Old Bethpage Village Restoration
Encyclopedia
The Old Bethpage Village Restoration is a 209 acre (0.84579374 km²) recreated living museum
village in Old Bethpage, New York
. The village opened in 1970 with dozens of historic structures that had been saved from demolition by Nassau County
. Costumed actors provide demonstrations of 19th century life. Major funding cuts by the county in the early 1990s led to reduced availability and increasing deterioration. It is the site of the annual Long Island Fair.
The village came into existence in 1963, when Nassau County acquired the Powell property, a 165 acre (0.6677319 km²) farm located on the Nassau-Suffolk border. According to notes written on the county's 1959 master plan, the site originally was planned to become the Nassau County Zoo.
was the first building moved to the site. Layton's Store sells candy while the Noon Inn is a working tavern which sells birch beer and pretzels. The Schenck House is a 1730 Dutch farmhouse. The Bach Blacksmith Shop from Hicksville
is used to repair and create all the ironworks used in the village.
s and holiday events such as the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving
. The Long Island Fair has been held at the site since the village opened. The fair includes a series of vintage baseball games, played with the mid-19th century rules as well as craft sales and demonstrations of 19th century crafts and occupations. In recent years, there has been a small summer camp organized for local children in the village.
.
proposed closing all county parks including Old Bethpage in order to reduce the county deficit. There was a petition against this proposal, which claimed that 35,000 students visit the village every year.
Living museum
A living museum is a type of museum, in which historical events showing the life in ancient times are performed, especially in ethnographic or historical views, or processes for producing a commercial product in terms of technical and technological developments are shown, especially the craft...
village in Old Bethpage, New York
Old Bethpage, New York
Old Bethpage is a hamlet located on Long Island in the Town of Oyster Bay, Nassau County, New York, USA. The population of the CDP was 5,523 at the 2010 census.It is served by the Old Bethpage Post Office, ZIP code 11804....
. The village opened in 1970 with dozens of historic structures that had been saved from demolition by Nassau County
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
. Costumed actors provide demonstrations of 19th century life. Major funding cuts by the county in the early 1990s led to reduced availability and increasing deterioration. It is the site of the annual Long Island Fair.
The village came into existence in 1963, when Nassau County acquired the Powell property, a 165 acre (0.6677319 km²) farm located on the Nassau-Suffolk border. According to notes written on the county's 1959 master plan, the site originally was planned to become the Nassau County Zoo.
Description
There are currently 51 preserved and seven reconstructed buildings arranged to simulate a typical mid-19th century Long Island farming village. Only twenty of the buildings are open to the public.Buildings
The Powell Farmhouse is the only building that was originally located at the site before it was purchased by the county. The Manetto Hill Methodist Church from PlainviewPlainview, New York
Plainview is a hamlet located on Long Island in the town of Oyster Bay, Nassau County, New York, USA. The population of the CDP as of 2010 was 26,217. The Plainview post office has the ZIP code 11803....
was the first building moved to the site. Layton's Store sells candy while the Noon Inn is a working tavern which sells birch beer and pretzels. The Schenck House is a 1730 Dutch farmhouse. The Bach Blacksmith Shop from Hicksville
Hicksville, New York
Hicksville is a hamlet and census-designated place located within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population of the CDP was 41,547 at the 2010 census...
is used to repair and create all the ironworks used in the village.
Activities
During the summer months, there are a number of weekend events including Civil War re-enactmentAmerican Civil War reenactment
American Civil War reenactment is an effort to recreate the appearance of a particular battle or other event associated with the American Civil War by hobbyists known as Civil War reenactors or Civil War recreationists...
s and holiday events such as the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
. The Long Island Fair has been held at the site since the village opened. The fair includes a series of vintage baseball games, played with the mid-19th century rules as well as craft sales and demonstrations of 19th century crafts and occupations. In recent years, there has been a small summer camp organized for local children in the village.
Restoration Farm
A small private sustainable organic farm was organized on 7 acres (2.8 ha) of the village in 2007. It sells its produce at a farm stand and through a CSACommunity-supported agriculture
Community-supported agriculture, a form of an alternative food network, is a socio-economic model of agriculture and food distribution. A CSA consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farming operation where the growers and consumers share the risks and benefits of food...
.
Potential closing
In February, 2009, Nassau County Executive Thomas SuozziThomas Suozzi
Thomas R. "Tom" Suozzi was the county executive of Nassau County, New York. He was first elected to the post of county executive in 2001, the first Democratic county executive since Eugene Nickerson left office in 1971.In 2006, he ran unsuccessfully against Eliot Spitzer for the Democratic...
proposed closing all county parks including Old Bethpage in order to reduce the county deficit. There was a petition against this proposal, which claimed that 35,000 students visit the village every year.