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(continued...) The first new LIRR station to open in 25 years made its debut on the first Sunday morning in October, 1933. At this time, a major road was being built over the water pipes and conduit that brought water from Long Island reservoirs to New York City. At first, the road was called "Pipeline Boulevard" but was quickly changed to Sunrise Highway. (The extension of Sunrise Highway in Queens is still called Conduit Boulevard.) Another
memorable day in the early life of Massapequa Park
was May 12, 1929, with the dedication of
Fitzmaurice Flying Field. The field was named after
the world-famous Colonel James J. Fitzmaurice,
pilot of the "Bremen," the first lighter-than-air
ship to reach North America from Europe. A crowd
estimated at 100,000 people visited Massapequa Park
that day. Fitzmaurice Field operated until 1951.
Today it is the site of the McKenna and Hawthorn
(Hawthorn now closed) Public Schools.
Massapequa Park was incorporated as a Village in 1931, with Peter F. Colleran presiding as the first Mayor. The first Village Justice was Judge Michael J. Brady. Brady and Colleran Parks are named for these two men who were so instrumental in the development of the Village. The construction boom that swept Long Island in the 1950s and 60s brought a new wave of young people to Massapequa Park. New schools and services had to be provided. The Village quickly matured from virtually a "frontier" community to the suburban enclave of approximately 6,000 one-family homes and 300 commercial ventures that it is today. The community continued to develop and mature. In 1980 the Southgate condominium/shopping center replaced an older shopping center. In 1981 the elevation of the Long Island Railroad tracks and Massapequa Park station was completed to provide greater safety and convenience. Massapequa Park is
moving into the 21st Century as a modern, up-to-date
community that has preserved its strong ties to the
past. 
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