Sailing Through Freeport's History, Mural
Dedicated in 2019, this library mural was created by Ji Yong Kim.Ji Yong Kim is an artist living and working in Brooklyn, NY, U.S.A. Born in South Korea, he received his B.F.A. from Rhode Island School of Design, and M.F.A. from Montclair State University in New Jersey. His recent artworks range from video works to mixed media, investigating an intersection between traditional images of Buddhist art with images from contemporary popular culture. Most recently, he was an artist in residence in AIRY Yamanashi in Japan, Soaring Gardens in Pennsylvania, and Marpha Foundation in Nepal. He was a recipient of Civil Society Fellowship in Vermont Studio Center, and currently is an artist in residence in ChaShaMa Studio Space program in Brooklyn, New York. He is an adjunct faculty in Nassau Community College on Long Island and Raritan Valley Community College in New Jersey.
Freeport Memorial Library
The Freeport Memorial Library’s history goes back to 1884, when Professor Loren M. Burdick, principal of the Freeport Schools, established a library with funds raised by amateur entertainments. For a while, the books were kept in the clothes closet of the principal’s office in the Grove Street School. In 1895, the Board of Regents of New York State granted a provisional charter. The following year 759 volumes constituted the Library’s book collection and circulation reached 1,174. A permanent charter, signed by Melvil Dewey, was granted on December 21, 1899.The completion of the Freeport library building as a war memorial in 1924 was an appropriate climax to the efforts of the citizens of the village to find a suitable and lasting memorial to the sacrifices made by those who died in the service of their country. A close look at the engravings on the original building reveals the names of the historic battles of World War I, the Spanish American War, and Civil War.In 1999, the Freeport Landmarks Preservation Commission dedicated a roadside marker on the library’s grounds.
Freeport Post Office
A Post Office was established in Freeport around 1858, five years after "Freeport" became the community's official name. Before 1858, Freeporters had to pick up their mail in Merrick at a stagecoach stop and general store near Babylon Turnpike. The introduction of house numbers in 1899 allowed for free home mail delivery, which began in 1907.Throughout the years, the post office has occupied various locations including: Merrick Road (west of Main Street); east side of Main Street (both north and south of Newton Boulevard); and South Grove Street (now Guy Lombardo Avenue). The Colonial Revival-style Freeport Post Office building was constructed in 1933 on Merrick Road. The exterior is typical of the buildings erected by the postal service at that time. The interior includes two William Gropper murals done for the Treasury Relief Art Program, (TRAP) New Deal program. These oil-on-canvas murals are entitled "Suburban Post in Winter" and "Air Mail." In 1989, the Freeport Post Office was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The Freeport Landmarks Preservation Commission dedicated a roadside marker on the grounds of the Freeport Post Office in 2009. The Freeport Landmarks Preservation Commission dedicated a roadside marker on the grounds of the Freeport Post Office in 2009.
Freeport Elks Club
Freeport Elks Club (known formally as the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE) Lodge 1253) was established on August 26, 1911. It was reported that Freeport's Lodge was the first Elks Lodge to be instituted on Long Island. The Freeport Elks Lodge was often referred to as the "mother lodge of Long Island" since its members helped form lodges in Patchogue, Glen Cove, Hempstead, and Lynbrook.By October 1911, the Freeport Elks had 144 members. That same month, the organization purchased the home of Charles L. Wallace at Grove Street (now Guy Lombardo Avenue) and Merrick Road for $11,000. The new clubhouse was formally opened June 22, 1912. An elks head with electric lights in its antlers was added to the front of the clubhouse in May 1912. On July 17, 1913, ground was broken for a $22,000 addition to the clubhouse. The expanded lodge was dedicated on February 21, 1924. The Elks' third building was dedicated in 1926. The building was located on the property once owned by the Bergen family. Due to dwindling membership, the Freeport Elks put their clubhouse up for sale in December 1979. The building was sold to developers. Today, the location where the clubhouse once stood is known as “Elks Plaza.”
Temperance Fountain
Temperance Fountain was placed at the northeast corner of Fulton Street (now Merrick Road) and South Main Street circa 1900. The bronzed iron fountain was five feet four inches high and 22 inches in diameter. It included a self closing faucet that regulated the flow of water. The Freeport chapter of the Women's Christian Temperance Union raised approximately $150 for the purchase and installation of the fountain. The purpose of the fountain was to keep thirsty men, including the many bicyclists who came through Freeport, from seeking refreshments in the local taverns and inns. The fountain also provided water for horses.Between 1903 and 1906, this fountain was shut down in an effort to stop the spread of glanders, an infection caught by horses.
Moser Building
Moser Building is located on the west side of South Main Street, just south of Merrick Road. This building was constructed around 1935.
