Old Bethpage, New York
Encyclopedia
Old Bethpage is a hamlet (and census-designated place
) located on Long Island
in the Town of Oyster Bay
, Nassau County, New York
, USA
. The population of the CDP was 5,523 at the 2010 census.
It is served by the Old Bethpage Post Office, ZIP code 11804.
Old Bethpage and its neighboring hamlet, Plainview
, share a school system, library, fire department and water district. Law enforcement for the community is provided by the Nassau County Police Department's
Eighth Precinct.
, for 140 English pounds. This land, which includes present day Bethpage
, East Farmingdale, Farmingdale
, Old Bethpage, Plainedge, Plainview
, South Farmingdale, and part of Melville, is known as the Bethpage Purchase and is approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km) east to west and 5 miles (8 km) north to south.
Powell called his land Bethphage
, because it was situated between two other places on Long Island, Jericho
and Jerusalem
, just as the biblical town of Bethphage (meaning "house of figs") was situated between Jericho
and Jerusalem in Israel. Today, the Long Island place formerly called Jerusalem is known as Wantagh and Island Trees
, while the placename Jericho is unaltered. Over time, Bethpage was spelled without the second "H". Powell's 14 children split up his purchase and it evolved into several farming communities, and the one in this mostly central part of the purchase retained the name "Bethpage".
A railroad spur completed in 1873, known as the Bethpage Branch
of the Central Railroad of Long Island,
ran to a brickworks plant which had opened in Old Bethpage in the 1860s. The railway was built to transport bricks for the construction of Alexander Stewart's
Garden City
.
For a few years, regularly scheduled passenger traffic also appeared in timetables, with the station being called Bethpage. The line was abandoned in 1942. Remnants of a locomotive turntable can be found in the woods of Bethpage State Park
on the east side of Round Swamp Road.
The brickyard continued operations under different owners until 1981, with different sections known variously as Bethpage Brickworks, Queens County Brick Manufacturing Company, Post Brick Company, and (after Nassau County split from Queens County in 1899) Nassau Brick Company.
The pitted terrain at the brickworks was used in investigations by Grumman for digital mapping of Earth.
In 1908, William Kissam Vanderbilt II
began construction of the Long Island Motor Parkway
, one of the country's first highways. Eventually stretching 45 miles (72.4 km) from Queens, New York to Lake Ronkonkoma, New York
, a portion of the parkway ran through Old Bethpage. Street names such as "Vanderbilt Lane", "Motor Parkway" and "Toll Place" serve as reminders. Segments of the old roadbed and some bridges can still be seen in some places, including Battle Row Campground, Bethpage State Park
, and the Old Bethpage Village Restoration.
In 1932, under the auspices of Long Island State Parks Commissioner, Robert Moses
, Bethpage State Park
, was opened. The park and its 1400 acres (5.7 km²) is almost entirely within the hamlet of Old Bethpage. In 1936, the adjacent hamlet of Central Park changed its name to Bethpage
.
Following this name change, the hamlet originally called Bethpage resisted suggestions that it merge with the new Bethpage, and got approval from the post office to change its name to Old Bethpage, though it did not have its own post office until 1965.
Bethpage State Park remained so named, leading some to mistakenly believe that the park is located mostly in Bethpage.
Old Bethpage was home to at least two grand estates, the Benjamin Franklin Yoakum Estate and the Taliaferro Estate.
As tuberculosis was brought under control, the complex of Georgian style buildings was closed in the 1960s.
Following its closure, the facility was given over to mixed use, including the establishment of a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in 1976, and a branch of the Cornell Cooperative Extension
.
In 1999, Charles Wang
, founder of Computer Associates purchased the 144 acre (0.58274784 km²) property from the county for $23 million.
Included in the purchase was 1535 Old Country Road, which now houses the corporate offices of the New York Islanders
and New York Dragons
, both of which are owned by Wang. In addition, the building is home to the Wang-created, Plainview Chinese Cultural Center.
In 1960, responding to Nassau County's rapid suburban expansion, the county announced plans for the development of the Nassau County Fire Service Academy. Located on Winding Road, the academy provides provides training to all Nassau County fire departments.
For the 2000 Census, the boundaries of the CDP were enlarged beyond those of the 1990 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, Old Bethpage has a total area of 4.1 square miles (10.6 km²). Although Plainview, at 5.7 square miles (14.8 km²) is 40% larger, its population is approximately five times that of Old Bethpage because significant portions of Old Bethpage consist of parks and undeveloped property, including, Bethpage State Park, the Old Bethpage Village Restoration and Battle Row Campground.
there were 5,400 people, 1,834 households, and 1,557 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 1,311.4 per square mile (506.1/km²). There were 1,843 housing units at an average density of 447.6/sq mi (172.7/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.57% White, 1.19% African American, 0.04% Native American, 2.94% Asian, 0.35% from other races
, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.93% of the population.
