A Brief History of the Town of Babylon (Town of Babylon History Book, Chapter 1)
Town of Babylon History Book - A Brief History of the Town of Babylon (chapter 1; April 2025)
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A “New Babylon”
Babylon
Town has a rich and colorful past. History records that in 1710, Captain Jacob
Conklin built the first home in what is now the hamlet of Wheatley Heights in the
Town of Babylon. Conklin sailed with the infamous pirate Captain Kidd. It is
unclear whether Conklin was forced into service by Kidd or was a willing
accomplice. One version of the tale claims that Conklin escaped from Kidd while
the ship was docked in Cold Spring Harbor, hiding among the Native Americans
and later purchasing land from them. The other version is that Conklin was a
full participant in Kidd's escapades and simply chose to disembark when the
ship reached Long Island. What is certain is that, subsequent to his service
with Kidd, Conklin possessed a large sum of money, which he used to purchase
vast tracts of land.
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| "New Babylon" stone from Conklin home. |
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| The Nathaniel Conklin House. |
One of
Jacob Conklin's sons, Colonel Platt Conklin, was an ardent patriot serving in
the Revolutionary War. He married Phebe Smith and they had one child,
Nathaniel. It was Nathaniel Conklin and his mother Phebe who named Babylon in
1803.
Nathaniel
Conklin moved his sons and his mother from their home in Dix Hills to build a
new life on the largely undeveloped southern portion of Huntington Town. Upon
discovering that their new home would be next to a tavern, Phebe Conklin
reportedly proclaimed the area to be another "Babylon" – referring to
the indecent depiction of ancient Babylon depicted in the Christian Bible.
Seizing on this, Nathaniel Conklin called the community "New Babylon"
and inscribed these words on a stone tablet in the chimney of his new home. The
name "Babylon" caught on quickly and in 1830, the Federal Government
gave official recognition by changing the name of the Post Office from
Huntington South to Babylon.
Huntington South: The 19th Century
“Huntington South” was the name generally assigned to the southern
portion of the original Town of Huntington, which is now the Town of Babylon.
(While there is a current community known as South Huntington, it should not be
confused with the historical reference of Huntington South.)
In the 1800s, access to the Great
South Bay supported industries related to fishing, clamming and boat building,
and two railroad lines supported industries that shipped produce, bricks,
lumber and other goods to New York City. The railroad also brought vacationers
to enjoy seaside resorts.
As
Huntington South grew in the mid-1800s, friction developed between the North
and South. Many residents from Huntington South found it a burden to attend
Town Board meetings and access government services because the residents needed
to travel to the north side of the Town of Huntington. A particular issue that
ignited a cry for division of the Town was a road project in the Village of
Huntington. Since the Village was unincorporated, the costs of the
controversial project were applied to all the real property in the Town of
Huntington, including Huntington South.
The South Side Signal, which began
publication in June 1869, in Babylon Village, was the most vocal opponent of
the road project. The first printed suggestion of dividing the Town of
Huntington appeared in the February 12, 1870 edition of the Signal. Henry Livingston, founder and
editor of the Signal, cited the rapid growth of the south shore communities and
control of the Town by Huntington Village as the primary reasons for dividing
the Town.
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The
South Side Signal building originally located on Main Street in Babylon
Village. The building later became the Red Lion English Pub. The historic
building was demolished in 2019. |
As the
momentum for division grew, a series of town-wide meetings were held where some
individuals endorsed the idea of a three-town division. A referendum was held
on January 27, 1872, and, by more than a 2 to 1 margin, the voters supported a
two-town division.
Birth of the Town of Babylon: 1872
The
proposed new town appears to have been universally referred to as the Town of
Babylon, taking its name from the influential community on the South Shore.
Following the referendum vote to divide the Town of Huntington, a commission of
prominent citizens met, and within a week established the boundaries of the new
Town, which were suggested by James T. Morris of Amityville. The northern
border of the new Town of Babylon was created “one mile north of the Long
Island Rail Road.”
John R.
