Dean Alvord (December 4, 1856 – April 18, 1941) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

real estate developer, college professor, and philanthropist known for his real estate developments in the

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and in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. He was a relative of both

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and

Aaron Burr Aaron Burr Jr. (February 6, 1756 – September 14, 1836) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the third vice president of the United States from 1801 to 1805. Burr's legacy is defined by his famous personal conflict with Alexand ...

Life and career

Dean Alvord was born in

Syracuse, New York Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, Onondaga County, New York, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in the state of New York following New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffa ...

on December 4, 1856. He graduated from

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...

in 1882. He was a member of Syracuse University's Phi Gamma chapter of the

Delta Kappa Epsilon Delta Kappa Epsilon (), commonly known as ''DKE'' or ''Deke'', is one of the oldest fraternities in the United States, with fifty-six active chapters and five active colonies across North America. It was founded at Yale College in 1844 by fifteen ...

fraternity. Alvord eventually moved to

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

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in order to continue pursuing his career in real estate and development after initially starting his career in

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...

, where he developed a successful neighborhood. Around 1899, Alvord would purchase roughly of farmland in Brooklyn and would soon develop it into a neighborhood called

Prospect Park South Prospect Park South is a small neighborhood in Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York City, located south of Prospect Park. It is included within the Prospect Park South Historic District, which was designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation ...

. He chose the location in part to take advantage of the area's public transportation. Soon afterwards, Alvord developed the Laurelton section of

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

. In the first decade of the 20th century, Alvord began developing the famed community of

Belle Terre Belle Terre is a village in the Town of Brookhaven in Suffolk County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 792 at the 2010 census. History The peninsula on which the community of Belle Terre is ...

Port Jefferson, New York Port Jefferson (informally known as "Port Jeff") is an incorporated village in the town of Brookhaven in Suffolk County, New York, on the North Shore of Long Island. Officially known as the Incorporated Village of Port Jefferson, the population ...

, ca. 1902–1903. In 1905, Alvord purchased and developed a large area in Shinnecock Hills on the eastern end of

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. Following (and as a result of) this purchase, Alvord became the owner of roughly 10% of Long Island's shoreline. Around 1908, Alvord began developing another well-known community,

Roslyn Estates, New York Roslyn Estates is a village in the Town of North Hempstead in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. It is considered part of the Greater Roslyn area, which is anchored by the Incorporated Village of Ros ...

, which was developed with winding roads and ponds. Black Ink Pond, Roslyn Estates, Long Island, New York

Alvord's development corporation went into

receivership In law, receivership is a situation in which an institution or enterprise is held by a receiver—a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights"—especially in ca ...

around 1913. Alvord moved to

Clearwater, Florida Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, United States, northwest of Tampa and St. Petersburg. To the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and to the southeast lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2020 census, the city had a populat ...

in 1913. He moved there intending to retire, but ultimately continued working as a developer; Alvord continued working as a developer until his death. It was during this time when he developed the Harbor Oaks subdivision of Clearwater, which he opened around 1914. The Harbor Oaks subdivision is now a historic district known as the Harbor Oaks Historic District and is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

Clearwater FL Harbor Oaks Res Dist marker01

Alvord was also one of the

Long Island Motor Parkway The Long Island Motor Parkway, also known as the Vanderbilt Parkway, Vanderbilt Motor Parkway, or Motor Parkway, was a roadway on Long Island, New York, in the United States. It was the first roadway designed for automobile use only. The parkway ...

's originators. Additionally, Alvord briefly taught at Syracuse University, where he had previously attended college, and also served as the General Secretary of the

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

YMCA.

Development style

Alvord, who was active in and an advocate for civic improvement and the beautification of streets, was known for making his developments with "park-like atmospheres." He was known for having architects design the homes in his communities to be of various architectural styles, and required that the dwellings built within his communities have setbacks in order to ensure that they all had large front lawns.

Death

Alvord died on April 18, 1941 at the age of 84 at Tampa Hospital in

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

– although some sources state that his death took place in 1937.

Personal life

Alvord was married to Nellie Barnum, who was a descendant of

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795. Born out of wedlock in Charlest ...

. Alvord himself was a direct descendant of

(and was therefore also a distant relative to

) on his mother's side. Alvord had two sons and two daughters. He also had a sister, Emily Feigel.

Notable developments

Belle Terre, New York Belle Terre is a village in the Town of Brookhaven in Suffolk County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 792 at the 2010 census. History The peninsula on which the community of Belle Terre is s ...

* Harbor Oaks, Florida *

Laurelton, Queens Laurelton is a largely middle-class neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens and part of the former town of Jamaica. Merrick Boulevard, which bisects the community in a generally east–west direction, forms its commercial spine. It is b ...

Prospect Park South, Brooklyn Prospect Park South is a small neighborhood in Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York City, located south of Prospect Park. It is included within the Prospect Park South Historic District, which was designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alvord, Dean People from Syracuse, New York People from New York City People from Brooklyn People from Clearwater, Florida Real estate and property developers Syracuse University alumni Syracuse University faculty 1856 births 1941 deaths