There were 1,834 households out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.6% were married couples
living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.1% were non-families. 13.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $89,771, and the median income for a family was $100,325. Males had a median income of $67,917 versus $40,353 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $34,666. About 2.4% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.
. This school district contains one high school
, two middle schools, four elementary schools and a kindergarten center. Of these schools, the only one located in Old Bethpage proper is Old Bethpage Elementary School.
Old Bethpage also had its own two room school house named the Little Red Schoolhouse. This building, which stood until the 1970s, was located on Schoolhouse Road, just off of Round Swamp Road. The building was torn down and the property developed into several houses.
Old Bethpage contains Bethpage State Park which has five golf courses, the most famous of which is the Black Course, where the US Open was held in 2002 and again in 2009.
. Opened in 1963, on a former Powell family farm, the restoration is an authentic recreation of a mid-19th century Long Island
village. The complex includes farmhouses, a blacksmith, general store, cobbler, school house and churches, all of which were moved to the site from other locations on Long Island and then restored to period condition. In 2009, the Restoration became one of six Nassau County museums slated to be closed as a result of the county's impending budget shortfall. However, as a result of strong public opposition, the museum opened on April 1, 2009.
Old Bethpage was home to one movie theater, located in the Tru-Value Shopping Center. This theater initially showed first or second run movies. However, in the 1970s it began to show pornographic movies until community protests forced the theater to revert to its original general commercial offerings. The theater eventually closed and remained vacant for a number of years until it was reopened as a live action theater known as the Plaza Playhouse. The Playhouse remained in Old Bethpage until June 2010, when it moved to a new strip mall on Old Country Road. The space is now vacant again.
Old Bethpage is home to "Skate Safe of America", which provides facilities for roller hockey and other indoor sports.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
) located on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
in the Town of Oyster Bay
Town of Oyster Bay, New York
Oyster Bay, New York can refer to:* Oyster Bay , New York* Oyster Bay , New York* Oyster Bay , New York, also Oyster Bay Harbor, an inlet on the north shore of Long Island, New York...
, Nassau County, New York
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population of the CDP was 5,523 at the 2010 census.
It is served by the Old Bethpage Post Office, ZIP code 11804.
Old Bethpage and its neighboring hamlet, Plainview
Plainview, New York
Plainview is a hamlet located on Long Island in the town of Oyster Bay, Nassau County, New York, USA. The population of the CDP as of 2010 was 26,217. The Plainview post office has the ZIP code 11803....
, share a school system, library, fire department and water district. Law enforcement for the community is provided by the Nassau County Police Department's
Nassau County Police Department
The Nassau County Police Department is the law enforcement agency of Nassau County, New York.-History:In 1925, concerned about rising crime rates, the County Board of Supervisors voted to create the Nassau County Police Department, replacing a scattered system of constables and town and village...
Eighth Precinct.
History
In 1695, Thomas Powell bought about 10000 acres (40.5 km²) from local Indian tribes, including the Marsapeque, Matinecoc, and SacatogueMetoac
Metoac is the collective name for the group of culturally and linguistically related Native American settlements roughly east of what is now the Nassau County line on, Long Island in New York at the time of European contact in the 17th century. Metoac does not specifically refer to political,...
, for 140 English pounds. This land, which includes present day Bethpage
Bethpage
*Bethphage - was a place in ancient Israel, mentioned as the place from which Jesus sent the disciples to find a donkey and a colt with her upon which he would ride into Jerusalem...
, East Farmingdale, Farmingdale
Farmingdale, New York
The Village of Farmingdale is an incorporated village on Long Island within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York in the United States...
, Old Bethpage, Plainedge, Plainview
Plainview, New York
Plainview is a hamlet located on Long Island in the town of Oyster Bay, Nassau County, New York, USA. The population of the CDP as of 2010 was 26,217. The Plainview post office has the ZIP code 11803....
, South Farmingdale, and part of Melville, is known as the Bethpage Purchase and is approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km) east to west and 5 miles (8 km) north to south.
Powell called his land Bethphage
Bethphage
Bethphage was a place in ancient Israel, mentioned as the place from which Jesus sent the disciples to find a donkey and a colt with her upon which he would ride into Jerusalem....
