Yes,
Robert Moses Left A Tremendous Legacy In and Around the Town of Babylon.*
No, I Will Not Defend His
Character.
*Recently, the Town
Historian has been asked a lot about Robert Moses. This
blog is about the history of the Town of Babylon; there are plenty of other
places to read and debate Moses’ activities in New York City.
_________________________________________________________
As president of the Long Island State
Parks Commission (LISPC), Robert Moses spearheaded a multitude of public works
projects, from the 1920s to the 1960s, that represent the core of road
transportation and recreation facilities that Long Islanders use today. In
Suffolk and Nassau Counties, those projects include the following.
State
Parkways/Expressways in Suffolk and Nassau Counties
(Information
gleaned from NYCRoads.com
– interesting site.)
East/West Roadways:
Long Island Expressway – NYC construction commenced
1939; reached Queens-Nassau Counties’ border 1958; Riverhead terminus completed
1972
Northern State Parkway
– constructed 1931-1965
Ocean Parkway –
constructed 1930-1934
Southern State Parkway –
constructed 1925-1949
North/South
Roadways:
Bethpage Parkway –
constructed 1934-1936
Heckscher State Parkway – constructed
1929-1930, 1959-1962
Meadowbrook Parkway – constructed
1932-1956
Robert Moses Causeway (originally named
Captree State Parkway) – constructed 1950-1964
Sagtikos
State Parkway – constructed 1950-1952
Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway –
constructed 1959-1969
Sunken Meadow Parkway – constructed
1929-1957
Wantagh Parkway – constructed 1927-1938
State Parks in Suffolk and Nassau
Counties
Town of Babylon:
Belmont
Lake State Park (Est. 1926, North Babylon)
Captree State Park (Est. 1930s,
Captree Island) The park is in the Towns of Babylon and Islip.
Gilgo State Park (Est. 1928,
Gilgo Beach)
Robert
Moses State Park (Est. 1924, Fire Island) Originally named Fire
Island State Park, it was opened to the public around 1908, and became part of
the Long Island State Parks Commission in 1924.
Town of East
Hampton:
Hither Hills State Park (Est.
1924, Montauk)
Montauk Point State
Park (Est. 1924, Montauk)
Town of Huntington:
Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve
(Est. 1961, Huntington)
Town of Islip:
Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park
(Est. 1936, Great River)
Connetquot River
State Park (Est. 1962, Oakdale)
Heckscher State Park (Est. 1924, East Islip)
Town of Smithtown:
Caleb Smith State Park (Est.
1962, Smithtown)
Sunken Meadow State Park (Est.
1926, Kings Park)
Town of Southold:
Orient Beach State Park (Est.
1929, Orient)
Town of Riverhead:
Wildwood State Park (Est. 1925, Wading
River)
Nassau County:
Bethpage State Park (Est. 1934,
Farmingdale)
Hempstead Lake State Park (Est.
1925, West Hempstead)
Jones Beach State
Park (Est. 1927, Wantagh)
Valley Stream State Park (Est. 1928, North Valley Stream)
The Parkways
  |
Postcard images of the
Southern State Parkway, from the historic collections of the Town of
Babylon History Museum |
The parkway system built by the Long
Island State Parks Commission was designed to transport automobiles to the
State parks, specifically personal automobiles, not commercial vehicles or
buses. By limiting access to passenger cars, the parkways were supposedly intended
for recreational driving. Drivers and passengers could enjoy the beauty of the
tree-lined roadway, free of billboards and trucks, as they made the journey to
a park, or the countryside, as so much of Suffolk County was considered at the
time that the parkways were initiated.
One of the criticisms heard about the
parkways relates to the low height under the overpasses. An often-heard remark
is that “Robert Moses had parkway bridges built low to keep Black people from
coming to Long Island parks and beaches.” The comment is regularly phrased this
way, however, the more accurate point is that the lower overpass bridges kept
away those traveling by bus and other commercial traffic, and that busses would
presumably be used by poorer people, or those who could not afford an automobile.
It appears to be accurate that the state parks and beaches reached by the
Suffolk and Nassau County parkways were deliberately designed to accommodate
motorists, rather than people using public transportation. The inference that
many people make is that Black people used public transportation, which they
surely did, along with all of the other people who could not afford to, or
simply chose not to, own a car.
