in the mid-1960s through the 1990s, and it was owned by Albert Woody and also Bruce Nikola at one time. It is now known as Burke's Pub.

Barbara Yusko Gaydos was born on February 15, 1891 in Austria, and had been a Patterson resident for about sixty years at the time of her death on August 4, 1975 at the age of 84. She resided on Locust Street. She was buried in the Maple Avenue Cemetery.

Dr. Genovese had an active practice in the Patterson community for several years in the mid-20th century. The house that was his office and residence still stands on NYS Route 311, near the Patterson Town Hall near Front Street. In the 1930s, the continued popularity of the automobile led to the creation of emergency first aid stations in a few Putnam County neighborhoods. One was established in the Elms Restaurant on NYS Route 22 in Patterson, with Dr. Genovese providing the first aid training to the owners of the Elms. During World War II, Dr. Genovese was active in recruiting and training members for the Medical Corps. of the Civil Defense Corp., and also helped to develop plans for creating medical casualty stations in Patterson, which were to be used to treat victims of an air raid attack or other war related catastrophe. In the 1950s, Dr. Genovese continued to be involved with civil defense programs in Patterson, and also worked with the Carmel School District to administer the Salk polio vaccine and to give annual physicals. Before the purchase of an ambulance by the Patterson Fire Dept. in 1951, accident victims and the sick were taken to Dr. Genovese's home since the nearest hospitals were in Mahopac or in Poughkeepsie. In the late 1950s, Dr. Genovese was also a coroner for Putnam County. In the 1960s, he was the Patterson Health Officer. In the summer of 1969, Dr. Genovese was semi-retired, but was the only doctor in Patterson.

Mrs. Joseph Horak worked for Dr. Genovese for many years as a domestic. She was the former Josephine B. Smolek, and was born on February 10, 1885 in New York City. She had been a Patterson resident for sixty years at the time of her death on February 8, 1975 at the age of 89. She had resided on South Street. She belonged to the Patterson Presbyterian Church, and was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star. She was buried in the Maple Avenue Cemetery.

On June 30, 1971, Dr. Genovese resigned as Putnam County Coroner. The remaining two coroners, Dr. S. Bernard Ross of Green Chimneys School and Dr. John DelCampo of Carmel, told the County Board of Supervisors that their salaries should be increased as a result, and that the fee for autopsies should also be increased.

Community members planned to recruit a second doctor to Patterson by placing advertisements in medical journals. In March, 1970, Raymond S. Jones, president of the Patterson Civic Association, announced the formation of the Patterson Medical Group.

The Patterson Medical Group consisted of ten doctors, including five specialists, who would rotate among three offices in Putnam County and the Highland Hospital in Beacon, in Dutchess County, New York. The doctors leased space in the Thomas Professional Building, located on NYS Route 311, near NYS Route 22, in Patterson. The building still stands along Route 311, in front of the A&P shopping complex. The office was intended to be a temporary facility that would open in mid-March, 1970, until negotiations could be completed for a new 5,000 sq. ft. facility. Three of the doctors were introduced at a public meeting at Patterson Town Hall, hosted by the Civic Association. The group consisted of three internists, two surgeons, two obstetricians and gynecologists, two urologists, and a pediatrician. The Group planned to add a radiologist later in the year. All doctors would be affiliated with the Putnam Community Hospital in Carmel and the Butterfield Memorial Hospital in Cold Spring. Dr. M. Rosenfeld, one of the internists, spoke for the Patterson Medical Group at the meeting. He explained that the group of doctors had become aware of Patterson's need for a doctor, and decided to approach the Civic Association with a proposal to open an office in Patterson. He explained that at least one doctor would reside in Patterson, and at least one doctor would be on-call at all times. Dr. Rosenfeld also announced that the Group would provide free transportation for patients in an ambulance-like vehicle, if they could not get to the Thomas Building or a hospital. The vehicle would not respond to emergency calls. Patterson Supervisor Donald B. Smith thanked the doctors, on behalf of the Town, for their interest in Patterson.