, because it was situated between two other places on Long Island, Jericho
Jericho, New York
Jericho is a hamlet in Nassau County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2010 Census, the CDP population was 13,567. The area is served by the Jericho Union Free School District, the boundaries of which differ somewhat from those of the hamlet...
and Jerusalem
Wantagh, New York
Wantagh is a hamlet and census-designated place in Nassau County, New York, United States...
, just as the biblical town of Bethphage (meaning "house of figs") was situated between Jericho
Jericho
Jericho ; is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate and has a population of more than 20,000. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently...
and Jerusalem in Israel. Today, the Long Island place formerly called Jerusalem is known as Wantagh and Island Trees
Island Trees Union Free School District
Island Trees Union Free School District is a school district in central Nassau County on Long Island, approximately 31 miles east of New York City. The district includes parts of the following hamlets; Levittown, Bethpage and Seaford....
, while the placename Jericho is unaltered. Over time, Bethpage was spelled without the second "H". Powell's 14 children split up his purchase and it evolved into several farming communities, and the one in this mostly central part of the purchase retained the name "Bethpage".
A railroad spur completed in 1873, known as the Bethpage Branch
Bethpage Branch
The Bethpage Branch was a branch of the Long Island Rail Road , running from the present-day split between the Ronkonkoma Branch and Central Branch north about 1¾ miles to present-day Old Bethpage, New York.This branch was originally built by the Central Railroad of Long Island in...
of the Central Railroad of Long Island,
ran to a brickworks plant which had opened in Old Bethpage in the 1860s. The railway was built to transport bricks for the construction of Alexander Stewart's
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....
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...
.
For a few years, regularly scheduled passenger traffic also appeared in timetables, with the station being called Bethpage. The line was abandoned in 1942. Remnants of a locomotive turntable can be found in the woods of Bethpage State Park
Bethpage State Park
Bethpage State Park is a New York state park on the border of Nassau County and Suffolk County on Long Island. The park contains tennis courts, picnic and recreational areas and a polo field, but is best known for its five golf courses, including the Bethpage Black Course, which hosted the 2002...
on the east side of Round Swamp Road.
The brickyard continued operations under different owners until 1981, with different sections known variously as Bethpage Brickworks, Queens County Brick Manufacturing Company, Post Brick Company, and (after Nassau County split from Queens County in 1899) Nassau Brick Company.
The pitted terrain at the brickworks was used in investigations by Grumman for digital mapping of Earth.
In 1908, William Kissam Vanderbilt II
William Kissam Vanderbilt II
William Kissam Vanderbilt II was a motor racing enthusiast and yachtsman and a member of the prominent United States Vanderbilt family.-Biography:...
began construction of the Long Island Motor Parkway
Long Island Motor Parkway
The Long Island Motor Parkway , also known as the Vanderbilt Parkway and Motor Parkway, was the first roadway designed for automobile use only. It was privately built by William Kissam Vanderbilt with overpasses and bridges to remove intersections...
, one of the country's first highways. Eventually stretching 45 miles (72.4 km) from Queens, New York to Lake Ronkonkoma, New York
Lake Ronkonkoma, New York
Lake Ronkonkoma is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 19,701 at the 2000 census.Lake Ronkonkoma is located in the town of Brookhaven, but has small sections in the Town of Smithtown....
, a portion of the parkway ran through Old Bethpage. Street names such as "Vanderbilt Lane", "Motor Parkway" and "Toll Place" serve as reminders. Segments of the old roadbed and some bridges can still be seen in some places, including Battle Row Campground, Bethpage State Park
Bethpage State Park
Bethpage State Park is a New York state park on the border of Nassau County and Suffolk County on Long Island. The park contains tennis courts, picnic and recreational areas and a polo field, but is best known for its five golf courses, including the Bethpage Black Course, which hosted the 2002...
, and the Old Bethpage Village Restoration.
In 1932, under the auspices of Long Island State Parks Commissioner, Robert Moses
Robert Moses
Robert Moses was the "master builder" of mid-20th century New York City, Long Island, Rockland County, and Westchester County, New York. As the shaper of a modern city, he is sometimes compared to Baron Haussmann of Second Empire Paris, and is one of the most polarizing figures in the history of...
, Bethpage State Park
Bethpage State Park
Bethpage State Park is a New York state park on the border of Nassau County and Suffolk County on Long Island. The park contains tennis courts, picnic and recreational areas and a polo field, but is best known for its five golf courses, including the Bethpage Black Course, which hosted the 2002...
, was opened. The park and its 1400 acres (5.7 km²) is almost entirely within the hamlet of Old Bethpage. In 1936, the adjacent hamlet of Central Park changed its name to Bethpage
Bethpage, New York
Bethpage is a hamlet located on Long Island within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, United States, as well as a census-designated place with borders slightly different from those of the hamlet...