It might not seem significant, but such
an overarching statement, “low bridges were meant to keep Black people away,”
ignores the fact that Black people did own automobiles and drove them on the
parkways, to the beaches and elsewhere. The parkways were for motorists, which
were owned by a growing middle-class. If the parkways are the best way to get
to the parks and someone can’t use the parkway because they don’t have a car,
then they would need some sort of public transportation to get to the parks.
That leaves a lot of people – including many Black residents and families – unable
to access the public parks, particularly those who lived in New York City where
they probably did not need an automobile for work and errands because they
could use public transit and neighborhood conveniences.
In 2017, Thomas J. Campanella authored
the article “How Long Did He Go?”, in which he reviewed the height of Long Island
parkway bridges with those built earlier in Westchester County (not by Moses).
Campanella found that the Long Island bridges were significantly lower,
emphasizing that the concrete bridges would prevent large vehicle traffic. He
also wrote that “The low-bridge
story is a microbiography of Moses, a tragic hero who built for the ages, but
for a narrowly construed public.” It is a good analysis; the bridges and parks were
built for “a narrowly construed public.” They were designed for people that were
already prosperous and for those who aspired to be prosperous. The lack of
consideration for the less prosperous, or those without the opportunity to
prosper, in public projects is an everlasting critique of his work.
For drivers
who favor their verdant atmosphere, free of trucks, in contrast to other local
highways and expressways, the parkways could be an enjoyable motorist
thoroughfare in a park-like setting. However, for many people, the low parkway
bridges are an unfortunate, lingering reminder of classism and inequity carried
out in the guise of public works.
Housing Segregation on
Long Island
Another criticism, recently circulating,
has been that “Robert Moses supported housing segregation on Long Island.”
Discussion and debate of Robert Moses’ role in real or perceived disparity and
segregation of housing in New York City has existed for decades. However, it is
not something with which this Town Historian was familiar, regarding Long
Island.
On Long Island, pre-World War II and
post- WWII, there was definitely discrimination in many housing
practices (e.g., Levittown would not sell to Black or Jewish people) which
forced many Black families to live in communities that would sell to them
(e.g., Ronek Park in North Amityville and developments in Wyandanch).
 |
Advertisement
for the Ronek Park housing development, published in the New York Amsterdam
News, January 28, 1950, p. 1 |
During my tenure in the Town Historian’s
office there have been many people who ask, “Why did Black people decide to live
in North Amityville or Wyandanch?,” usually relating to Long Island’s suburban
boom of the 1950s and 1960s (and, by the way, Black people were already living
in these communities long before the post-war population boom). My response is
to explain that in an era when Black people were rejected by some
housing developers, they ended up buying the homes that developers would
sell to them. When some real estate developers were allowed to discriminate
against prospective homebuyers, it left little “choice,” if any, for Black
people and others who wanted to move to Long Island.
In Suffolk and Nassau Counties, this
Town Historian is not aware of specific housing developments orchestrated by
Moses. However, it appears that this condemnation may refer to de facto
segregation resulting from the car-centric lifestyle supported by Moses. (This
Town Historian is not infallible. If there are documented examples of Moses’
influence on Long Island housing segregation, aside from the transportation
issues, please let me know.)
Post-WWII housing was largely promoted
as living in suburbs and commuting to New York City by railroad, not by
automobile. In fact, starting in the 1920s, the Long Island Rail Road published
housing booklets encouraging people to enjoy the suburban lifestyle of living
in communities near railroad stations, so that they could commute to jobs in
New York City.
Oak Beach Island, Muncie Island and High Hill Beach
Within the Town of Babylon, the parkways
were not the only Moses-led project that changed the local landscape.
Historically, Oak Island Beach (or Oak Beach
Island) was a large barrier island that extended from around the Nassau County
border on the west and Captree Island on the east. Jones Island (or Jones Beach
Island) was to its west. In 1902, Oak Island Beach looked like this:
 |
At the far left
is Gilgo Inlet, which shows the separation of Jones Island from Oak Island
Beach. At the far right is Captree Island; the red line denotes the border
between the Town of Babylon and Islip. In the center, straight up from the “D”
in Oak Island Beach, is Muncie Island. (Atlas of Suffolk County, Long Island,
New York,
Merritt B. Hyde; Published by E. B. Hyde, 1902-09.) |
By 1941, the map below shows the result of Ocean
Parkway and it’s eastern terminus at Captree State Park:
 |
The complete
Nassau-Suffolk border, at the far left, was omitted from this map page but the
parkway is marked. At the far right, the
solid lines above Captree Island indicate where the Great South Bay Bridge
would later be constructed. In the center, straight up from the “R” in Gilgo
State Park (green space), is the open water which no longer includes Muncie
Island. (Hagstrom map,
1941.) |
As stated, the parkway system was designed
to transport people to parks. The east-west parkways – Northern State, Southern
State and Ocean – were joined and intersected by the north-south parkways –
Bethpage, Heckscher, Meadowbrook, Robert Moses, Sagtikos, Sunken Meadow and
Wantagh – creating a loop of roads that ended at park facilities. Ocean Parkway started as the connection between
Jones Beach and Captree State Park, and was later joined to Robert Moses
Causeway with the construction of the Great South Bay Bridge.