Dr. Genovese was born on December 18, 1904, in New York City. He graduated from New York University in 1927, and graduated from the Bellevue School of Medicine in 1931. For a time he was a member of the surgical clinic at the old Polyclinic Hospital in New York City. Dr. Genovese was one of the founders of Putnam Community Hospital, and was the physician for the Patterson School. He was also a president of the Putnam County Medical Society. After his retirement in 1971, the Genoveses moved to Kent, Connecticut. Dr. Genovese spent his retirement learning to play the piano and organ, and working in his workshop. He and his wife, Mary, had two sons. He died on October 8, 1980 in Putnam Community Hospital after a long illness. He was 75 years old. He was buried in the St. John's Cemetery in Pawling.

The father of Dr. Genovese operated a barber shop on Front Street in the 1940s. The Genovese barber shop was located to the right of Max Grand's Drug Store, in between Evelyn Grand's Liquor Store and Block's Department Store.

The photo shows Dr. Genovese's home as it looks today. The second photo shows Dr. Genovese in 1960. The next photo is a family photo of Dr. Genovese. (Dr. Frank C. Genovese, Jr.)

In September, 1920, the Guaranty Trust Co. of New York City bought the home and property belonging to Edward A. and James A. Hayt on Main Street (NYS Route 311). The Hayts planned to leave Patterson.

Guarantee Trust was one of the largest trust companies in the world at the time, and employed over 3,000 people. The company wanted to establish a rest home for its employees who had been ill, or simply needed to enjoy some time away from the hustle and bustle of city life. The Hayt property offered the convenience of the shops in the Patterson village, and was within walking distance of the New York Central's Harlem Line and the Patterson Depot, offering quick transportation to and from the company's headquarters in New York City. But even though the property was in the village, it was also secluded because of the size of the property and the shrubbery surrounding it. The meadow in front of the home was park-like and peaceful. Title Guarantee removed some of Hayt's outbuildings and barns, and remodeled the large house. The property later became the DeBourbon Estate. The mansion was demolished in the late 1990s, and the property was redeveloped as a residential subdivision.

Two postcards views of the home are shown. The first is undated and the second dates from 1921.

In July, 1921, the Guaranty employee magazine, the "Guarantee News", published an article on the new rest home, with a description of the property and its recreational facilities. That article, and other selected articles, can be viewed in the next photo gallery. (Ed Scrivani) The mansion was later sold and also auctioned. The next two photo galleries contain the real estate ad and the auction ad. The dates of both ads are unknown, but they predate the ownership of the property by the DeBourbons. (Ed Scrivani)

The construction date of the American House is uncertain, but it is mentioned in newspaper accounts as early as 1896. It was located on Main Street (NYS Route 311) at Railroad Street (Front Street), where the present Patterson Town Hall stands. It was purchased by John Cruthers in 1896. Cruthers owned other buildings in Patterson, and also owned a store on Railroad Street. In 1908, Cruthers purchased the Ahner Hotel in Wingdale, New York.

In March, 1896, Cruthers renovated the exterior of the building, making repairs and repainting it. He then turned his attention to the interior, making alterations and overhauling some areas. The American house was managed by E. J. Hawkins in the late 19th century. In the fall of 1896, Michael Tullo of Katonah, and formerly of Brewster, opened a barber shop in the American House. He was also a musician, and was available to perform when needed. In 1926, the Tuckahoe Marble Company purchased the building from Elbert C. Crosby. The company needed the ex-hotel to house its employees who were working at a nearby mine. In approximately 1947, the Rednicks, owners of Rednicks' Restaurant, bought the American House from the Cruthers estate. The House had 33 rooms and two smaller houses behind it. The American House was destroyed by fire in the late 1990s.

Cruthers also bought the Columbia House in May, 1896, buying it from Mr. Williams. The Columbia House was located on Front Street.