.
Following this name change, the hamlet originally called Bethpage resisted suggestions that it merge with the new Bethpage, and got approval from the post office to change its name to Old Bethpage, though it did not have its own post office until 1965.
Bethpage State Park remained so named, leading some to mistakenly believe that the park is located mostly in Bethpage.
Old Bethpage was home to at least two grand estates, the Benjamin Franklin Yoakum Estate and the Taliaferro Estate.
- The former estate of railroad tycoon Benjamin F. Yoakum included land in both Old Bethpage and the Lenox Hills neighborhood of Farmingdale Village. It was this estate that was transformed into Bethpage State Park.
- The Taliaferro Estate is now the site of the Nassau County Office Complex, located between the split of Old Country Road and Round Swamp Road, and was once home to the Nassau County Sanitarium, a tuberculosis ward. The sanitarium was authorized by the Nassau County Board of SupervisorsNassau County, New YorkNassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
in 1930, and was completed in the early part of the same decade.
As tuberculosis was brought under control, the complex of Georgian style buildings was closed in the 1960s.
Following its closure, the facility was given over to mixed use, including the establishment of a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in 1976, and a branch of the Cornell Cooperative Extension
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
.
In 1999, Charles Wang
Charles Wang
Charles B. Wang is the co-founder of Computer Associates International, Inc. and owner of the New York Islanders ice hockey team and their AHL affiliates, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers....
, founder of Computer Associates purchased the 144 acre (0.58274784 km²) property from the county for $23 million.
Included in the purchase was 1535 Old Country Road, which now houses the corporate offices of the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and New York Dragons
New York Dragons
The New York Dragons were an Arena Football League team based in the New York metropolitan area. The team was founded in as the original incarnation of the Iowa Barnstormers, and relocated to New York in . They played in New York until 2008, when the league folded...
, both of which are owned by Wang. In addition, the building is home to the Wang-created, Plainview Chinese Cultural Center.
In 1960, responding to Nassau County's rapid suburban expansion, the county announced plans for the development of the Nassau County Fire Service Academy. Located on Winding Road, the academy provides provides training to all Nassau County fire departments.
Geography
Old Bethpage is located at 40°45′43"N 73°27′16"W (40.761819, -73.454544).For the 2000 Census, the boundaries of the CDP were enlarged beyond those of the 1990 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, Old Bethpage has a total area of 4.1 square miles (10.6 km²). Although Plainview, at 5.7 square miles (14.8 km²) is 40% larger, its population is approximately five times that of Old Bethpage because significant portions of Old Bethpage consist of parks and undeveloped property, including, Bethpage State Park, the Old Bethpage Village Restoration and Battle Row Campground.
Demographics of the CDP
As of the 2000 United States Census,there were 5,400 people, 1,834 households, and 1,557 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,311.4 per square mile (506.1/km²). There were 1,843 housing units at an average density of 447.6/sq mi (172.7/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.57% White, 1.19% African American, 0.04% Native American, 2.94% Asian, 0.35% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.93% of the population.
There were 1,834 households out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.1% were non-families. 13.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.88 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $89,771, and the median income for a family was $100,325. Males had a median income of $67,917 versus $40,353 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $34,666. About 2.4% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.
School System
Old Bethpage's school system is the Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School DistrictPlainview-Old Bethpage Central School District
The Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District is the public school district which serves the Nassau County, Long Island community of Plainview and Old Bethpage, as well a small part of Farmingdale.-Mission:...
. This school district contains one high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, two middle schools, four elementary schools and a kindergarten center. Of these schools, the only one located in Old Bethpage proper is Old Bethpage Elementary School.
Old Bethpage also had its own two room school house named the Little Red Schoolhouse. This building, which stood until the 1970s, was located on Schoolhouse Road, just off of Round Swamp Road. The building was torn down and the property developed into several houses.
Parks
Old Bethpage has a number of community parks tucked in between its homes. For residents, the primary park is the Old Bethpage Park, located on Haypath Road. This park features two tennis courts, baseball and softball fields, a basketball court, playgrounds and a community center. For out-of-towners, the town is also home to the Battle Row Campground, which provides accommodations for trailers and tent camping on its 44 acres (178,061.8 m²).Old Bethpage contains Bethpage State Park which has five golf courses, the most famous of which is the Black Course, where the US Open was held in 2002 and again in 2009.
