Is There a Doctor in the House?-EARLY "Good Doctors" of Southold

By Danny McCarthy

There were earlier practices where doctors actually made house calls in Southold. Two of them happened to be Dr. Joseph M. Hartranft and Dr. Harry E. Stevens. Let’s pay a tribute!

According to a 1932 Traveler article, Dr. Joseph M. Hartranft was born at Penn’s Grove in New Jersey on July 31, 1857. His early education was at the home schools in Penn’s Grove. Having completed his preparatory education, Joseph M. Hartranft commenced the study of medicine with his brother, Dr. John E. Hartranft, a practicing physician in Riverhead. He studied under his brother’s supervision and entered a medical college in Philadelphia. Joseph M. Hartranft graduated on March 10, 1879 and then opened an office in Southold where he had a successful career. Dr. Joseph M. Hartranft was for 40 years one of the leading physicians on the North Fork. He served as coroner and health officer of Southold Town and retired from active practice in 1919.

His first wife was Mary E. Beckwith, daughter of retired Southold sea captain S. A. Beckwith. Millie Allen of Fulton, NY was his second wife who died in 1929. Dr. Joseph M. Hartranft was survived at the time of his death in 1932 by one daughter, Hettie M. Stevens; one son, Joseph B. Hartranft of Garden City; and one grandson, Joseph Hartranft 3rd.

Rose Case Newell wrote in her book about Peconic titled A Rose of the Nineties that there was no hospital on the East End in 1900. Dr. Joseph Hartranft would be on his way to a patient by horse and buggy and was known as a wonderful old-time general practitioner. Dr. Hartranft delivered more than 3,000 babies in his time. Rose Case Newell remembered the doctor having a bushy beard and moustache and that he wore an ankle-length bearskin coat and seal-skin cap that was turned down over his ears. A bill from Dr. Hartranft was found in Rose Case Newell’s grandfather’s desk dated 1888 which listed a house call costing $1; an office call, fifty cents; and medicine, $1.25.

Funeral services for Dr. Joseph M. Hartranft were held at his residence in Southold Village. Southold Presbyterian Church pastor Rev. William Lloyd of the Southold Presbyterian Church, Rev. E. W. Howell (pastor of the Southold Methodist Church of which Dr. Hartranft was a member), and former pastor of the Southold Universalist Church, Rev. Abram Conklin, officiated.

Dr. Stevens was born on October 23, 1881 in Cape May, New Jersey. He was the son of Capt. Daniel E. Stevens and Harriet Eldredge who were descendants of Cape May’s early families. His preliminary education was at Bellefonte Academy, an old Pennsylvania school, after which he entered Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia and graduated in 1906. He practiced medicine in the State of New Jersey in Cape May which met an interstate reciprocal requirement enabling him to practice in the State of New York.

He met Hettie Hartranft who was graduating from the Broad Street Conservatory of Music in Philadelphia while he was training at Jefferson Medical College. Their marriage took place in 1907 in the Southold village home of Dr. Joseph M. Hartranft. That same year Dr. Stevens built and established his home and office in Jamesport where he practiced for 12 years. The Stevenses moved to Southold in 1919 where they took up residence in the old house built by Capt. Sherburne A. Beckwith, Mrs. Stevens’ grandfather. The old house and office where Dr. Stevens was located in Southold still stands on the corner of Main Road and what is now known as Beckwith Avenue.

A 50-year member of the Masonic Lodge in Riverhead, Dr. Stevens practiced medicine until his last year. He passed away in August of 1963. He was survived by his wife, Hettie Hartranft Stevens; a sister, Ida Stevenson of Haddonfield, NJ; and three nephews. Funeral services were held at the Southold Methodist Church with the Rev. Ben Burns officiating. Interment was in the Willow Hill Cemetery in Southold. Arrangements were under the direction of the DeFriest Funeral Home.

Dr. Stevens was known for sound judgment. His doctoring profession lasted for 56 years in Southold. Forty-five of those years at his home and office called “The House by the Side of the Road.” You might say it had that old country charm and so did the good doctor!

Six hundred friends of Dr. Harry E. Stevens attended a birthday party in his honor on October 23, 1950 at the Southold high school. John Ulp led community singing before the guests arrived. The traditional “Happy Birthday” song was delivered in a full-voice rendition as the doctor and his wife arrived. Master of ceremonies was Russell Davison and he introduced Rensselaer G. Terry Sr. who offered greetings and congratulations. Mr. Terry presented a guest book that was signed by everyone present as well as a beautiful watercolor of the familiar white house on the corner of Beckwith Avenue by artist Joseph di Gemma. Mr. Davison shared an item that was in the guest book by Dr. H. Robinson Shipherd who wrote a tribute to Dr. Stevens on the opening page. Mrs. Stevens was paid a just tribute by Mrs. Ann Currie-Bell. Rev. C. E. Wells shared a composition which gave gratitude to Dr. Stevens for his service to the people of the North Fork. John Ulp played a song titled I Shall Not Pass This Way Again which ended the program. A two-tiered birthday cake by the Southold Bakery was then brought in with flaming candles just as the auditorium darkened. Most of the 600 present could have had a slice and supposedly most of them did. There was a blowing out of the candles and afterward was camaraderie with each person extending their best wishes to the doctor and his wife.

Among the organizations instrumental in getting Dr. Stevens’ friends notified were the Southold Rotary Club, Griswold-Terry-Glover Post, American Legion and its Auxiliary Unit, the Southold Grange, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.), the Tuesday Club, Southold Rebekahs, Custer Institute, and the Southold Fire Department. The Universalist Church, Presbyterian Church, St. Patrick’s Church, the Methodist Church, and the Shiloh Baptist Church were also contacted. The friendship and good-will never be forgotten.