The Putnam House was located on Main Street (NYS Route 311) near Orchard Street, next to Stahl's Hall, which became the Town Hall for much of the 20th century. The building was constructed for Jacob Stahl by contractor Arthur L. Newcomb. It was completed in February, 1896. The hotel was managed by James H. Comeskey of Tilly Foster. In September, 1896, the manager was John Murty. In October, 1896, the Hotel added a pool table for the enjoyment of its guests. The building was owned by Peter O'Hara when it was destroyed by fire in January, 1928. The house had been used as a summer hotel, and stood three stories high with an attic. At the time of the fire, the house had three families living in apartments that had been converted from the hotel rooms.

The three hotels made applications for licenses under the Raines Law, which was a tax measure designed to regulate alcohol consumption. Raines prohibited restaurants from serving alcohol with meals on Sundays. The exception was for hotels.

An old photo of Main Street (NYS Route 311) looks west, with Locust Street where the horse and carriage is stopped. The Putnam House is the three story structure just to the right of the center of the photograph. Barely visible through the trees to the left of center is the steeple of Stahl's Hall, which was used as the Patterson Town Hall through much of the twentieth century. The building to the right of the Putnam House may be the Bee Hive dry goods store.

Joseph Losee Irish was part owner of the store occupying the corner of Railroad Street (Front Street) and Center Street from approximately 1867 until 1902, when a devastating fire destroyed the store and most of the buildings around it. Irish's partner also owned the C. Wing Saloon which stood at the corner of Railroad Street and Main Street (NYS Route 311). His son, Charles, was born in 1853, and worked with his father in the store, which sold general merchandise, and also contained the post office and drug store. Charles Irish ended his business career when the store was lost in the fire. Charles Irish went on to hold several positions in the Patterson town government. He and his wife, the former Annie Pierce, lived for many years in their house on South Street, which still stands today. The home is best known as being the home of the Patterson Library Association for several years, which received the house as a gift from Charles Irish in 1947. Charles Irish also endowed a bed in Danbury Hospital, that would be available free of charge to any Patterson resident. He made other anonymous, charitable gifts in the Patterson community. He also donated a pipe organ to the Patterson Presbyterian Church, where he was a member and ruling elder. Charles and Annie Irish had two children; Mrs. Irish died in 1942. In his later years, Irish spent his winters in Florida and his summers in Lakeville, Connecticut, but maintained ties to Patterson. Charles Irish died in the Florida home of his daughter, Mrs. Edward Haviland, on July 2, 1952, at the age of 99. He is buried in the family plot in the Maple Avenue Cemetery.

The Judd Building, later known as the Brunow Building, is one of the two remaining old buildings on Front Street in the hamlet of Patterson. News accounts are not clear on the actual date of its construction, but it is known that the building was moved to its present location in 1902.

Judd owned a feed and coal business in West Patterson, near the West Patterson Depot of the Central New England Railroad / New Haven Railroad. The depot was located near NYS Route 292 on Mooney Hill Road, where the Maybrook Line tracks cross the road. Judd's building also housed the West Patterson Post Office, with Judd serving as postmaster. The building was dismantled and moved to its present location on Railroad Avenue (Front Street) after a disastrous fire destroyed several of the commercial buildings on Railroad Avenue in April, 1902. Work began on the relocated Judd building in August, 1902. Interior lighting was added in November, 1902, when Judd installed a network of 100 acetylene gas lamps. Electricity had not yet come to Patterson.

The building took on many new and significant roles once it was relocated. In its early years on Railroad Avenue, Judd continued to conduct his feed and coal business from the building. Other businesses shared space in the building. The Patterson Weekly News moved to the Judd Building in December, 1902, and along with it came the central office of the local telephone system, which had shared space with The Patterson Weekly News in its old location. For a time, part of the building was used as a milk receiving station. The building also housed the first office of the Patterson Public Health Nurse. One of the upper levels was a large hall that was used for minstrel shows, dances, and public meetings. Patterson High School held its graduation ceremonies in the hall. The Red Cross conducted work rooms in the building during both World Wars. The Judd Building was also the home of the Patterson Post Office for many years after relocating from the Jennings Building across Center Street. Pawling National Bank had a small branch office in the Post Office space that was open two days a week for many years. H. H. Bloch operated The Empire Store in the Judd space for many years. The Town of Patterson also rented space for its Town Clerk. Fred and Ed Cooms operated their Cooms Bros. plumbing business in the Judd Building around 1918.

