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Central Park - Bethpage History at a Glance

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This information is taken from CPHS Newsletters January/ February 2009 - October 2009. Central Park and Bethpage History documented in the following books and periodicals: HARKING BACK by Iris and Alonzo Gibbs; BETHPAGE the years of development 1840 - 1910 by Terence S. Hunt; BETHPAGE 1957 - 1987 A Generation of Growth & Development by Donna Joannou Kunzig; 21st Anniversary of Bethpage 1957 Bethpage Becomes of Age by William Benintendi.

1687 Bethpage Purchase by Thomas Powell from the Marsapeaques, Matinecocs, Secatogues Native Americans for 140 pounds of sterling. Area 3 1/2 miles wide and 5 miles deep. Indians maintain the right to hunt, fish, and gather berries on this land.
1695 Bethpage Purchase Deed executed.
1800 Before 1830 Joshua Hubbs built his home on Stewart Avenue and Farmers Avenue (northeast corner). The house is the oldest standing house in Bethpage in 2012.
1835 First church in the area (Methodist Church) located Hicksville Road end of Central Avenue.
1841 Railroad came through the area.
1841 Population about 33 people.
Between 1847 & 1853 The building later known as the Beau Sejour was built.
1850 First General Store.
1850 The LIRR designated local stop as "Jerusalem Station"
1851 Highway records mention Central Park.
1857 The village officially named Central Park
1857 First Post Office - Jeremiah T. Weaver first postmaster with yearly salary $8.00. Operated from his home 210 Central Avenue.
1858 First one room school house located where Broadway joins Plainview Road. (Area known as Bedelltown)
1867 Post Office named Central Park
1880 George Feuchasel Pickle Works opened on Schneider Lane next to the railroad (south of Nibbie Lane.)
1880 The first hotel built by the Baruth family. Building still standing on east Broadway north of the railroad tracks.
1888 Cider Mill on Stewart Avenue north of the railroad tracks. Run by George Benkert and Adolph Wagner. Later the mill was moved to south of the railroad tracks.
1888 Great Blizzard hit the area.

1896 || 2nd school house was built on south Broadway in the area where the high school athletic fields are located today.