Entertainment
Old Bethpage is home to the Old Bethpage Village RestorationOld Bethpage Village Restoration
The Old Bethpage Village Restoration is a recreated living museum village in Old Bethpage, New York. The village opened in 1970 with dozens of historic structures that had been saved from demolition by Nassau County. Costumed actors provide demonstrations of 19th century life. Major funding...
. Opened in 1963, on a former Powell family farm, the restoration is an authentic recreation of a mid-19th century Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
village. The complex includes farmhouses, a blacksmith, general store, cobbler, school house and churches, all of which were moved to the site from other locations on Long Island and then restored to period condition. In 2009, the Restoration became one of six Nassau County museums slated to be closed as a result of the county's impending budget shortfall. However, as a result of strong public opposition, the museum opened on April 1, 2009.
Old Bethpage was home to one movie theater, located in the Tru-Value Shopping Center. This theater initially showed first or second run movies. However, in the 1970s it began to show pornographic movies until community protests forced the theater to revert to its original general commercial offerings. The theater eventually closed and remained vacant for a number of years until it was reopened as a live action theater known as the Plaza Playhouse. The Playhouse remained in Old Bethpage until June 2010, when it moved to a new strip mall on Old Country Road. The space is now vacant again.
Sports
Hawks Youth Lacrosse is the local Boys and Girls Youth Lacrosse organization for Plainview-Old Bethpage with teams playing in the Nassau County PAL League.www.hawkslax.orgOld Bethpage is home to "Skate Safe of America", which provides facilities for roller hockey and other indoor sports.
Miscellany
- Brian MandelbaumBrian MandelbaumBrian Mandelbaum, was a contestant on the NBC TV Show The Apprentice, in the fourth season. He was fired by Donald Trump in the 8th week of the show along with his teammate Marshawn Evans.- Biography :...
, Apprentice television show candidate and businessman, grew up in Old Bethpage.
- Daniel MendelsohnDaniel Mendelsohn-Life and career:Mendelsohn was born on Long Island. He graduated with a B. A. in Classics from the University of Virginia, which he attended from 1978 to 1982 as an Echols Scholar, and received his M. A. and Ph. D. in Classics from Princeton University, where he was a Mellon Fellow in the...
, author, critic, and professor.
- Eric MendelsohnEric MendelsohnEric Mendelsohn is an American film director and screenwriter. Two of his films have been screened in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes: Through an Open Window in 1992 and Judy Berlin in 1999., which won the Directing Award at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival...
(Judy Berlin, 1999 which was shot in Old Bethpage) grew up in Old Bethpage.
- John SavageJohn Savage (actor)John Savage is an American film actor, producer, production manager, and composer.- Acting career :...
, actor, was born in Old Bethpage.
- Guy Selvester, Catholic clergyman and noted expert in heraldryHeraldryHeraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
grew up in Old Bethpage.
- Prior to its development as a suburb, the area that is now Lark Avenue roughly between Belair Drive and Lee Place, was once a shooting range.
- The stretch of undeveloped land which starts in Bethpage State ParkBethpage State ParkBethpage State Park is a New York state park on the border of Nassau County and Suffolk County on Long Island. The park contains tennis courts, picnic and recreational areas and a polo field, but is best known for its five golf courses, including the Bethpage Black Course, which hosted the 2002...
and crosses Haypath Road, Old Bethpage Road and Old Country Road, was originally purchased as a right of way by the State of New York, for a proposed extension of the Bethpage State ParkwayBethpage State ParkwayThe Bethpage State Parkway is a 2.49 mile long state parkway in Nassau County, New York, United States. Its southern end is an interchange with the Southern State Parkway, and its northern end is a traffic circle within Bethpage State Park. In between are three interchanges that service...
to the Long Island Expressway. The intersection of these two roads would have been Exit 47 on the Expressway. There is still no Exit 47, with the LIE skipping from Exit 46 to Exit 48. This land is currently set aside by New York State as permanent park land and is now designated as Trailview State Park.
- Bethpage State Park is actually located mostly in Old Bethpage, not Bethpage, with small parts of its "Black Course" located in Melville and East Farmingdale. Since the Farmingdale post office served the offices of the original golf course, ever since the park opened it has used Farmingdale as its postal address.
External links
- Plainview-Old Bethpage Chamber of Commerce
- Plainview-Old Bethpage Chamber of Commerce - Area history
- Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District
- Plainview-Old Bethpage Library
- Plainview-Old Bethpage Fire Department
- Old Bethpage Village Restoration
- Newsday article on Old Bethpage
- More Bethpage History
- 1903 map showing Old Bethpage as Bethpage (including LIRR tracks)
- Old Bethpage Village photo gallery