Reid of Babylon, and J. Amherst Woodhull and David Carll of Huntington were
appointed to a committee to take charge of the bill and secure its passage by
the Legislature. Judge John R. Reed drafted the bill. On February 17, 1872, the
newly elected Suffolk County Assemblyman John S. Marcy introduced the bill to
the New York State Legislature. The bill was approved on March 13, 1872.
(Interesting note: J. Amherst Woodhull was the Supervisor of the Town of
Huntington, and David Carll was the brother of Elbert Carll, who would be
elected the first Supervisor of the Town of Babylon.)
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Minutes from the first
Babylon Town Board meeting on April 2, 1872. Transcribed below. |
The legislation provided that the first annual meeting of the Town of Babylon would "be held at the hotel of Phebe A. Seaman and Son in the Village of Babylon on the first Tuesday of April." The Seaman Hotel was actually the historic "American House" hotel, which stood at the northwest corner of Deer Park Avenue and West Main Street, in Babylon village. At the first Town meeting, five resolutions were approved.
1st Resolved that an appropriation of $1,500 be made for the support of the poor of said Town;
2nd Resolved that an appropriation of $200 be made for the repairs of roads and bridges of said Town;
3rd Resolved that an appropriation of $1,000 be made contingent expenses;
4th Resolved that the Islands be hired out to the highest bidder at Public Auction at Babylon;
5th Resolved that the privileges of the Bay be exclusive for the citizens of the Towns of Babylon and Islip and that said privilege be protected from encroachments of other Towns.
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The
American House Hotel and Tavern was erected around 1780 by Jesse Smith. |
The official seal of the Town of Babylon (above, right) was authorized at a meeting of the Town Board on April 2, 1878. The American eagle represents the nation. The clam and the oyster above the bird, the eel in the beak of the eagle and the fish below are representative of the diverse marine life that constituted the main industry of the town in the 1870s. The original seal had a blue center surrounded by an outer circle of white. In 1964, the bands were colored yellow for contrast.
The first step in forming the new government was nominating candidates for public office. At a meeting in Amityville, a union or coalition ticket headed by Republican John Robbins was nominated. In Babylon, an opposing coalition ticket led by Democrat Elbert Carll was nominated. In a tightly contested election, Carll became the first Supervisor of the Town of Babylon with 364 votes to 349 votes for Robbins.
Town Houses: A Home for Town Government, 1918 and 1958
From its formation in
1872 to 1918, Town business was conducted through Town Board meetings held at
various hotels within its three. The Town Clerk typically rented an office
within their community of residence to receive mail and maintain records. Town
government was comprised of the offices of Supervisor, Councilmen, Justices of
the Peace, Town Clerk, Receiver or Taxes, Assessor, Highway Superintendent and
Constables. Most used their homes as an office. However, as the Town’s
population grew, the need for a centralized place of government became crucial.
Some suggested that a building intended for
Town business should be located as near to the geographic center of Town as
possible. Others thought that in as much as Babylon was the Town's name that it
would be appropriate to place it in the Village of Babylon. This concept
prevailed and a town hall was erected on a plot of land located on the
northwest corner of West Main Street and Cottage Place, donated by the family
of David S.S. Sammis. In 1917, the taxpayers voted 667 to 462 on Proposition 18
to erect a Town House or, as it would later come to be called, a "Town
Hall."
(left) “Old Town Hall" was the Town of
Babylon seat of government from 1918 to 1958.
| (right) Babylon's current Town Hall was dedicated on October 18, 1958. |
On March
13, 1918, Supervisor John Clinton Robbins served as master of ceremonies for
the laying of the building's corner stone. After a brief speech he placed a
copper box within the stone that held copies of the four newspapers published
in the Town, a Liberty Quarter, the gift of the Supervisor, specifications of
the building, photographs and other items. The Town Board held its first
meeting in the new Town Hall on November 6, 1918. Town business was conducted
in this building for the next 50 years until functions and staff increased to
the point where a new and larger building was required.
On October
18, 1958, a new Town Hall located at 200 East Sunrise Highway in North
Lindenhurst was dedicated and is still in use today.