1898 Henry Sengstacken built a house on the east corner of Broadway and Central Avenue. Sold to St. Martin of Tours in 1956.
Late 1800's Central Park Baseball teams were organized.
1900 Baldwin Blacksmith Shop, Stewart Avenue and Baldwin Place till 1924.
1902 The population 375 according to Peter Ross History of Long Island in HARKING BACK.
1908 Bernard Pouchon opened the Beau Sejour.
1908 Ground breaking of the Long Island Motor Parkway on Jerusalem Road, Central Park (today Stewart Avenue and Albergo Ct., Bethpage).
1908 The New York Suburban Realty Co. laid out streets and sponsored special trains from NYC to Central Park on Sundays and holidays.
1908 Central Park was designated a Union Free School District
1910 Central Park first Fire Company.
1910 Fireworks factory located in the area, (today, south of Powell Avenue and east of 135).
1911 Electric lights and telephone lines came to Broadway.
1911 Long Island Motor Parkway ran from Springfield Blvd. Queens to Lake Ronkonkoma - 45 miles.
1911 Powell Avenue School was dedicated.
1912 Henry Sengstacken Lumber and Building Material was established on Seaman Avenue.
1913 First fire house constructed on Stewart Avenue. Designed by Mr. Foster.
-
 1914    The local Democrats formulated a unit in Central Park
1917 St. Martin of Tours Masses held in VFW Hall.
1918 The Wilson Family, became the proprietor of the Beau Sejour. (building razed 1973)
1919 North Central Park Civic Association was organized.
1920 Small business of Gold and Silver Beating established.
1920 Theodore Roosevelt Republican Club - Richard Russell 1st President.
1920 The Methodist Church moved from Hicksville Road to Broadway, south of Central Avenue.
1922 Central Park Pentecostal first congregated.
1922 - 1923 Grange Hall was built on Stewart Avenue south of the Hempstead Turnpike.
1922 The Central Park Mothers Club was formed later to become the Central Park PTA in 1926
1923 Water District was formed.
1924 St. Paul's Lutheran Church was dedicated.
1924 St. Martin of Tours R. C. Church was dedicated.
1925 Nassau County Police Dept. formed.
1926 Boy Scout Troop #118 was organized. O. B. Briggs, Scoutmaster of 25 boys.
1926 The Central Park Free Library was organized.
1927 The Central Park Library was granted a provisional charter
1927 The American Legion Post 86 was founded.
1931 Land was purchased to build the Bethpage State Park from the Yoakum Estate, Botto Farm and other farm land.
1931 Mr. W. Ahern wrote to Robert Moses, Mr. W. Howes and George LeBoutiller requesting name changed from Central Park to Bethpage.
1932 The Bethpage State Park opened.
1933 The Central Park National Bank closed and never reopened.
1936 Name change from Central Park to Bethpage
1936 Grumman came to Bethpage
1940 Police Boys Club was organized.
1941 Francis J. Fox drowned in the area of Powell Avenue (north side) and today Seaford Oyster Bay Expressway (135).
12/7/41 Dedication of Grumman Plant #2 was suspended due to bombing of Pearl Harbor and the Grumman plants were secured for now we were at war!
War Years Camp Edwards Army Base located north of Cherry Avenue and west of today's Seaford Oyster Bay Expressway (135).
1941 The Bethpage Aircraft Federal Credit Union opened to serve Grumman employees. Today known as the Bethpage Federal Credit Union.
1941 Ladies Auxiliary of the Bethpage Fire Department formed.
1941 Bethpage Tool and Hardware opened.
1946 VFW - Butehorn Brothers Post 4987 was organized.
1949 Bethpage fire house constructed on Broadway.
1950 Emils Nursery opened on Stewart Avenue
1950 Bethpage Drive in Movie-Hempstead Turnpike. Cosed to make room for Seaford Oyster Bay Expressway.
1969 July 20th, man landed on the moon in the space craft designed and built by Grumman Aerospace.
1973 Bethpage Against Drug Addiction (BADA) formed.
1973 Beau Sejour was razed.
1974 Walkabout House on Broadway opened to service young people in need.
1974 BADA became known as PEOPLE
1074 Saint Isidoros Helenic Orthodox Church.came to Bethpage.
1982 Nassau Chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America formed.
1986 Bethpage Central Civic Association formed.
1988 Bethpage Community Foundation formed.
1990 Bethpage Chamber of Commerce formed - February 27, 1990
1990 The Central Park Historical Society received its Provisional Charter.
1990 1st Bethpage Day celebrated. A proclamation from the TOB - First Saturday in October to be known as "Bethpage Day".
1994 Grumman taken over by Northrop.
1995 Senior Housing opens on Powell Avenue known as Central Park Estates.
1995 St. Martin of Tours RC Church closed for renovations (spreading our wings).
1996 St. Martin of Tours Church reopened and dedicated..
1996 Sunny Lane Senior Housing opened.
1999 Apollo Senior Housing opened.
1999 Bethpage Post Office moved to Hicksville Road..
2002 U. S. Golf Open played at Bethpage State Park.
2002 St. Paul's Lutheran Church was set on fire by a lightening bolt, and did extensive damage..
2004 St. Paul's Lutheran Church reopened.
2005 Starbucks Coffee house came to Bethpage (stewart Avenue north of Hempstead Turnpike).
2008 The decomissioned Grumman F-14 Fighter Jet was put on permanent display at Northrop/Grumman Headquaters.
2009 TOB enclosed ice skating rink opened at the Bethpage Community Park.
2009 The U. S. Golf Open returns to Bethpage State Park.
2010 Morrelly Homeland Security Center came to Bethpage, located in the once office space of Grumman Plant #5.
2010 Grumman Studio took over Grumman Plant #5 (where the LEM was built).
2012 Barclays Golf Open took place, in August, on the Bethpage State Park Black Course
2012 Bethpage-Central Park Kiwanis received its Charter on October 1, 2012
2012 Unveiling of the Bethpage 9-11 Memorial on October 5, 2012