 |
The two-span
bridge that many people call the “Robert Moses Bridge,” is actually named the
Great South Bay Bridge, which connects Robert Moses Causeway to Captree Island.
(Image courtesy of Wikipedia.) |
Construction of Ocean Parkway obliterated any
denotation of the larger Oak Beach Island. Today, few people understand the
existence of Oak Beach Island, because the parkway created one elongated island
that is commonly referred to as Jones Beach Island. The use of Jones Beach
Island for the stretch from Jones Beach to Captree Island resulted in
eliminating the name Oak Beach Island, as if it never existed, and it makes old
maps confusing for modern users. (Clarification note: Oak Island Beach was the
island that extended from around the Suffolk-Nassau border to Captree Island,
before the construction of Ocean Parkway. Oak Island is a small island in the Great South Bay, to the
north of Ocean Parkway. Oak Beach is a residential community on the south side
of Ocean Parkway, along Fire Island Inlet.)
A few times a year, someone invariably
asks, “Where is Muncie Island?”[1] A bit sarcastically, this
Town Historian usually replies, “It lies under Ocean Parkway.” The island that
had been owned by the Muncie Family for over a century was decimated for
construction of the Ocean Parkway in the early 1930s.
Husband and wife, Dr. Edward H. Muncie
and Dr. Elizabeth Hamilton Muncie, established Muncie Surf Sanitorium on Muncie
island in 1897, a sort of health resort. They also operated a facility in
Brooklyn. The Muncies sold the family island to Town & Country Estates in
1910. Town & Country had plans sub-divide the island for several hundred
cottages, although only about 40 were constructed.
 |
Postcard of the Town
& Country Estates bungalows and the Muncie Island Hotel (formerly Muncie
Surf Sanitorium), from the historic collections of the Town of Babylon History
Museum |
Also gone is High Hill Beach. High Hill
was an oceanfront community of about 80 summer bungalows at the eastern-most
end of Jones Beach in Nassau County. To complete the Jones Beach and Ocean
Parkway plans, the Long Island State Parks Commission, headed by Robert Moses,
evicted the seasonal residents. The bungalow owners had two choices, move their
cottages somewhere else or leave them to be destroyed. In response, the Town of
Babylon allowed the High Hill residents to create a new community, a short
distance away, that is now West Gilgo Beach. It has been reported that about 60
High Hill cottages were relocated West Gilgo Beach, which currently has about
80 year-round and seasonal homes.
 |
| Postcard of High Hill, circa 1910, from the historic collections of the Town of Babylon History Museum |
In terms of lives effected, the
relocation of a few dozen vacation properties certainly holds little comparison
to the thousands of people that were displaced for other regional projects led
by the LISPC.
“The Power
Broker”
Robert A. Caro spent years researching
and writing his book The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York,
which was published in 1974. Caro interviewed more than 500 people, including
Moses himself, before pulling back his cooperation with the book. The book of
50 chapters is over 1,100 pages, with another 100 pages of notes, bibliography
and index.
In the nearly half-a-century since it
was published, there are those who have challenged assertions and condemnations
made by Caro, but The Power Broker is largely considered the definitive
look at Robert Moses’ career and life. Marking the 25th anniversary
of the book’s publication, New York Times journalist Bruce Lambert
interviewed Robert A. Caro for the article “The Father of Parks, and Traffic:
25 Years Later, Robert Moses’ Biographer Looks Back at the Master Builder’s
Long Island Legacy.”[2] A
few take-aways from the Lambert article:
- Despite its critics, the book became an icon in
circles of political science and investigative journalism. Caro’s book is often
used in college courses in the fields of history, political science, journalism
and urban planning.
- A few historians,
journalists and academics argued that:
o
That despite “his
occasional faults,” Moses “was a magnificent planner” and “his longterm effect
was positive.”
o
Federal policies
and societal trends had as much to do with the resulting suburban structure as
Moses.