In 1945, the building was sold by the Judd family to Rural Holding Corporation. Rural Holding held the building until May 15, 1948, when Joseph R. and Francis R. Brunow purchased the building. The Brunow brothers had rented space in the building in January, 1947, for their plumbing and heating business. The space they rented was the last vacancy on Railroad Street at the time. At the time of their purchase, the Brunows shared space with the Patterson Post Office, the William O. Taylor Insurance Agency, several apartments on the second floor, and the American Legion Hall on the third floor. The Brunows were active members of the Patterson Fire Department. Francis Brunow was a appointed to the Patterson Planning Board in March, 1965.

In the late 1990s the Brunow Building fell into disrepair and it stores were unoccupied. The property changed hands in the early 21st century and was refurbished.

Charles H. Judd was a farmer, businessman, and builder, and one of Patterson most prominent citizens. He also served as a director of the Pawling National Bank. He died at the age of 87 in March, 1926, in the same house in which he was born. He was one of six children.

The first photo shows the Judd Building. It is undated. The building appears to be vacant and in disrepair. The stores are empty, and some of the second floor windows are broken. The ad is for Judd's feed and coal business, and appeared in the Patterson Weekly News in 1902. In 1904, the ad for photographer Joseph Krasensky appeared. Krasensky operated his studio in the Judd Building. The color postcard dates from the turn of the 20th century. The black and white postcard that follows also dates from the early 20th century. The barely visible sign in storefront on the right indicates that this was the home of the "Patterson Weekly News". In 1906, Judd rented the hall in his building to the Grange, and issued this receipt.

Knapp's Superette opened in the location of the former First National Stores market on Front Street on September 18, 1953. First National had operated the store since the end of 1930. Knapp's was affiliated with the Independent Grocers Association (IGA) cooperative, and sold a variety of grocery items. Knapp's was owned by Patterson resident Jesse R. Knapp, who was also active in the Patterson civil defense corps in the early 1950s. Knapp held the rank of Captain, and was in command of the Patterson Civil Defense Auxiliary Police, part of the Putnam County Auxiliary force. He also was a member of the Patterson Town Board. Knapp had been the manager of the First National Store for several years.

Knapp died at St. Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie on June 5, 1959, after suffering a stroke. He was 59 years old. Knapp was born on April 28, 1900 in Towners, and was a lifelong Patterson resident. Before he became a grocer, Knapp worked as a painting contractor. He was a member of the Patterson Grange and the Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in Carmel.

Mrs. Mildred C. Knapp was a nurse who was also part of the civil defense effort. In the 1950s, she was part of a group of nurses in Putnam County to receive special training for the treatment of injuries that might be received after an atomic bombing. She also worked as a nurse for the Carmel Central School District.

The first photo shows the front of the store on Front Street in 1953. (The Patterson Historical Society) The first ad announces the grand opening, and appeared in the Putnam County Courier on September 10, 1953. Almost exactly fours years later, the Courier edition of September 19, 1957 carries the announcement of the closing of the store, with the liquidation of all groceries and store fixtures.

August Larson was the new grocer on Railroad Street (Front Street) when this ad was published in the Patterson Weekly News on October 1, 1908.

George Lazar set up shop in the Stahl Building on Main Street (NYS Route 311) when this ad appeared in the Putnam County Courier on April 25, 1913. This was not Lazar's first business in Patterson. In April, 1901, Lazar opened a bicycle repair business in the Jennings Building, which was located at the corner of Railroad Street (Front Street) and Center Street.

George and Mary Lazar's son, George, Jr., also operated a plumbing business in Patterson. George, Jr. died in his home on Orchard Street in December, 1960. He was 57 years old.

