Text size:

Massapequa Park

Planes Once Landed In the Village

Beginnings: The incorporated village shares the early Indian history of Massapequa. Then, in the 19th Century, families of German descent relocated from Brooklyn to what is now Massapequa Park, and the resulting community was known as Wurtenberg or Stadtwurtemburg. The main attraction and center of activity was the Woodcastle Hotel, a rooming house built in 1868 on Front Street next to the fire department as a summer resort. It was destroyed by fire in 1952 and replaced by houses.

Turning Point: In 1928 readers of The New York Times saw ads for Massapequa Park, a development built by a real estate firm owned by Michael J. Brady, Frank Cryan and Peter Colleran. The three Irish-Americans described their project as having ``a bit of Old Erin'' and the area still has its mostly Irish street names. In 1931, Massapequa Park was incorporated as a village to ensure control of land use and other issues.

Claims to Fame: The village once had its own airport, the Fitzmaurice Flying Field, named in 1929 for James Fitzmaurice, the first man to fly a plane from Europe to the United States. It is said that more than 100,000 people came to the dedication of the field on Roosevelt Avenue. The field was used by private planes and eventually an insecticide-spraying business. Today there are two schools on the site.

Where to Find More: ``Illustrated History of Massapequa,'' published by the Massapequa Post and available at the Massapequa Library.