- While Caro credits Moses’ creation of parks and preservation of open space as “one of the most noble uses of power to create something worthwhile that I ever heard of,” he equally points out that Moses’ vision for Long Island centered around cars and low-density suburbs of single-family homes. Moses’ suburban view did not include mass transit, concerns about traffic congestions or varied housing.
- Defending himself after the book’s publication, Moses rebutted, “I raise my stein to the builder who can remove ghettos without moving people, as I hail the chef who can make omelets without breaking eggs.” To this, Lambert responded, “If Moses saw himself as society’s great omelet chef, Mr. Caro took as his mission the examination of the shattered shells and broken yolks.” Caro, himself asserted, “If you really want to show power in its larger aspects, you need to show the effects on the powerless, for good or ill – the human cost of public works. That’s what I try to do, show not only how power works but its effect on people.”
The Legacy of Quashing Critics
It is tragic for people to feel ignored
and marginalized and, unfortunately, that is another of Moses’ legacies.
Profile after profile describes Robert Moses as an arrogant man who despised
any people that he thought were beneath his social or economic status. In
pursuing his goals, Moses often stretched his authority and undermined elected officials
and the citizens that elected them.
While Robert Moses is credited as the
“visionary” of public works projects on Long Island, throughout New York City
and New York State, he was a public servant. Much has been touted about the
fact that he did not take a salary for most of his government positions,
however, being an “unpaid” volunteer does not excuse someone from performing
their job responsibly. Robert Moses was not paid in salary. He was awarded
power, perhaps too much power.
Robert Moses may have drafted and pushed
through the plans, but the parkways, parks and beaches of Long Island were
ultimately paid for by the taxpayers of New York, through Federal, State and
local funds. I think that New York residents can give themselves some credit for
the transportation and recreation systems that we enjoy, as well.
But, where were the State officials – Governors, etc. – when
Robert Moses was carrying out his work? Criticism of Moses’ work should not
ignore the fact that Long Island plans were carried out at the behest of many
government officials. Some officials did oppose Moses’ projects, or at least
parts of them. Starting in 1924, the Babylon Town Board fought against plans
for the State to take control of the barrier islands – today, West Gilgo Beach
to Oak Beach. Many local government officials and residents sought to keep the
islands for town residents, only.
James B. Cooper, a Town of Babylon Justice of the Peace and
owner of the Babylon Leader newspaper, was critical of some of his
fellow Babylonian’s projects. The Power Broker reported that Cooper
railed against Moses’ broken promise in charging tolls on Wantagh Causeway and
led the 1930s opposition of Ocean Parkway. However, when Cooper rebuked Moses’
plans, “with scrupulous fairness,” Cooper gave Moses the opportunity to publish
his response in the newspaper. Eventually, LISPC removed the Babylon Leader
from their list of Suffolk County publications for legal advertising, which
cost the newspaper significant revenue.
Moses = Robin Hood?
For many people, there is a deep-rooted
sense that Robert Moses was something of a Robin Hood figure for Long Island, who
took over the play-grounds of the uber-wealthy for use by all people.
But, as discussed, here, the term “all” was geared to those of middle-class
status. In The Power Broker, Caro quoted an employee of the LISPC who
described working for Moses as “exciting,” … “He made you feel you were part of
something big … It was you fighting for the people against those rich estate
owners ….”[3]
The LISPC employed hundreds of people, many of whom lived in and around the
Town of Babylon.
Moses’ projects in New York City are
typically characterized as having displaced poor people. On Long Island, there
is more of a characterization that he disrupted wealthy estates, although there
were plenty of working-class people – baymen and farmers – whose livelihoods
were disturbed by park and roadway projects.
A Matter of Character
Many people try to characterize Robert Moses as either good
or bad. Was he “red” or “blue”? Like many people, he was probably “purple,” a
combination of the two.
For people who take an “ends justify the means” approach, and
see our current riches of parks and open spaces, the plans carried out by
Robert Moses’ are a legacy that Long Islanders can still enjoy.
For people who see his projects as contributing to and
exacerbating economic, social and racial bias on Long Island, Robert Moses is
identified as someone who would do them harm, suppress the heir ambitions, and
dictate their freedoms or lack thereof. As a society, we should have done more
to ensure equal protection and equal opportunity for all.