Leader's operated on Front Street near Center Street. The store opened in 1946, and offered low cost merchandise priced from five cents to one dollar. The Leader Department Store shut down in 1956, as indicated in the ad that appeared in the Putnam County Courier on April 26, 1956. The second ad, appearing in the August 23, 1956 edition of the Courier, indicates that the store was relaunched as the New Leader Variety Store. New Leader can be seen to the left of Art's Barber Shop, in the still photo taken from the film "Our Town - 1960".

The "Lee" of Lee's Diner was owner Leola Mary Carlson. Lee's Diner was originally located on Front Street across from the Patterson Railroad Depot, and opened on October 5, 1950. On January 21, 1957, Lee's Diner moved to Main Street (NYS Route 311).

The two photos are of the Main Street version of Lee's Diner, and were taken in the late 1950s. (The Patterson Historical Society)

Le Robinson farm was located on Maple Avenue, and was the former home of Jacob Stahl, best known as the owner of the Putnam Cigar Factory and other buildings in the village of Patterson. The house was a four story frame structure that was built in the fall of 1896, and was a showplace in Patterson when it was built. The property had two or three owners after the death of the Stahl family, and in the late 1950s was owned by Miriam M. Lavielle and Andre Lavielle. The Lavielle's operated the house as a French restaurant and boarding house known as Le Robinson. The house had room for 50 guests, and there were cottages located on the adjoining property.

Mrs. Lavielle was instrumental in the formation of Boys and Girls Scout programs in Patterson in the 1950s, and was a member of the HAGS social club that sponsored many activities that benefited community programs in Patterson. She was also a president of the Parent-Teachers Association. She was born in New York City in 1913, and died after a long illness at the age of 45 on August 5, 1959.

Andre Lavielle continued to run Le Robinson after the death of his wife, and resided in one of the cottages with his stepson. An early morning fire destroyed Le Robinson in February, 1960. The fire was discovered shortly after midnight, and had already spread through the wooden structure. The blaze could be seen for ten miles. The house was unoccupied. The Patterson Fire Department was summoned, and ran hoses to the nearby pond, but had trouble directing the water on the fire as high winds diverted the spray from the hoses. The winds sent sparks in the direction of the cottages, but they did not catch fire. Patterson Supervisor William Millar had a brush with death when he stepped on a live electrical wire that had fallen on the ground. He warned firemen and spectators away from the wire until power could be cut. The property was purchased byt the town of Patterson for use as a park.

Andre Lavielle also owned the Chez Andre Restaurant, located on NYS Route 22.

In the first ad, John O. Light reminds Patterson farmers that the spring planting season may require new plows and other farm machinery and tools. Light also sold stoves and hardware. The second ad touts the merchant's line of modern plumbing fixtures. Both ads appeared in the Patterson Weekly News in 1904.

Thomas W. Lloyd, Jr. founded the Lloyd Lumber Company in Patterson in 1951. He owned the company for seven years before selling the company to Fred Dill. Before his death on July 26, 1958, Lloyd had suffered a series of strokes that left him partially paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. He remained, however, an avid hunter and fisherman, and was a member of the Westchester Sportsman Club and the Bedford Golf and Tennis Club. He was a 1928 graduate of Harvard University, and for a time was associated with the New York Trust Company. Lloyd retired from the lumber business in 1957, and then taught history at the Harvey School for Boys in Hawthorne, New York. Lloyd made his home in Katonah, where he committed suicide at the age of 54.

Fred Dill was a principle in both Lloyd Lumber and Dain & Dill. Dill developed Lloyd's into a chain of 21 stores, but sold the business in the 1990s. In 1962, Dain & Dill and its affiliate, Lloyd Lumber, joined a consortium of building supply companies that purchased Gold Star Homes, a manufacturer of pre-fabricated houses, house kits and house building plans. Many Gold Star homes were built in the Putnam County vicinity. In April, 1966, the Lloyd Lumber Co. of Patterson purchased the Eaton Kelly Lumber Co. of Brewster, located off NYS Route 6 on Allview Avenue. The transaction was jointly announced by Howard E. Kelley, president of Eaton-Kelley, and Fred Dill, Sr., president of Lloyd Lumber.

