The Incorporated Village of Hempstead is a village
located in the Town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, United States. Economically a satellite city comparable to the
City of Mount Vernon, New York and one of the least suburban suburbs of
New York City, Hempstead is legally an incorporated village. It is sometimes referred to
"Hempstead Village" to distinguish it from the Town of Hempstead. Hempstead is one of the few Black and Latino majority neighborhoods on Long Island (along with
Roosevelt, Uniondale, Freeport and Wyandanch). It is also home to a large
Salvadoran population.
Hempstead is the official home of the New York Jets. The club's headquarters and
training facility are located at Hofstra University and every summer, the Jets hold
their training camp there. Hofstra University is technically located in Hempstead, although the area itself is actually on the
cusp of the Hempstead-Uniondale border.
The village is also notable for having one of the busiest Justice Courts in the entire
state, generating more revenue than any other town or village court.
History
Town of Hempstead's old Town Hall located in The Village of Hempstead on the
corner of Front Street and Washington Street. The building has been annexed by a large attached building on Washington
Street.
In the Fall of 1643, Reverend Robert Fordham and John Carman crossed the Long Island Sound by row boat to negotiate with the local Indians for a tract of land upon which to
establish a new community or "town spot". Representatives of the Marsapeague (Massapequa), Mericock (Merrick), Matinecock and
Rekowake (Rockaway) tribes met with the two men at a site slightly west of the current Denton Green in Hempstead Village.
Tackapousha who was the sachem (chief) of the Marsapeague was the spokesman for the other
tribes.[2] The Indians sold approximately 64,000 acres (260
km²), the present day Towns of Hempstead and North Hempstead, for items worth less than $100 in today's market.[3]
In the spring of 1644 thirty to forty families left Stamford, Connecticut, crossed Long Island Sound, landed in Hempstead Harbor and eventually made their way to the present site of the Village of Hempstead where
they began their settlement. Subsequent trips across the Sound brought more settlers who prepared a fort here for their mutual
protection. These original Hempstead settlers were Puritans in search of a place where they
could more freely express their particular brand of Protestantism. The settling of
Hempstead marked the beginnings of the oldest English settlement in what is now Nassau County. They established a Presbyterian
church here. Today that Church is the oldest continually active Presbyterian congregation in the nation.[4] By 1843, as written in a history compiled by
Benjamin F. Thompson and published in that year, Hempstead Village had 200 dwellings, 1,400 residents, was connected to
New York City by a Turnpike and a
railroad, had dry soil, excellent water and pure air and was in short, the principal place of mercantile and mechanical business
in this part of the country. The Village of Hempstead was incorporated on May 6, 1853, becoming the
first community in Queens County (Nassau County did not exist as a separate county until
1899) to do so.[5]
It has been suggested that the new settlement was called Hempstead as a reminder of the English town of Hemel Hempstead where most of the original English
settlers were born. Other suggestions regarding the origins of the name include one referencing a law during colonial times,
requiring all farmers in the area to alternate one year, growing their cash crop, and the
other year, growing hemp to replenish the soil. This method of soil regeneration was known as
cover cropping. However, the most likely origin of the name "Hempstead" is the
anglicized form of the original Dutch name for the
town, Heemstede. In the days of Dutch settlement, predating the English
Colonies, when New York City was known as New Amsterdam and the general
Tri-State area was known as New Netherland,
"Heemstede" was probably named for the Dutch town of the same name. Hempstead's proximity to
New York City (25 miles from Herald Square), an area controlled by the Dutch in 1643
raises the prospect of this considerable Dutch influence over the early development of the Hempstead settlement and its
name.[6] Several of Hempstead's original fifty patentees
had Dutch surnames. In 1664, the new settlement adopted the
Duke's Laws, an austere set of laws that became the basis upon which the laws of many
colonies were to be founded. For a time, Hempstead became known as "Old Blue," as a result of the "Blue Laws".[7]
Coming To Prominence
St. George's Church circa 1734
As the years passed, the population of Hempstead increased, as did its importance and prestige. In 1703, St. George's Church received a silver
communion service from England's Queen Anne.