Dr. and Mrs. Evans' House (Now the Freeport Historical Society)
Dr. and Mrs. Evans’ House was located at 350 South Main. The house was built around 1863 and was owned by Raynor R. Smith in 1873. Between 1900 and 1961, the house was occupied by Edith Gertrude Selene Evans (1878-1948) and her husband Dr. Thomas Horace Evans (1878-1961).Edith Evans was a noted Egyptologist, archeologist, and artist. Dr. Thomas Evans was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, a medical doctor, professor of anatomy, author, poet, and musician. He also spoke six languages. Dr. Evans was affiliated with Flower Fifth Avenue Hospital in Manhattan. After his wife's death in 1948, he lived in the house until his own death in 1961. In 1962, the house was purchased by the Freeport Historical Society for their museum. On the front lawn of the house there is a bronze plaque from the William Clinton Story American Legion Post and the cornerstone for the Spartan Masonic Lodge. A Civil War memorial dedicated to the Mott brothers and Freeport’s original 9/11 memorial are located in the back yard.The Freeport Landmarks Preservation Commission dedicated a roadside marker to the site in 2000. In 2012, the building was landmarked.
Grist and Saw Mill (
Freeport Mills was a wholesale and retail dealer of flour, feed, grain, oil meal, baled hay and straw managed by Isaac Horsfall. The original mills were located on what is now Mill Road. In 1894, the location of Freeport Mills was given as Henry Street. The origin of this mill may date back to 1761, when documents refer to the location as Carl's or Smith's mill. In 1774, Amos Smith sold this mill to Stephen and George Hewlett, Jr. Joseph Swezey became the next owner. Swezey would later sell the mills and pond to Daniel Raynor (1791-1867) in 1829 for $5,500. His son, Edward (circa 1821-1892), ran the mill in the 1850s; he was succeeded by Bedell Raynor.Horsfall purchased the mills in 1874 and, eleven years later, he sold the waterfront site and meadowlands to the City of Brooklyn Water Department. In 1891, the City of Brooklyn advertised an auction of the mill and its machinery. The grist mill was described as a heavily timbered building, part of which was built in 1877. After selling the mill to the City of Brooklyn, Horsfall moved the business to a new location on Henry Street and switched from water to engine power.In 1898, the Freeport Mills were purchased by Frans Ruhl.
Freeport Municipal Stadium
Freeport Municipal Stadium, also known as the Freeport Stadium, opened in 1931. The stadium was constructed of reinforced concrete and originally had a capacity of 2,027. Later, midget auto races attracted crowds as large as 10,000. The Penn Red Caps, a semiprofessional baseball team, played at the stadium. The Brooklyn Dodgers football team used the stadium as the site for their midweek training. Other facilities included a football field, one-fifth of a cinder track, a baseball field, and six tennis courts.The Freeport Stadium closed in 1983. A campaign to save the Freeport Stadium failed and its buildings were demolished in 1987. Caldor, a discount department store, opened on the site in 1992. BJ's replaced this store in 2002.In the fall of 1990, Village trustees voted to name a new street that was constructed on the former stadium property "Stadium Drive."The Freeport Landmarks Preservation Commission dedicated a roadside marker near the original entrance to the stadium.
Crystal Lake Hotel
Crystal Lake Hotel and Cottage (also referred to as the Crystal Lake House) opened in 1895 and was managed by the Frost family for nearly 51 years. A larger hotel was constructed on the property adjacent to the Crystal Lake Cottage by Owen Humphrey in 1899. The new hotel could accommodate 150 guests. The hotel was located at 170 Southside Avenue near South Grove Street (now Guy Lombardo Avenue), across the street from a five-acre body of water known as the Crystal Lake. Edward P. Ward (1859-1907) and his wife, Addie (1863-1923) were the proprietors. In 1907, Addie became the sole proprietor after her husband's death. Their son, Ward Ryder Frost (1859-1975), would later assume responsibility for the hotel.In 1914, the hotel was nearly devastated by a fire. Its broad verandas were enclosed when the hotel was reconstructed. By 1938, the Crystal Lake Hotel was the last remaining hotel in Freeport.The hotel was purchased by David Shapiro in 1946 and renamed the Shorecrest Hotel. In 1958, the hotel was destroyed by fire. In 1962, the Frost House apartments opened on the site of the Crystal Lake Cottage, located at 175 Archer Street.
Playland Park
Playland Park opened in 1924 on South Grove Street (now Guy Lombardo Avenue) and Front Street. It was dubbed “the Coney Island of Long Island.” Actor and competitive swimmer Johnny Weissmuller swam in the pool at Playland Park in the mid 1920s.The Great Depression led to its demise. The park burned down in 1931.In 1999, the Freeport Landmarks Preservation Commission commemorated the site with a roadside marker.