The first Lloyd Lumber location was along the east side of the New York Central tracks opposite Front Street. The building was cramped with little storage or selling space. In March, 1965, Lloyd Lumber completed construction of a new, much larger building, located behind the old building, with the entrance on NYS Route 311. The new structure was located approximately on the site of the present Benfield Electric warehouse. The new building used steel trusses to provide a fifty foot clear span, creating a large, 7,500 sq. ft. open selling floor. The Patterson Post Office moved into the old Lloyd space, but only occupied the space for a short time. An adjoining two story building continued to be used by Lloyd for storage. In October, 1967, a fire on the second floor of that building caused considerable damage, but was brought under control in ten minutes by the Patterson Fire Department. The Department arrived quickly with four pieces of equipment and 40 men, and extinguished the blaze which was confined to the 30 foot by 15 foot second floor space. The fire was fed by cardboard shipping cartons containing new cabinets, and the burning cartons created thick smoke. The Pawling Fire Dept. joined the Patterson Dept. after being summoned by a panicked onlooker, according to Patterson Fire Chief William J. Bubenicek.

Fire would destroy Lloyd Lumber again, this time the new store that was built in 1965. The store was rebuilt, but, on July 24, 1975, both the new Lloyd Lumber building and the adjoining Patterson Work Bench furniture store were completely destroyed by a quick moving fire that was reported at 6:30 PM on a Thursday evening. The fire started in the Lloyd building and spread to the furniture store. Firefighters from Patterson, Putnam Lake, Pawling, Brewster, and Lake Carmel responded with 200 men and 19 pieces of equipment. Two men from the Patterson department and two men from the Putnam Lake department were overcome by smoke and taken to the emergency room at Putnam Community Hospital in Carmel. Cleanup began the next day, and Lloyd's employees removed the undamaged goods that were stored outdoors. Lost were the 10,000 sq. ft. showroom, the attached warehouse, all adjoining storage buildings, and the separate building housing the furniture store. The original Lloyd's building was undamaged; it was leased to Turnersons Electric. The Dill's vowed to rebuild, and three months later a building permit was issued for a new, larger Lloyd's store. Fred Dill, Sr. explained that the location was strategic because of the availability of a railroad siding to deliver stock, and the large investment the company had made in the land and the improvements it had made in the property. The new store would be housed in a single 22,000 sq. ft. structure, which would house the showroom and all but the bulkiest stock. The building would be frame construction supported by wood trusses. Construction began in October, 1975.

The new Lloyd Lumber store in Patterson opened February 9, 1976. Ed Mayer was the store manager. Large overhead doors allowed customers to drive into the lumber warehouse to load their vehicles. Sixty foot wood trusses created a large, open area. Construction was plagued by a series of mishaps. The building's architect, working in Cleveland, Ohio, lost the first set of building plans to a flood in his office. The paved area was completed on the last day off operation for the blacktop supplier, which was closing for the winter. The excavator firm, from Poughquag, New York, put every available man on the project in shifts that began at dawn and ended at dusk. The selling floor would be approximately the same size as the former building, but the warehouse space would be greatly increased.

In April, 1978, Philip Buxbaum, Sr., announced that he would close his auto sales showroom on NYS Route 22 in Pawling, and lease the three acre site and 9,000 sq. ft. showroom to Lloyd Lumber. The Pawling and Patterson stores would be consolidated into the new location. The Lloyd Pawling location was the former Coleman Lumber Company on Memorial Avenue. Other Lloyd operations, such as a mechanical shop housed in Carmel, would be consolidated and moved to Pawling. The Patterson store would become a warehouse and distribution center for kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities. Lloyd Lumber was unable to expand its warehouse space in its Brewster location, making the Patterson location, with its adjacent railroad siding, an attractive candidate for Lloyd's growing need for warehouse space.

In the summer of 1979, the Dills sold the Lloyd's chain to the American Maize Company. The Dills were retained by American Maize to manage the Lloyd business. At the end of 1979, Philip Buxbaum, Sr. joined Lloyd Lumber as a vice president in charge of administration. Buxbaum was in charge of the credit, collection, legal, personnel, and security departments. He was a graduate of the University of South Carolina where he earned a degree in business management.