George Washington and other prominent leaders of the Revolution often stayed in Hempstead. Right after he became President, George Washington made a tour
of Long Island, stopping overnight at Sammis Tavern here (Nehemiah Sammis's 1683 Inn). Hempstead can boast of its share of
celebrities. Eleanor Roosevelt lived here for a time as did Lionel Barrymore. Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, actually spent her summers here during her teen years. Her family had a
summer estate in Hempstead. Peter Cooper, inventor and politician, was a Hempstead
resident. He married a local girl and settled here during the mid 1800s. Cooper invented the steam locomotive and ran for President on the "Greenback" ticket. Charles A. Lindbergh,
arguably the world's most famous aviator, spent quite a bit of time in Hempstead both before and
after his epoch solo flight from nearby Roosevelt Field to Le Bourget Field in
Paris, France on May 20, 1927.[8] While living here, Christopher Morley
was so enamored with the place that on the three hundredth anniversary of its founding wrote a beautiful essay in tribute. His
first novel, Parnassus on Wheels, was written on a kitchen table at his Oak Street, Hempstead home in 1917.[9] In 1704 the first stage coach on
Long Island stopped to water its horses here.[10]
During the American Revolution, Hempstead was a hotbed of British sympathizers or Tories, as they were known. The British attempted to
occupy Hempstead after the Battle of Long Island and used St. George's as a
headquarters as well as a place to worship. Judge Thomas Jones faulted a lax
peace treaty for forcing the evacuation of the loyalists.[11]
In March of 1898, Camp Black was formed on the Hempstead
Plains (roughly the shared location of Hempstead and Garden City), in
support of the impending Spanish-American War. Camp Black was bounded on the north
by Old Country Road, on the west by Clinton Road, and on the south by the
Central Line rail. Camp Black was opened on April 29, 1898 as a
training facility and a point of embarkation for troops.[12]
In the 1800s Hempstead became increasingly important as a trading center for Long Island. In 1853 it became the first self-governing incorporated village.
Many prominent families such as the Vanderbilts and the Belmonts built homes here, making Hempstead a center of Long Island society. Hempstead merchants
established routes out to outlying farms, and served as a distribution point for many firms. Wagons would leave Hempstead loaded
with tobacco, candy and cigarettes and return in a week to restock. Bakeries covered routes from Baldwin to Far Rockaway daily. Butchers ran routes to
Seaford, Elmont, Valley Stream, Wantagh, East Meadow, Creedmoor, East Rockaway and Christian Hook. Drugs, medicines,
perfumes, extracts, aprons, children's coats and dresses and men's clothes were peddled about the country by Hempstead merchants.
People came from all sections of Queens to purchase stoves, and there were few places outside Hempstead where stoves could be
purchased. Hempstead was Nassau County's shopping center for more than two centuries. Hempstead has historically been the center
of commercial activity for the eastern counties of Long Island. In Nassau County, all major county roads emanate from this
village. It is indeed the "Hub" of Nassau County. During the 18th and 19th centuries, all stage coaches en route to eastern Long Island
from Brooklyn passed through Hempstead. Today, twenty six bus routes and three interstate buses leave from the village every day.
In addition, the Hempstead Branch of the Long
Island Railroad has its terminal here. At one time, there were three railroad companies with terminals within the
village.
Early Long Islanders made their living in agriculture or from the sea. Hempstead, with its' central location, became the
marketplace for the outlying rural farming communities. It was a natural progression, as the
surrounding areas developed from small farms into today's suburbia, that Hempstead Village would
remain as the marketplace. Chain department stores
such as Arnold Constable and Abraham & Straus called Hempstead home for many
years. Hempstead's Abraham & Straus was the largest grossing suburban department store in the country during the late
1960s. Hempstead was Nassau's retail center during the 40s through
the 60s. The advent of regional shopping malls such as the one at nearby Roosevelt Field, the demise of nearby Mitchel Air Force
Base in 1961 as well as the changing demographics put
the retail trade in the village into a downward spiral that it was unable to recover from during the recessions of the
70s and 80s. Recent years have seen the redevelopment of the
village as a government center as well as business center. There are more government employees from all levels of government in
the village than there are in the county seat in Mineola. The population rises during the day to
almost 200,000 from a normal census of 50,000.[13][14][15]
Hempstead Today
The Village of Hempstead as shown from eastbound lanes of
Fulton Street.
Hempstead has developed over the past three hundred and fifty years into the largest Incorporated Village in the State of New
York, with a population in excess of fifty thousand people. It is also the oldest Incorporated Village in New York State, having
incorporated in 1853, as well as the seat of government for the Town of Hempstead, the largest township in the nation with over
seven hundred thousand people. Hempstead is just as urban (at least with regard to population density and activity) as any major
city. In stark contrast to the surrounding villages in the town and county, it is more densely populated than Vancouver, Boston, Miami, Atlanta, Providence, Los Angeles and even New York's
own Yonkers and Staten Island. If Hempstead
were a city, it would be the 12th most densely populated city in North America.
