Below are a couple of old photos of the patio that would likely be of interest to many! Yeah, it’s actually a deck, but still everyone called it the patio! I was showing some folks these photos at the picnic and it was mind blowing for those who remember it and instructive to those who never knew about it.
You occasionally hear of the “parking lot beach” (Hill Association) referred to as the “patio beach”. Old timers still call it that because there was once this wood deck in the dunes at beach. Actually it existed over what is now the beach and there were dunes beyond it and beach beyond that. The current concrete pathway existed back then and went farther out. From there the pathway turned west at an angle, then a wooden ramp went up out to the deck. As kids we’d ride our bikes up on the deck to get a visual of the beach condition to report back home!
In this photo you can see in the distance the former GH Beach Club Building. It pretty much looked like that until hurricane Sandy destroyed it. The contemporary house to the right of that in the photo, was remodeled in the last 10-15 years and is now the green colonial at the foot of Rose Briar.
My Dad, John Graf, took these pictures as slides around 1982 and what you see here are just photos I took of those slide projected images, so not the best quality. Based on what I can figure, I believe the old wood “patio” was gone by the late 80’s. But I’m sure others will remember more of that story and maybe posting these pictures will help get people talking and remembering “the rest of the story”. Perhaps even dig up some better photos of it!
-Scott Graf
Green Hill Civic Association 