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ROCKVILLE CENTRE ALMANAC
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HISTORY THE FIRST SETTLERS It wasn’t until December 1643 that the English came into contact with the Native Americans of today’s Town of Hempstead. The followers of Rev. Richard Denton had come over from England in 1630 on one of the boats that followed the Mayflower. A restless man, Reverend Denton took his flock from Watertown, near Boston, into the wilds of Connecticut before purchasing the land that today comprises most of southern Nassau County.
THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR Shortly after the Battles of Lexington and Concord, fighting broke out on a deeply divided Long Island. The rebelsympathizing North Shore separated from the Tory backers in the Town of Hempstead on the South Shore, the basis for today’s political division of North Hempstead from Hempstead. In June 1776, nine Tories were reported hiding in two boats in a swamp and when a band of rebels went in search of them, gunfire was exchanged. The location of the skirmish was at De Mott’s Mill near where Maine Avenue crosses Peninsula Boulevard in Rockville Centre today.
YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT Through the end of the 18th and the first half of the 19th centuries, Rockville Centre remained a small community of farmers and millers. In 1848, Robert Petitt came to the area convinced that it could become a prosperous business district and opened Rockville Centre’s first general store at the present day intersection of Merrick Road and Lincoln Avenue. Petitt figured that a good way to make his store the center of town would be to open a post office so residents would not have to travel to Hempstead. Selecting a name for the station turned out to be much more difficult than it seemed. Petitt wanted to honor Mordecai Rock Smith, the leading resident of the town, but the names of Smithville, Smithburg, Smithfield and Smithtown were already in use. Rock-
Herald file photo
ville was also rejected before Petitt finally added “Centre” to the name. In 1893 the newly incorporated Village of Rockville Centre had five volunteer fire companies but no major source of water, and an expanding business district, but no street lighting. The village built its first power plant in 1898 on the same plot as the original water department building that had been established in 1895.
THE MUSEUM OF THE VILLAGE OF ROCKVILLE CENTRE AT PHILLIPS HOUSE The Board of Trustees of the Museum of the Village of Rockville Centre announced last spring that after more than 30 years, the Board of Regents on behalf of the New York State Department of Education granted it an Absolute Charter. Originally built in 1892 for Captain Samuel F. Phillips, the house on Hempstead Avenue was acquired by the village for the purpose of becoming a museum. The museum is operated by a Board of Trustees, consisting of 15 volunteer members who maintain the collections, archives, gardens and interior of the building.
The museum serves as a place to preserve the history of Rockville Centre. Local groups and school classes visit the museum during the year. It hosts special events and receptions and provides guided tours of its exhibits. Throughout the year, the personal collections of local residents are on display. This summer it has a beautiful collection of handpainted French Limoge Boxes. The museum has been fortunate over the years and has acquired various historical items that have been added to its permanent collection. Visitors gain a sense of their heritage and the history of Rockville Centre. An Honor Roll of the museum’s generous supporters is currently being designed and will be displayed in a prominent location in the museum. For further information on becoming a supporter, contact President Frank Seipp at (516) 7647459. There is no charge for admission to the museum. It depends solely on the generosity of visitors. The museum is open to visitors during the year on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Its summer hours are Sunday only from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Special tours can also be arranged by appointment.