Growth of Town of Babylon: The 20th Century
Just as
the railroad brought an influx of people to Babylon in 1842 when it reached
Deer Park, and again in 1867 when it came directly into Babylon Village, the
arrival of the automobile after the turn of the 20th century caused a major
impact on the Town of Babylon.
In the
mid-1900s, farms, country estates and vacation resorts were replaced by
suburban neighborhoods. The greatest period of growth occurred from 1940-1960,
resulting from a demand for housing after World War II, for residents working
in local defense plants and New York City commuters.
From the 1920s to 1960s,
several existing roads were expanded and developed, including:
v
Broadway,
State Route 110 (Amityville, North Amityville, East Farmingdale)
v
Great
Neck Road, Suffolk County Route 47 (Copiague, North Amityville)
v
Wellwood
Avenue, Suffolk County Route 3 (Lindenhurst, North Lindenhurst, East
Farmingdale)
v
Little East Neck Road, Suffolk County Route 96 (Babylon,
West Babylon, North Babylon, Wyandanch, Wheatley Heights)
v
Deer
Park Avenue, Suffolk County Route 34 (Babylon, North Babylon, Deer Park)
v
Montauk Highway/Merrick Road, State Route 27A
(Amityville, Copiague, Lindenhurst, West Babylon, Babylon)
v
Southern
State Parkway, State highway
v
Sunrise
Highway, State Route 27
v
Ocean
Parkway, State highway
After
World War II, many people from New York City moved eastward on Long Island.
With established roads, parkways and train stations, developers built new homes
by the thousands and communities in the Town of Babylon became home to new
residents. The Town’s population grew from 45,556 in 1950 to 142,309 in 1960. An
increase of residents necessitated school districts to build more schools.
Prior to the 1950s, most school districts in the Town of Babylon operated only
one school, K-8 (students could attend high school in a nearby district that
had a high school). The school districts in Amityville, Babylon and Lindenhurst
had high schools.
As the
Town of Babylon grew, three communities elected to incorporate as villages,
with their own village government. Babylon Village incorporated in 1893,
Amityville in 1894 and Lindenhurst in 1923.
The Town of Babylon in the 21st Century
Babylon is the most densely
populated town in Suffolk County, having a land area of about 52 square miles
and a population of around 218,000 residents. It is the sixth most populous
town in New York State.
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| Re-enactment of the first Town Board meeting from April 2, 1872 held on April 2, 2022 by Town Officials. (l-r) Geraldine Compitello, Town Clerk Ÿ Councilman DuWayne Gregory Ÿ Councilman Terrence McSweeney Ÿ Rich Schaffer, Town Supervisor Ÿ Antonio Martinez, Deputy Supervisor/Councilman Ÿ Councilman Anthony Manetta Ÿ Jennifer Montiglio, Receiver of Taxes |
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On April 2, 2022, current and former
elected officials for the Town of Babylon gathered to acknowledge and celebrate
the Town’s 150th anniversary.
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Pictured (l-r): Antonio A. Martinez,
Councilman and Deputy Supervisor Carol Quirk, former Councilwoman and former
Town Clerk Judge Arthur G. Pitts, former Town
Supervisor Janice Tinsley-James, former Town Clerk Wayne Horsley, former Councilman Lindsay P. Henry, former Councilman Francine Brown, former Councilwoman Rich Schaffer, Town Supervisor Anthony Manetta, Councilman Gerry Compitello, Town Clerk Terence McSweeney, Councilman |
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Lt. Governor
Malcolm Wilson, speaking at the ceremonies for the 90th Anniversary of the Town
of Babylon, at Babylon Town
Hall, Sunrise Highway, North Lindenhurst, October 20, 1962.
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Placing a
time capsule during the Town of Babylon “Centweenial”
Celebrations (120th Anniversary) at Babylon Town Hall Park, 1992. (l-r): Suffolk County Legislator Richard
Schaffer (later Town Supervisor); Councilwoman Francine
V. Brown; Town Supervisor Arthur G. Pitts; NYS
Assemblyman Robert K. Sweeney; Councilman Patrick Haugen; Ellen T. McVeety,
Town Clerk; Councilman Robert Kaufold; and Carol Canning, Receiver of Taxes. |
