Bethpage, New York
Encyclopedia
Bethpage is a hamlet located on Long Island
within the Town of Oyster Bay
in Nassau County
, New York
, United States
, as well as a census-designated place
(CDP) with borders slightly different from those of the hamlet. The CDP's population was 16,429 at the 2010 United States Census.
The area is served by the Bethpage Post Office, ZIP code
11714, whose boundaries are slightly different from that of the CDP. The area is also served by the Bethpage Union Free School District
, the boundaries of which include parts of some surrounding hamlets, including parts of Old Bethpage, Plainview, and Plainedge. The Town of Hempstead, on its website, includes a small part of Bethpage hamlet that is in the Levittown
census-designated place.
The name Bethpage comes from the Quakers, who named the area after the Biblical town Bethphage
, which was between Jericho and Jerusalem in the Holy Land. Present-day Bethpage was part of the 1695 Bethpage Purchase
.
An early name for the northern section of present-day Bethpage was Bedelltown,
a name that appeared on maps at least as late as 1906.
On maps just before the arrival of the Long Island Rail Road
(LIRR), the name Bethpage appears for a community now included in both the post office district and school district of the adjacent community of Farmingdale
.
In 1841,
train service began to Farmingdale station
, near a new settlement less than a mile eastward from what had previously appeared on maps as Bethpage. Schedules at that time do not mention Bethpage as a stop, but have a notation "late Bethpage".
On an 1855 map,
the location identified as Bethpage has shifted slightly westward to include a nearby area now called Plainedge
.
From at least 1854, the LIRR stopped within present-day Bethpage at a station
then called Jerusalem Station, and on January 29, 1857 a local post office opened, also named Jerusalem Station.
LIRR schedules listed the station also as simply Jerusalem.
Residents succeeded in changing the name of the post office to Central Park, effective March 1, 1867 (respelled as Centralpark from 1895 to 1899).
The Central Park Fire Company was organized in April 1910, and incorporated in May 1911. In May 1923 the Central Park Water District was created.
Following the 1932 opening of nearby Bethpage State Park
, the name of the local post office was changed to Bethpage on October 1, 1936. The name Bethpage was, however, already in use by an adjacent community, which resisted suggestions of a merger and instead renamed itself Old Bethpage
. The change from Central Park to Bethpage was one of the last complete name changes of Nassau County's post offices.
From 1936 until 1994, Bethpage was home to the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation
, which made, among other things, the F-14 Tomcat
, the Navy version of the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark and the Apollo Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) for moon landings, and for this reason Bethpage is mentioned in the film Apollo 13
. In 1994, Grumman was purchased by Northrop Corporation
and formed Northrop Grumman
. Although no longer headquartered in Bethpage, the company still retains operations there. Cablevision Systems Corporation, a Fortune 500
company, is headquartered in Grumman's former main office.
, the CDP has a total area of 3.6 square miles (9.3 km²), all land.
For the 2000 Census, the boundaries of the CDP were adjusted compared to those of the 1990 census, with some territory gained and some lost.
of 2000, there were 16,543 people, 5,710 households, and 4,516 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 4,564.5 per square mile (1,764.4/km²). There were 5,788 housing units at an average density of 1,597.0/sq mi (617.3/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.17% White, 0.29% African American, 0.02% Native American, 2.99% Asian, 1.00% from other races
, and 1.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.75% of the population.
There were 5,710 households out of which 32% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.0% were married couples
living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.9% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $70,173, and the median income for a family was $78,573. Males had a median income of $53,404 versus $36,708 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $27,850. About 2.1% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.
s, or LEMs.
Bethpage State Park
offers five golf courses to choose from. One of them, the Black Course
, was the site of the U.S. Open
in 2002
and 2009
. Tiger Woods
won the event in 2002 and Lucas Glover
in 2009. While the park and its five golf courses are located almost entirely within Old Bethpage
and its offices are located within the neighboring Farmingdale
postal district, it is easily accessed from Bethpage.
Bethpage Water District was announced as the best tasting drinking water in New York State at the state fair in Syracuse in 2006. In 2010 chlorine was added to the drinking water following new Nassau County Board of Health regulations, leading many residents to complain that the taste of the water had declined.
Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, Stephen Edward Karopczyc, lived in Bethpage. The former Karopczyc School in Levittown (part of the Island Trees Union Free School District
) was renamed for him. The school now houses the Island Trees Public Library. Popular Photography's Technical Editor Philip J. Ryan was also born in Bethpage. Former MLB pitcher Joe Sambito
graduated from Bethpage High School.