In his personal character, Robert Moses was regularly described
as arrogant and bigoted, and his professional character was described as
manipulative and devious. These are not favorable characteristics. Robert Moses
is a large part of Long Island history, and that will not change. When we
discuss the legacy of the man and his work, we should be honest, detailing the
good and the bad, the benefits and the sacrifices.
 |
A LISPC campaign in the
1940s and 1950s used the tagline “Come To Long Island For A Real Vacation,”
which was printed on postcards and advertisements. Since the era of Moses’
leadership, New York State Parks have dedicated at least 9 more parks for the
public in Suffolk and Nassau Counties. |
Separate
Is Not Equal
This Town Historian does not care to
parse each and every example of Moses’ bias, perceived or otherwise, for there
are many. This one, I shall share.
For over 90 years, Jones Beach has been
praised as a quintessential Long Island experience. The Power Broker illustrated
prejudicial policies carried out at Jones Beach, against Black visitors.[4] The Power Broker, page 228. As discussed, Moses effectually limited use of state parks, such as Jones
Beach, by facilitating access by car rather than public transportation. Moses
rejected a proposal to construct a railroad branch spur to the beach.
Buses were permitted to enter state
parks, using local roads instead of the parkways, but required a permit. Caro
reported that groups of Black people found it difficult to get the required
permits for Jones Beach. In his interviews with Caro, Sidney Shapiro, an aide
to Moses, described the system of “flagging” that discouraged Black people from
using Jones Beach and instead steered them to parks further away. And, even
when buses carrying Black people received permits for Jones Beach, they were
purposely directed to the far ends of parking areas and less developed beach
areas.
Complaints by Black civic groups about
these policies were brought to Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt. Moses’ reportedly
denied discriminatory practices at the state parks, but the Governor also let
the matter fade away. A brief search of the New York Amsterdam News
historical database,[5]
found these two articles:
- “Commission to Limit Jones Beach Crowds,” New York
Amsterdam News, July 20, 1932, p. 16. – LISPC announced that “party buses”
would not be allowed access at Jones Beach or Sunken Meadow on weekends or
holidays because they did not have the resources to accommodate large groups.
The statement also confirmed that buses would be denied access on other days
unless they had a written permit.
- “Refused Permit to Jones Beach,” New York Amsterdam
News, August 24, 1932, p. 10. – The Mills Citizens’ Voters League complained
that they had applied for a permit to Jones Beach but were denied, with the
park sending a telegram that reservations were closed for the requested day.
The organization was directed to Rockaway Beach, instead. The Governor referred
the complaint to the Parks Commission, who did not issue a response. The
newspaper article further reported that Ralph Redmond, a representative of the
Mills League, described persistent claims of discrimination at Jones Beach.
Babylon Village Resident, Robert Moses
For about 45 years, Robert Moses and his
family lived on Thompson Avenue, in Babylon village. His first wife, Mary Sims
Moses, died at the family home in 1966. The following year, he put the home up
for sale.
Controversy started when a potential
buyer wanted to use the house for office space, which required the property to
be rezoned by the Village of Babylon. The request was opposed by residents and
eventually denied by the Village Board. The protests were so vehement, a Newsday
reported remarked, “Moses might sell the idea for a bridge across Long Island
Sound before he sells his owns house.”[6]
By the end of 1967, Moses had sold the house but there was a fire which damaged
the upper floors before the new owners moved in.
Today, the house where Moses lived, on
Thompson Avenue, is gone.
I was SURE that I had an article
about the disposition of Moses’ house but, aggravatingly, I cannot seem to find
it. This section will be updated when the correct information is found, but in
the meantime ….
The parcel of land on which Moses’
house previously stood, is now occupied by a different house that was moved
from the corner of West Main Street and Thompson Avenue, around the 1980s.
[1] A great resource for more information about Muncie Island – Islands of Content: a history of Oak Island, Oak Island Beach and Captree Island, New York, by Tom Morris, available here.
[2] The full article is worth reading. Library card holders in Suffolk County can easy access the New York Times database on the Livebrary website. You can choose to search one newspaper, or all of them, by clicking on a newspaper title, entering your library card number and password (that you set up), and searching the database. If you have questions, just reach out to your local library. Article: "The Father of Parks, and Traffic: 25 Years Later, Robert Moses' Biographer Looks Back at the Master Builder's Long Island Legacy 25 Years Later, a Look Back at the Father of Parks, and Traffic," by Bruce Lambert, New York Times, October 31, 1999, p. 2.
[3] The Power Broker, page 228.
[4] The Power Broker, page 318-319.