Freeport, New York

Freeport, New York For other locations with this name, see Freeport (disam- 2.1 Location biguation). Freeport is located at 40°39′14″N 73°35′13″W / 40.65389°N 73.58694°W (40.653935, −73.587005).[4] Freeport (officially The Incorporated Village of Freeport) is a village in the town of Hempstead, Nassau Freeport is bisected by east-west New York State Route County, New York, New York, USA, on the South Shore 27, Sunrise Highway. Meadowbrook Parkway defines its of Long Island. The population was 42,860 at the 2010 eastern boundary. census.[1] A settlement since the 1640s, it was once an oystering community and later a resort popular with the New York City theater community. It is now primarily a 2.2 Surrounding communities bedroom suburb but retains a modest commercial waterfront and some light industry. Baldwin lies to the west, Merrick to the east, and Roosevelt to the north. The south village boundary is not precisely defined, lying in the salt flats and bays. 1 Description 3 Government Freeport lies on the south shore of Long Island,[2] in the southwestern part of Nassau County, within the town Freeport’s government is made up of four trustees and a of Hempstead. Freeport has its own municipal electric mayor. One trustee also serves in the capacity of deputy utility, police department, fire, and water departments. mayor. Freeport’s first African American mayor, Andrew Freeport is New York State’s second-biggest village[3] and Hardwick, was elected in 2009, but was succeeded on has a station on the Long Island Rail Road. March 20, 2013 by Robert T. Kennedy[3] The current The south part of the village is penetrated by several Deputy Mayor is (Trustee) Jorge Martinez. The current canals that allow access to the Atlantic Ocean by means of Trustees are, Carmen Piñeyro, Ronald Ellerbe, and De- passage through salt marshes. The oldest canal is the late bra S. Mulé. The mayor and board of trustees are elected 19th-century Woodcleft Canal.[2] Freeport has extensive to four-year terms. Freeport’s current government is a small-boat facilities and a resident fishing fleet, as well as bipartisan coalition of Democrats and Republicans. charter and open fishing boats. 4 Demographics 2 Geography As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 43,783 people, 13,504 households, and 9,911 families residing in the village. The population density was 9,531.3 people per square mile (3,682.9/km²). There were 13,819 hous- ing units at an average density of 3,008.3 per square mile (1,162.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 42.9% White, 32.6% African American, 0.5% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 17.2% from other races, and 5.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 33.5% of the population.[8] There were 13,504 households out of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples living together, 17.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were U.S. Census Map non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 1 2 6 HISTORY AND CULTURE 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 6 History and culture 3.20 and the average family size was 3.65. In the village the population was spread out with 26.4% 6.1 History under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males. The median income for a household in the village in 1999 was $55,948, and the median income for a family was $61,673. Males had a median income of $37,465 ver- sus $31,869 for females. The per capita income for the village was $21,288. About 8.0% of families and 10.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.5% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over. As of 2010, the population was 42,860. The demographics were as follows:[9] • Hispanic - 17,858 (42.5%) • Black alone - 13,226 (30.9%) • White alone - 10,113 (23.6%) • Asian alone - 669 (1.6%) • Two or more races - 174 (0.4%) • Other race alone - 292 (0.7%) • American Indian alone - 94 (0.2%) 5 Transportation Freeport, 1873 Freeport is served by the Freeport station on the Long Is- land Railroad Babylon Branch. It is also a hub for several 6.1.1 Before 1800 Nassau Inter-County Express bus routes. Before people of European ancestry came to the area, • N4: Freeport - Jamaica the land was part of the territory of the Meroke Indians.[10][11] Written records of the community go back • N19: Freeport - Babylon to the 1640s.[11] The village now known as Freeport was part of an area called “the Great South Woods” during • N36: Freeport - Lynbrook colonial times.[11] In the mid-17th century, the area was • N40: Freeport - Mineola via North Main Street renamed Raynor South, and ultimately Raynortown, after a herdsman named Edward Raynor, who had moved • N41: Freeport - Mineola via Babylon Turnpike to the area from Hempstead in 1659, cleared land, and built a cabin.[2][11][12] • N43: Freeport - Roosevelt Field Mall • N62: South Freeport Loop 6.1.2 1800-1900 • N87: Hicksville - Jones Beach (Summer Service Only) In 1853, residents voted to rename the village Freeport, adopting a variant of a nickname used by ship captains • N88: Freeport - Jones Beach (Summer Service during colonial times because they were not charged cus- Only) toms duties to land their cargo.[2][11][12] 6.1 History 3 in surrounding communities.[10] It is one of two munici- pally owned electric systems in Nassau County; the other is in Rockville Centre.[16] Public street lighting was be- gun in 1907, and a public fire alarm system was adopted in 1910.[17] The “Kissing Bridge,” which no longer exists, crossed the Freeport-Baldwin border over Milburn Creek at Seaman Avenue. This 1921 map of Freeport relates to a sewer bond issue; the Postcard c. 1913. districts shown are sewer districts, and trunk sewers are shown in detail. The borders shown are not exactly those of the village In the years after incorporation, Freeport was a tourist (Freeport continues north of Seaman Avenue, and of course this and sportsman’s destination for its boating and fishing. map is cut off to the south). The map predates the construction of Sunrise Highway (just south of the railroad tracks), and roughly the northern two-thirds of what is shown as a reservoir at left is 6.1.3 1900-1939 now the site of Freeport High School and its grounds. However, this does provide a detailed map of most Freeport streets at that time, a great many of which still retain the same locations and From 1902 into the late 1920s, the New York and Long names. Island Traction Corporation ran trolleys through Freeport to Jamaica, Hempstead, and Brooklyn. These trolleys went down Main Street in Freeport, connecting to a ferry After the Civil War, Freeport became a center for com- near Woodcleft Avenue. The ferries took people to Point mercial oystering. This trade began to decline as early as Lookout, about three miles (5 km) south of Freeport, the beginning of the 20th century because of changing where there is an ocean beach. For a few years af- salinity and increased pollution in Great South Bay.[10] ter 1913, the short-lived Freeport Railroad ran a train Nonetheless, even as of the early 21st century Freeport nicknamed “the Fishermen’s Delight” along Grove Street and nearby Point Lookout have the largest concentration (now Guy Lombardo Avenue) from Sunrise Highway to of commercial fishing activity anywhere near New York the waterfront.[10] Also in this era, in 1910 Arthur and City.[13] Albert Heinrich flew the first American-made, American- From 1868, Freeport was served by the Southside Rail- powered monoplane, built in their Merrick Road airplane factory (see also Heinrich Pursuit).[10] WGBB, founded in road, which was a major boon to development. The [10] most prominent figure in this boom was developer John 1924, became Long Island’s first 24-hour radio station. J. Randall; among his other contributions to the shape of In the late 19th century, Freeport was the summer re- Freeport today were several canals, including the Wood- sort of wealthy politicians, publishers, and so forth. At cleft Canal, one side of which is now the site of the “Nau- the time, travel from Freeport to New York City required tical Mile”.[10] Randall, who opposed all of Freeport’s be- a journey of several hours on a coal-powered train, or ing laid out in a grid, put up a Victorian house virtually an even more arduous automobile trip on the single-lane overnight on a triangular plot at the corner of Lena Av- Merrick Road. enue and Wilson Place to spite the grid designers.[14] The [14] According to Elinor Smith, the arrival of Diamond Jim Freeport Spite House still is standing and occupied.

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