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
within the Town of Oyster Bay
Oyster Bay (town), New York
The Town of Oyster Bay is easternmost of the three towns in Nassau County, New York, in the United States. Part of the New York metropolitan area, it is the only town in Nassau County that extends from the North Shore to the South Shore of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the town population was...
in 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...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, as well as a census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) with borders slightly different from those of the hamlet. The CDP's population was 16,429 at the 2010 United States Census.
The area is served by the Bethpage Post Office, ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
11714, whose boundaries are slightly different from that of the CDP. The area is also served by the Bethpage Union Free School District
Bethpage Union Free School District
The Bethpage Union Free School District in Bethpage, New York contains 5 schools. The boundaries of the school district include parts of some surrounding hamlets ....
, the boundaries of which include parts of some surrounding hamlets, including parts of Old Bethpage, Plainview, and Plainedge. The Town of Hempstead, on its website, includes a small part of Bethpage hamlet that is in the Levittown
Levittown, New York
Levittown is a hamlet in the Town of Hempstead located on Long Island in Nassau County, New York. Levittown is midway between the villages of Hempstead and Farmingdale. As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a total population of 51,881....
census-designated place.
History
Bethphage
Bethphage was a place in ancient Israel, mentioned as the place from which Jesus sent the disciples to find a donkey and a colt with her upon which he would ride into Jerusalem....
, which was between Jericho and Jerusalem in the Holy Land. Present-day Bethpage was part of the 1695 Bethpage Purchase
Bethpage Purchase
The Bethpage Purchase was a 1687 land transaction, in which Thomas Powell bought more than in central Long Island, New York for £140 from local Indian tribes, including the Marsapeque, Matinecoc, and Sacatogue....
.
An early name for the northern section of present-day Bethpage was Bedelltown,
a name that appeared on maps at least as late as 1906.
On maps just before the arrival of the Long Island Rail Road
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
(LIRR), the name Bethpage appears for a community now included in both the post office district and school district of the adjacent community of Farmingdale
Farmingdale, New York
The Village of Farmingdale is an incorporated village on Long Island within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York in the United States...
.
In 1841,
train service began to Farmingdale station
Farmingdale (LIRR station)
The Farmingdale Railroad Station is a historic railroad station along the Main Line of the Long Island Rail Road. It is officially located off Secatogue Avenue, on Front Street and Atlantic Avenue, in Farmingdale, New York, however, the actual station is on Eastern Parkway...
, near a new settlement less than a mile eastward from what had previously appeared on maps as Bethpage. Schedules at that time do not mention Bethpage as a stop, but have a notation "late Bethpage".
On an 1855 map,
the location identified as Bethpage has shifted slightly westward to include a nearby area now called Plainedge
Plainedge, New York
Plainedge is a hamlet in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 8,817 at the 2010 census.Plainedge is a census-designated place located in the Town of Oyster Bay, residents are served by the Bethpage , Massapequa , and Seaford Post Offices, with a small number of residents...
.
From at least 1854, the LIRR stopped within present-day Bethpage at a station
Bethpage (LIRR station)
Bethpage Station is a station along the Main Line of the Long Island Rail Road. It is located at Stewart Avenue and Jackson Avenue, in Bethpage, New York, and serves Ronkonkoma Branch trains...
then called Jerusalem Station, and on January 29, 1857 a local post office opened, also named Jerusalem Station.
LIRR schedules listed the station also as simply Jerusalem.
Residents succeeded in changing the name of the post office to Central Park, effective March 1, 1867 (respelled as Centralpark from 1895 to 1899).
The Central Park Fire Company was organized in April 1910, and incorporated in May 1911. In May 1923 the Central Park Water District was created.
Following the 1932 opening of nearby Bethpage State Park
Bethpage State Park
Bethpage State Park is a New York state park on the border of Nassau County and Suffolk County on Long Island. The park contains tennis courts, picnic and recreational areas and a polo field, but is best known for its five golf courses, including the Bethpage Black Course, which hosted the 2002...
, the name of the local post office was changed to Bethpage on October 1, 1936. The name Bethpage was, however, already in use by an adjacent community, which resisted suggestions of a merger and instead renamed itself Old Bethpage
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 change from Central Park to Bethpage was one of the last complete name changes of Nassau County's post offices.
From 1936 until 1994, Bethpage was home to the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation
Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation
The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, later Grumman Aerospace Corporation, was a leading 20th century U.S. producer of military and civilian aircraft...
, which made, among other things, the F-14 Tomcat
F-14 Tomcat
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental program following the collapse of the F-111B project...
, the Navy version of the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark and the Apollo Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) for moon landings, and for this reason Bethpage is mentioned in the film Apollo 13
Apollo 13 (film)
Apollo 13 is a 1995 American drama film directed by Ron Howard. The film stars Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Kathleen Quinlan and Ed Harris. The screenplay by William Broyles, Jr...