Guy Lombardo's East Point House
Guy Lombardo’s East Point House was located at the foot of South Grove Street (now Guy Lombardo Avenue).Guy Lombardo (1902-1977) purchased Liota's East Point House from John Liota in 1948 and renamed it. Lombardo was a bandleader famous for his New Year's Eve performances of Auld Lang Syne with his band the Royal Canadians. Lombardo was born Gaetano Alberto Lombardo in London, Ontario. His father immigrated to Canada from Italy.In 1978, South Grove Street was renamed Guy Lombardo Avenue and the Long Creek Marina was dedicated as the Guy Lombardo Marina.
LIGHTS Club
Long Island Good Hearted Thespian Society (LIGHTS) Clubhouse opened in 1916, located on Fairview Avenue and Branch Avenue. The building was 110 feet by 54 feet and featured porches that were 14 feet wide. The lighthouse rose to a height of 66 feet. The club was open to anyone involved in theatrical pursuits. Among the 543 charter members were many entertainment stars of the day who summered in Freeport.In the 2000s, the Freeport Landmarks Preservation Commission dedicated a roadside marker near the site of this club.
Bayview Hose House
Bayview Hose House was built as the headquarters of Bayview Hose Company No. 3 (also known as Bay View Hose Company No. 3), which was organized in 1895. Their first fire house was constructed on Atlantic Avenue in 1899. In 2016, the Freeport Landmarks Preservation Commission dedicated a marker for the 1916 Bayview Avenue location of this fire house.
Village Hall
Village Hall is located at 46 North Ocean Avenue. Its official name is the Municipal Building. Construction began in 1928 and the building was dedicated on March 13, 1929. The Municipal Building sits on land purchased in 1927 for $38,500. That same year, the firm of Peabody, Wilson and Brown was chosen as the building's architects. Ground was broken on April 11, 1928 and the cornerstone was laid on July 14, 1928. The building includes offices, a courtroom, council chamber, meeting rooms, and police headquarters. The building included a vault and special tax safes. The building cost approximately $325,000 to construct.The Municipal Building was designed to look like Independence Hall in Philadelphia, PA, the birthplace of the United States. The building was enlarged in 1973, doubling the original floor space. A sunken garden at the rear of the building was added later.In celebration of the United States' bicentennial, a time capsule was buried on the lawn of the Municipal Building on July 4, 1976. In the 2010s, the Freeport Landmarks Preservation Commission commemorated the building with a roadside marker.Prior to the dedication of the Municipal Building, the village offices were located on Railroad Avenue and Merrick Road.
Kelby House
Robert Hendre Kelby (1847-1927) served as librarian to the New-York Historical Society from 1899 to 1920. Upon his retirement, he was granted the title Librarian Emeritus. After serving in the Navy during the Civil War, Kelby began working with the New-York Historical Society in 1868. Under his direction, the collection of the Society grew from 17,000 volumes to over 150,000 volumes and 160,000 pamphlets. Kelby is credited with helping the Society raise the funds necessary to move to its current location on Central Park West. Kelby came to Freeport around 1903. He purchased a three-story shingle-style house on the northwest corner of Lena Avenue and Wallace Street in an area of Freeport known as Randall Park. Kelby lived at 112 West Lena Avenue until his death in 1927. Kelby's wife, Jennie (nee Corrigan) (circa 1845-1935), was born in Dublin and came to the United States as an infant. She and Kelby married in 1869. The Kelbys had three children Edith, Charles, and Jennie. Charles H. Kelby was a New York State Judge.In 2015, the Freeport Landmarks Preservation Commission dedicated a roadside marker in front of Kelby’s Freeport home.
Sand Hole Church
Methodist Church (also known as the Freeport Methodist Episcopal Church and the Freeport United Methodist Church) in Freeport was established in 1833 when William B. Raynor helped the Methodists purchase a small wooden store on the west side of the Hempstead-Babylon Turnpike, south of Seaman Avenue, and had it moved to the property of John B. Powell (today Babylon Turnpike, north of Grand Avenue). This original church, known as the Sand Hole Church, was used by the congregation for 25 years and was presided over by local and itinerant preachers. Later, the Methodists erected a church on South Main Street for a cost of $1,800. In 1891, on Pine Street between Church Street and South Grove Street (Guy Lombardo Avenue), the Methodists built and dedicated a new building. It was reported the new church accommodated 400 people in the Sunday school room and 375 in the church. The original steeple had to be lowered after it was damaged by lightning around 1959. The steeple had been hit by lightning sometime in its early history, but no major damage was reported. The steeple was hit by lightning a third time in 1993. In 1935, the New York State Education Department dedicated a roadside marker on the church’s original location.