Retailers are once again showing interest in the village, and two large tracts of retail property have recently undergone
redevelopment. The former 8.8 acre Times Squares Stores (or TSS) property on Peninsula Boulevard and Franklin Street has been
redeveloped as Hempstead Village Commons, a 100,000 square foot retail center including Pep Boys, Staples, Hollywood Video and Rite-Aid. The former Abraham & Straus department
store on 17 acres has recently undergone demolition and been replaced by a large retail development consisting of
Home Depot, Old Navy, Stop & Shop and many other smaller establishments. A considerable infusion of state and federal
funding as well as private investment have enabled the replacement of blighted storefronts, complete commercial building
rehabilitations and the development of affordable housing for the local population. The replacement of the 1913 Long Island Railroad Hempstead Terminal with a
modern facility was completed in 2002 and a four-story, 112 unit building for senior housing, with retail on the ground level was
completed at Main and West Columbia Streets in January 1998. Thirty two units of affordable townhouses known as Patterson Mews at
Henry Street and Baldwin Road was completed and fully occupied in 1997.
In 1988, Hempstead elected James A. Garner (R) as their mayor. He was the first Black or African-American mayor ever elected to
office in New York state. He served for four consecutive terms. In June, 2003, Mayor Garner was
elected to serve as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and in
2004, Garner was nominated by the Republican Party to challenge Representative Carolyn McCarthy of New York's fourth district. Initially thought to be a potentially close race, he
eventually lost, 63% to 37%. Six months later, in March of 2005, he was unseated as mayor by Wayne
Hall (D), yet another Black (Jamaican-American) mayor elect.
Hempstead consists of several areas or neighborhoods that occasionally don't get along
and have been known to be one of the main sources of much of the crime. Originally, there were only two sides of town, "The
Heights" (Hempstead Heights) and "The Hills" (Hempstead Hills). Hempstead Heights is the area east of Clinton St and west of
Westbury Blvd. Over the years, several new regions, or "turfs" have been established, including "Terrace" (also known as "TA" or
Terrace Ave.), "Parkside", "Trackside" and "Midway". A concerted effort to align all the communities has brought, at best, mixed
results. Parkside and The Heights have been at odds since the mid-seventies and early eighties.
Among other things, The Hempstead Schools were known for their lack of school buses, which led to and helps sustain the high
dropout rate. An ongoing problem regarding the Board of Education has led to charges of corruption and political cronyism, and has led to indictments for
assorted larcenies. Less than 30% of students who enter 9th grade in Hempstead will graduate. Students who live on Hempstead
Heights walk approximately a half an hour to school, which is in the middle of Parkside. Despite these challenges, the Hempstead
school system has enjoyed some notable successes. Hempstead High School
was named Long Island's "High School of the Year" by Newsday in 1980. Former NFL wide receiver Rob Moore and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee John Mackey are both graduates of Hempstead High School.
Hempstead was also one of the first Long Island towns that had to deal with the Salvadoran gang, MS-13 or "La Mara Salvatrucha". The on going
intra-violence this gang has exhibited has led to the formation of their arch-rivals, "SWP" or "Salvadoreans with Pride".
There are fifty seven religious institutions located in the Village of Hempstead. They include a vast range of denominations,
including, Catholic, Episcopalian, Presbyterian,
Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran and other Christian churches, a Hindu temple, a Sikh Gurudwara, a Korean temple, a Hebrew Congregation and a host of storefront
establishments.[16]
Geography & Demographics
Hempstead is located at 40°42′17.86″N, 73°37′2.51″W (40.704962,
-73.617363)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total
area of 9.5 km² (3.7 mi²). None of the area is
covered with water.
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 56,554 people, 15,188 households, and 11,178 families
residing in the village. The population density was 5,933.6/km² (15,366.1/mi²). There
were 15,579 housing units at an average density of 1,634.5/km² (4,232.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the village was 25.67%
White, 52.48% Black or African American, 0.53% Native American, 1.32% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 15.22% from other races, and 4.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 31.81% of the population.
There were 15,188 households out of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were married couples living together, 27.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were
non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or
older. The average household size was 3.41 and the average family size was 3.76.
In the village the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 16.3% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 17.5%
from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 91.6
males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $45,234 and the median
income for a family was $46,675. Males had a median income of $29,493 versus $27,507 for females. The per capita income for the village was $15,735. About 14.4% of families and 17.7% of the population
were below the poverty line, including 20.7% of those under age 18 and 16.9% of those
age 65 or over.
Points of interest
References
External links
Coordinates:
40.704962° N 73.617363°
W
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
