Task force works to preserve residential charm in Rockville Centre
Posted January 24, 2019
Rockville Centre Herald
By Briana Bonfiglio
More than 500 homes in Rockville Centre could be considered historic, according to recent cultural resource surveys conducted by Long Island Traditions, an organization that evaluates local history.
A grant from the New York State Preservation League allowed the historical assessment to take place from August to November. It was secured by the Mayor’s Task Force for Historic Preservation and is one of several efforts the team is making to preserve the village’s characteristic architecture.
“The goal is to protect the character of our unique village,” said Jennifer Santos, chairwoman of the task force. “There are a lot of homes from the late 19th century that contribute to the distinct character and are an integral part of village history.”
Formed in October 2017, the group of 11 community members recently completed their first full year of promoting historic preservation in the village. “We’re only going into our second year and I think we’ve accomplished a lot,” said task force member Ellen Grossman, who is treasurer of the Rockville Centre Museum and served on the planning board in the 1980s. “We’re really trying to preserve the look of the village. People don’t want it to start looking like Queens.”
The village received the $11,200 grant last year and hired folklorist Nancy Solomon, executive director of Long Island Traditions, to conduct the historical survey. She has done similar surveys in areas across Long Island, including Freeport, Long Beach and Sea Cliff.
Houses built over 50 years ago are considered for the survey on the basis of façade, floor plans and other features like roofs and windows. One such home is what is known as the DeMott House on Hempstead Avenue, which she included in the survey for its 18th century architecture and interviews with property owners. The house was built by Anthony DeMott in 1747.
So far, Solomon said, she has found about 350 residences that Long Island Traditions considers of high historic value, meaning it could potentially be preserved as part of a historic district or put on the National Register of Historic Places once the full report is given to the village. She anticipates finding another 400 when the reconnaissance survey continues in the spring.
The assessment will document the basic historical features of each home. For about 40 of the houses, Solomon will conduct deeper research, which entails obtaining county records and conducting interviews for an oral history report. Anyone with a strong familiarity with Rockville Centre history is welcome to contact Solomon to be interviewed, she said. Solomon can be reached at info@longislandtraditions.org.
Currently, she is focusing on the part of Rockville Centre from Lakeview Avenue to the northern village line at Peninsula Boulevard. “It’s been amazing,” Solomon said. “I knew there would be a huge number of historic structures here, but I had no idea how many.”
This year, the task force plans to apply for another grant that would extend the survey to include downtown Rockville Centre, south of Lakeview Avenue. Once the surveys are complete, the village will have a complete document of information on historic residences in the village, which they can draw upon in preservation efforts. The group also plans to work with the village on preservation legislation and continue educating the board and community on local history, Santos said.
On Saturday, the task force will hold a roundtable with other historic and preservation societies in Nassau County to discuss different methods of preserving historic infrastructure. Paul D. van Wie, a professor of history and politics at Molloy College, and Sarah Kautz, of Long Island Preservation, will speak at the gathering at the Rockville Centre Library from 9 to 11 a.m.
“Preservation is an interesting animal — it can work in different ways, and there are many different options,” Santos said. “We’ll discuss preservation trends and hopefully all learn from each other.”