This first ad announces a home show at the store in Patterson, co-sponsored by Dain & Dill. The ad appeared in the Putnam County Courier on May 23, 1957. The photo shows a recently completed Gold Star house on Cornwall Hill Road, in Patterson. This was the third Gold Star home in Patterson owned by the Kessmans, and the fifth owned by a member of the Kessman family. Shown in the picture are Fred Dill, Sr., Mrs. Mildred Towle, manager of Lloyd Lumber in Patterson, Mrs. Bernard Kessman, and Mrs. Albert Kessman. The house was owned by Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Kessman, and was located next to the homes of Bernard's brothers Albert and Martin, and their father, Milton. The photo appeared in the Putnam County Courier on June 7, 1962. By the time the next ad ran in the February 7, 1963 edition of the Courier, Dain & Dill and Lloyd Lumber were affiliates, as indicated on the bottom of the ad. Insulation was featured in the next ad, which appeared in the Courier on November 5, 1964.

Steel trusses are bolted into position as the new Lloyd Lumber showroom and warehouse is assembled on NYS Route 311 in a picture published in the January 7, 1965 edition of the Courier. The next two ads, from the March 25, 1965 and April 1, 1965 editions of the Courier, shows the new location of Lloyd Lumber. In the next photo, appearing in the April 1, 1965 edition of the Courier, John Lane of Kent attracts passing motorists to the Lloyd Lumber grand opening and its policy, of "Cash, Carry, and Save". Wood paneling was offered at a special sale at the Patterson store in this ad from the November 13, 1969 edition of the Courier.

In the next photo, Lloyd's officers Carl Dill and Fred Dill, Jr. examine the debris from the fire that destroyed the Patterson location in July, 1975. The next ad announces a tent sale at the Patterson location, and thanks all the emergency services that helped to fight the blaze.

Lillian S. Mallory's millinery shop was preparing for its March 30, 1902 spring opening in the first ad. A fall and winter clearance sale of millinery goods was featured in the second ad. Both ads ran in the Patterson Weekly News in 1902.

A. E. Nichols was the Patterson agent for the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York, in this ad appearing in the October 1, 1908 edition of the Patterson Weekly News. The home of A. E. Nichols in Patterson is seen in this 1907 postcard published by Patterson's G. S. Williams.

Peter O'Hara was involved in the meat business around the turn of the 20th century. In 1899, he worked for B. Peck and operated a butcher wagon, selling meats in the streets of the village. In July, 1899, O'Hara made news when a sudden thunder storm struck Patterson, and lightning struck the knives O'Hara was using to cut meat for a customer. O'Hara was dazed by the strike and knocked to the ground. The horse team was frightened by the thunderclap, and broke away from the wagon. They raced in panic before being subdued about a half mile away. No one was injured, the horses were safe, and neither the cart nor its contents were damaged. O'Hara had another brush with disaster in March, 1900, when he accidentally severed a portion of his left thumb with a knife. But O'Hara continued in the meat business and operated his own meat wagon. In January, 1904, O'Hara supplemented the cart with a meat market he opened in the grocery store owned by Jacob Stahl, located on Main Street, now known as NYS Route 311. He would be injured again in December, 1926, when a Central New England freight train derailed and exploded. O'Hara and his wife lived in the area in Towners known as Pecks Corners, in a home on the road now known as NYS Route 311, east of the railroad trestle.

Peter O'Hara was a life long Patterson resident, and was born in Patterson on August 16, 1872. He attended Patterson schools, and married Anna Peck in 1908. They had two sons. After leaving the meat business, O'Hara became a farmer. He died in his Towners home on May 28, 1953, after a year long illness. Mrs. O'Hara died July 14, 1958 at the age of 77.

These ads appeared in the Patterson Weekly News in 1903. O'Hara is seen with his meat wagon in an undated photograph. (The Putnam County Historian) O'Hara issued this receipt to the Patterson Grange in June, 1913.