Clinton Road station explained

Clinton Road
Style:LIRR
Address:Clinton Road (CR 1) and Saint James Street North
Garden City, New York
Coordinates:40.7275°N -73.6211°W
Line:Garden City-Mitchel Field Secondary
Platform:2 side platforms
Tracks:2
Opened:c.1915
Closed:May 15, 1953
Owned:Metropolitan Transportation Authority (tracks)
Incorporated Village of Garden City (station house)
Other Services Header:Former services

Clinton Road was a station stop located on the Garden City-Mitchel Field Secondary branch of the Long Island Rail Road in the Village of Garden City in Nassau County, New York, United States. The historic station house is now used as a fire station.

History

The station opened in 1915 on a line originally built by Alexander Turney Stewart's Central Railroad of Long Island.[1] It was built by the Garden City Company just before World War I, in anticipation of the eastern side of Garden City being developed.

During World War I, the station building served as a telegraph and paymaster station for Camp Mills, which had been established on the east side of Clinton Road and the south side of the Central Railroad.[2] The station saw very low ridership over the course of its operations, and service would eventually be limited to shuttle trains running between Country Life Press and Mitchel Field.

By 1951, the eastern side of Garden City was starting to become heavily developed. At the time, the Garden City Fire Department – then one of the only professional fire departments in Nassau County, was not able to efficiently serve the east side of the village, due to the existing two fire stations not being in adequate proximity to the area. This prompted the Village of Garden City to purchase the station building that year, and subsequently converting it into a third fire station for the village's fire department, providing sufficient coverage for the eastern part of the community.

By 1952, citing the low ridership totals, the Long Island Rail Road petitioned for the New York State Public Service Commission to allow it to close the Clinton Road station – in addition to the nearby Newsday, A&P Bronze, and Mitchel Field stations.[3] Passenger rail service at the Clinton Road station ultimately ended on May 15, 1953.[4] [5]

As of 2024, the station building continues to be operated by the Garden City Fire Department as Fire Station No. 3.[6] [7]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: April 11, 1951 . Ticketless LIRR Station Finally To Come Into Own as Firehouse . . 7 . ProQuest.
  2. Book: Smith, Mildred H. . 1998 . Garden City, Long Island, in Early Photographs, 1869-1919 . Mineola . Dover Publications . 63, 74 . 9780486406695 . 2024-07-29 . Google Books.
  3. News: August 4, 1952 . PSC Sets Hearing Date on RR's Petition . . 26 . ProQuest.
  4. Web site: LIRR Station History . trainsarefun.com . 2011-11-25 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110106043505/http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirrphotos/LIRR%20Station%20History.htm . 2011-01-06 .
  5. Web site: Long Island Stations & Structures . trainsweb.org . 2011-11-25.
  6. Book: Zeil, Ron . Richard . Wettereau . Victorian Railroad Stations of Long Island . 1988 . Sunrise Special . Bridgehampton . 132 . 19319353.
  7. Web site: Station 3 . Garden City Fire Department . 2011-11-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110830011441/http://www.gcfdny.com/station3.php . 2011-08-30 . dead .