Signs of Massapequa's rich history

Standing near the 1796 Hotel Site Sign on Merrick Road in Massapequa, Massapequa Historical Society's George Kirchmann, author of "Signs of the Times" gives a historical tour of Massapequa, Saturday, July 5, 2014.

George Kirchmann, of the Massapequa Historical Society, on July 5, 2014, looks through an old book at the DeLancey Floyd-Jones Library on Merrick Road in Massapequa. It was the first public library in the Massapequas.

The historical sign marking the Historic Complex on Merrick Road in Massapequa on July 5, 2014. The complex includes a servant's cottage and the DeLancey Floyd-Jones Free Library, the first public library serving the Massapequas.

George Kirchmann, a member of the Massapequa Historical Society and author of a book about the history of the area, on July 5, 2014, looks at a photo of Old Grace Church, which is cited on a historical marker and is where the society holds its monthly meetings.

The Farm District sign on Hicksville Road in Massapequa as seen on July 5, 2014. The robust farming area vanished during Long Island's postwar suburban boom.

George Kirchmann, a member of the Massapequa Historical Society, on July 5, 2014, walks through West Neck Cemetery on Merrick Road, the history of which he details in his book "Signs of the Times: Massapequa's Historical Markers."

The 1796 Hotel Site sign, as seen on July 5, 2014, on Merrick Road in Massapequa pays homage to brothers Silas and Peter Van De Water, whose entrepreneurship helped their family adjust to changing times.

George Kirchmann, left, of the Massapequa Historical Society, on July 5, 2014, chats with landscaper Frank Hoerauf inside Hoerauf's garden on Hicksville Road in Massapequa. The Farm District historical marker is in front of Hoerauf's plot.

The historical marker for the West Neck Cemetery, the burial ground for the Jones family, the first settlers in Massapequa as seen on July 5, 2014.

Headstones in West Neck Cemetery date to the mid-1700s and belong to the Jones family, Massapequa's earliest settlers. George Kirchmann, of the Massapequa Historical Society, seen on July 5, 2014, said some family slaves and servants may also be buried in the small plot.