First National Bank
The First National Bank (commonly referred to as the Meadow Brook Bank) originally opened in 1911. Despite its name, it was the second bank in Freeport, formed after the Freeport Bank in 1892.In 1929, a six-story building was constructed as Art Deco in a style evocative of the Flatiron Building in Manhattan. It was the tallest building east of Jamaica when it was completed.The building was designed and built by noted architects, the Hoggson Brothers. During World War II, an observation tower was constructed on the roof of the building for enemy plane spotting. The bank was also authorized to receive and honor all ration checks. For decades this bank served as a depository for Village municipal funds.In the 1940s, the First National Bank and Trust Company began to merge with other Long Island financial institutions. In 1991, the freestanding four sided clock that is located near the bank’s entrance was locally landmarked and restored.
Spite House
Miracle House (also referred to as the Spite House) is located at 146 West Lena Avenue. A real estate dispute developed between John J. Randall and the Warranty Realty Company over the placement of the roads. In 1902, Lena Avenue stopped at Long Beach Avenue. East of that street both firms engaged in furious competition. Warranty Realty wanted to extend Lena Avenue west in a straight line so it could gain maximum space for new lots. This plan would cut the size of Randall's proposed lots to the south. Randall felt that this would make his lots less desirable. This led Randall to erect a house “built in one day.” However, it is doubtful that construction of the house was completed in one day. Most likely, it was framed and partially shingled within a 24 hour period. The Freeport Landmarks Preservation Commission dedicated a roadside marker on the property in 1999. The marker misidentifies the date of construction of the house as 1906.
Brooklyn Water Works
Brooklyn Water Works, located on the west side of North Brookside Avenue, was a three-story brick Romanesque Revival building which was designed in 1888 by Frank Freeman. Freeman (1852-1940), a noted Brooklyn architect, also designed the Eagle Warehouse and Storage Company in 1893 and the City of Brooklyn Fire Headquarters in 1892. Originally called the Milburn Pumping Station, the Brooklyn Water Works was one of a series of pumping stations that provided water from a 2,000-acre watershed to the City of Brooklyn. Freeport's oyster industry was adversely affected by Brooklyn's demand for water.By the 1920's, upstate New York became the major supplier of water for New York City. The 48-inch-wide iron conduit that runs from Freeport to Queens was used for emergency reserve until New York City sold the site to Nassau County in 1977. In 1986, Freeport gave the Brooklyn Water Works landmark status. That same year, Gary Melius of Carle Place, bought the site for $1.4 million. Efforts to turn the building into condominiums and later a nursing home both failed. In 1988, the building was damaged beyond repair in a major fire. The Village of Freeport settled a $3.5 million lawsuit with Gary Melius. The remaining structure was demolished in 2010. In 2012, Nassau County purchased the land for $6.22 million. The site, which is south of the Brookside Preserve, is landmarked and cannot be developed.
Glickman Studio
Glickman Studio was located at 37 West Merrick Road. It was owned by Samuel Glickman. The photography studio was opened in 1918 and was originally located at 13 Railroad Avenue. Later, Glickman Studio moved to 31 South Grove Street (now Guy Lombardo Avenue). This location was once occupied by another notable local photographer, Jacob D. Keifer. Between 1949 and 1950, Glickman Studio relocated to 37 West Merrick Road.According to a 1984 Leader article, Samuel Glickman learned his trade as an apprentice in Germany and was the official photographer of the Czar’s Russian Army in 1905. Glickman worked for The New York Times and New York Herald Tribune. He was known for his ability to retouch faded and damaged photographs. Glickman Studio went out of business in 2009.
Celebrity Club
Celebrity Club, located at 77 East Sunrise Highway, was known as the Cotton Inn in the 1930s. Gaetano "Guy" Miceli was the proprietor of the Cotton Inn in 1938. In 1948, Paul Robeson, a prominent civil rights activist, singer, and actor, appeared at a rally supporting Henry A. Wallace's presidential campaign at the Cotton Inn in September 1948.It remained the Cotton Inn until 1949, when new ownership reopened the venue as the Celebrity Club. Howard "Babe" Hicks was reported to be one of the bartenders. In 1958, the Celebrity Club was owned by Julius Hesse, who was also president of Emerald Pools, Inc. The club was advertised as the "Showcase of Talent." In 1952, a cigarette left in a garbage can caused a fire that resulted in $10,000 in damages to the Celebrity Club. At the time, the club was operated by Irving Cohan of the Bronx.In the 1992, the Holmes Brothers, a vocal and instrumental trio from Virginia, released an album that mentioned Freeport's Celebrity Club in the album's liner notes.