. In 1994, Grumman was purchased by Northrop Corporation
Northrop
Northrop Corporation was a major United States aircraft manufacturer which merged with Grumman in 1994 to form Northrop Grumman.Northrop may also refer to:-Places:In the United States:* Northrop, Minnesota, a town...
and formed Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American global aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth-largest defense contractor in the world as of 2010, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over...
. Although no longer headquartered in Bethpage, the company still retains operations there. Cablevision Systems Corporation, a Fortune 500
Fortune 500
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
company, is headquartered in Grumman's former main office.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 3.6 square miles (9.3 km²), all land.
For the 2000 Census, the boundaries of the CDP were adjusted compared to those of the 1990 census, with some territory gained and some lost.
Demographics for the CDP
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 16,543 people, 5,710 households, and 4,516 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 4,564.5 per square mile (1,764.4/km²). There were 5,788 housing units at an average density of 1,597.0/sq mi (617.3/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.17% White, 0.29% African American, 0.02% Native American, 2.99% Asian, 1.00% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.75% of the population.
There were 5,710 households out of which 32% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.9% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $70,173, and the median income for a family was $78,573. Males had a median income of $53,404 versus $36,708 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $27,850. About 2.1% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.
Schools
Other points of interest
Bethpage was the home of the Grumman plant that produced the Apollo Lunar ModuleApollo Lunar Module
The Apollo Lunar Module was the lander portion of the Apollo spacecraft built for the US Apollo program by Grumman to carry a crew of two from lunar orbit to the surface and back...
s, or LEMs.
Bethpage State Park
Bethpage State Park
Bethpage State Park is a New York state park on the border of Nassau County and Suffolk County on Long Island. The park contains tennis courts, picnic and recreational areas and a polo field, but is best known for its five golf courses, including the Bethpage Black Course, which hosted the 2002...
offers five golf courses to choose from. One of them, the Black Course
Bethpage Black Course
The Bethpage Black Course is the most difficult of the five golf courses at Bethpage State Park on Long Island. In 2002 the Black Course became the first publicly owned and operated course to host the U.S. Open. It also hosted the 2009 U.S. Open...
, was the site of the U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
in 2002
2002 U.S. Open Golf Championship
The 2002 United States Open Championship was the 102nd U.S. Open. The event was held between June 13 and June 16 at Bethpage State Park in New York. The tournament was won by the American golfer Tiger Woods, his second U.S. Open victory and eighth major championship win of his career...
and 2009
2009 U.S. Open Golf Championship
The 2009 United States Open Championship was the 109th U.S. Open, and was played June 18-22 on the Black Course of Bethpage State Park on Long Island, New York. It was won by Lucas Glover with a 4 under par score of 276....
. Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
won the event in 2002 and Lucas Glover
Lucas Glover
Lucas Hendley Glover is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour. He is best known for winning the 2009 U.S. Open.-Amateur career:...
in 2009. While the park and its five golf courses are located almost entirely within Old Bethpage
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....
and its offices are located within the neighboring Farmingdale
Farmingdale, New York
The Village of Farmingdale is an incorporated village on Long Island within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York in the United States...
postal district, it is easily accessed from Bethpage.
Bethpage Water District was announced as the best tasting drinking water in New York State at the state fair in Syracuse in 2006. In 2010 chlorine was added to the drinking water following new Nassau County Board of Health regulations, leading many residents to complain that the taste of the water had declined.
Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, Stephen Edward Karopczyc, lived in Bethpage. The former Karopczyc School in Levittown (part of the Island Trees Union Free School District
Island Trees Union Free School District
Island Trees Union Free School District is a school district in central Nassau County on Long Island, approximately 31 miles east of New York City. The district includes parts of the following hamlets; Levittown, Bethpage and Seaford....
) was renamed for him. The school now houses the Island Trees Public Library. Popular Photography's Technical Editor Philip J. Ryan was also born in Bethpage. Former MLB pitcher Joe Sambito
Joe Sambito
Joseph Charles Sambito is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Houston Astros , New York Mets and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw left-handed...
graduated from Bethpage High School.
External links
- Bethpage Community
- Newsday article on Bethpage
- Encyclopedia of the Unincorporated Village of Bethpage
- Three photos of old buildings, since demolished
- More Bethpage History
- 1903 map showing Bethpage as Central Park - includes Bethpage Junction of LIRR, and a creek from area that emptied into the Atlantic
- Briarcliffe College - Bethpage
- Powell family in 1880 Census Click on Next Household to see others. Start from http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/search/census/household_record.asp?HOUSEHOLD_CODE=1880US_11280529 to http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/search/census/household_record.asp?HOUSEHOLD_CODE=1880US_11280880
- first Bethpage Bedell family in 1880 census click on Next Household to look for more
- Bethpagebaseball.org Bethpage baseball
