Merillon Avenue (LIRR station)
Encyclopedia
Merillon Avenue is a train station on the Main Line
(Port Jefferson Branch
service) of the Long Island Rail Road
. It is located at Nassau Boulevard and Merillon Avenue in Garden City
. The station is wheelchair accessible
with two side platform
s and a crossunder at Nassau Boulevard.
. By 1845 it was used only when courts were in session. From 1874-1876, the station was named "Garden City", despite the fact that Alexander Turney Stewart
had already established a Garden City Station
along the Central Railroad of Long Island
in 1872. The previous site of the courthouse was moved in 1877 and the station fell by the wayside, although some trains continued to stop there as late as June 1897. Though re-established as a station in 1911, the station house itself was not built until 1912. It was rebuilt in 1958 with a smaller structure and an 11'6" bridge under the tracks for Nassau Boulevard.
to Hicksville
on December 7, 1993, when Colin Ferguson opened gunfire at passengers who were White or Asian. Six people died and 19 others were wounded. Carolyn McCarthy
, whose husband was killed and whose son was seriously injured in the tragedy, pressed for tougher gun control
laws and was elected to the United States House of Representatives
in 1996. There are often memorial wreaths on the platform at the head of the Eastbound tracks of the station on the anniversaries of the incident.
s, each the length of ten railway cars. The northern platform, next to Track 1, is generally used by westbound or New York City
-bound trains. The southern platform, next to Track 2, is generally used by eastbound trains. The Main Line has two tracks.
Main Line (Long Island Rail Road)
The Main Line is a rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. It begins in Long Island City and runs along the middle of Long Island about 95 miles to Greenport...
(Port Jefferson Branch
Port Jefferson Branch
The Port Jefferson Branch is a rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The branch splits from the Main Line just east of Hicksville and runs northeast and east to Port Jefferson...
service) of the Long Island Rail Road
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
. It is located at Nassau Boulevard and Merillon Avenue in Garden City
Garden City, New York
Garden City is a village in the town of Hempstead in central Nassau County, New York, in the United States. It was founded by multi-millionaire Alexander Turney Stewart in 1869, and is located on Long Island, to the east of New York City, from mid-town Manhattan, and just south of the town of...
. The station is wheelchair accessible
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a law that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990. It was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush, and later amended with changes effective January 1, 2009....
with two side platform
Side platform
A Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...
s and a crossunder at Nassau Boulevard.
History
Merillon Avenue Station was established in 1911 near the former Clowesville Station, which was established in June 1837 by the Brooklyn and Jamaica Railroad. It was the closest LIRR station to the old Queens County courthouse (Nassau County became a separate county in 1899, splitting off from Queens County) off Jericho TurnpikeNew York State Route 25
New York State Route 25 is an east–west state highway in downstate New York in the United States. The route extends for just over from east midtown Manhattan in New York City to the Cross Sound Ferry terminal at Orient Point on the end of Long Island's North Fork...
. By 1845 it was used only when courts were in session. From 1874-1876, the station was named "Garden City", despite the fact that Alexander Turney Stewart
Alexander Turney Stewart
Alexander Turney Stewart was a successful Irish American entrepreneur who made his multi-million fortune in what was at the time the most extensive and lucrative dry goods business in the world....
had already established a Garden City Station
Garden City (LIRR station)
Garden City is one of five stations of the Long Island Rail Road that serves the Village of Garden City, New York. It is on the Hempstead Branch and is located at Seventh Street between Hilton and Cathedral Avenues, directly across the street from the Garden City Hotel. It is one of the few Long...
along the Central Railroad of Long Island
Central Railroad of Long Island
Central Railroad of Long Island is a former railroad on Long Island built by Alexander Turney Stewart, who was also the founder of Garden City. The railroad was established in 1871, was merged with the Flushing and North Side Railroad in 1874 to form the Flushing, North Shore, and Central Railroad,...
in 1872. The previous site of the courthouse was moved in 1877 and the station fell by the wayside, although some trains continued to stop there as late as June 1897. Though re-established as a station in 1911, the station house itself was not built until 1912. It was rebuilt in 1958 with a smaller structure and an 11'6" bridge under the tracks for Nassau Boulevard.
LIRR massacre
The Merillon Avenue station was the final stop on the 5:33 train from Penn StationPennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
to Hicksville
Hicksville (LIRR station)
Hicksville is a station on the Main Line of the Long Island Rail Road located in Hicksville, New York. It is the busiest station east of Jamaica by combined weekday/weekend ridership...
on December 7, 1993, when Colin Ferguson opened gunfire at passengers who were White or Asian. Six people died and 19 others were wounded. Carolyn McCarthy
Carolyn McCarthy
Carolyn McCarthy is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is located in central Long Island in west-central Nassau County and includes Mineola, the Five Towns, East Rockaway, Rockville Centre, Oceanside, Garden City, Hempstead,...
, whose husband was killed and whose son was seriously injured in the tragedy, pressed for tougher gun control
Gun control
Gun control is any law, policy, practice, or proposal designed to restrict or limit the possession, production, importation, shipment, sale, and/or use of guns or other firearms by private citizens...
laws and was elected to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
in 1996. There are often memorial wreaths on the platform at the head of the Eastbound tracks of the station on the anniversaries of the incident.
Platforms and tracks
This station has two high-level side platformSide platform
A Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...
s, each the length of ten railway cars. The northern platform, next to Track 1, is generally used by westbound or New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
-bound trains. The southern platform, next to Track 2, is generally used by eastbound trains. The Main Line has two tracks.