Rockville Centre, New York Explained

See also: Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre.

Rockville Centre
Official Name:Incorporated Village of Rockville Centre
Settlement Type:Village
Nickname:RVC
Pushpin Map:USA New York Long Island#New York
Pushpin Label Position:top
Pushpin Map Caption:Location on Long Island##Location within the state of New York
Mapsize:260px
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Nassau
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Francis X. Murray
Established Title:Incorporated
Established Date:July 15, 1893[1]
Unit Pref:Imperial
Area Footnotes:[2]
Area Total Km2:8.64
Area Land Km2:8.42
Area Water Km2:0.22
Area Total Sq Mi:3.34
Area Land Sq Mi:3.25
Area Water Sq Mi:0.09
Population As Of:2020
Population Total:26016
Population Density Km2:3089.88
Population Density Sq Mi:8002.46
Timezone:EST
Utc Offset:-5
Timezone Dst:EDT
Utc Offset Dst:-4
Elevation M:9
Elevation Ft:30
Coordinates:40.6633°N -73.6369°W
Postal Code Type:ZIP codes
Postal Code:11570
Area Code:516, 363
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank Info:36-63264
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:2391098
Subdivision Type3:Town
Subdivision Name3:Hempstead
Pushpin Label:Rockville Centre, New York
Area Code Type:Area codes

Rockville Centre, commonly abbreviated as RVC, is an incorporated village located in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, on the South Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 26,016 at the time of the 2020 census.

History

The site of Rockville Centre has been occupied by humans for thousands of years. Generally speaking, the people of the prehistoric Woodlands period East River culture are believed to have been the Algonkian-speaking ancestors of the historical Indian tribes of western Long Island.[3] The historical territory of their Lenape descendants, the Canarsie, Recouwacky (Rockaway),[4] Matinecock and Massapequa, included present-day western Long Island's Queens and Nassau Counties.

By the year 1643, there were roughly thirteen Algonquin bands (then referred to as tribes) living east of the Dutch-English settlements: the four or so Lenape chieftaincies in western Long Island, and Metoac descendants of the prehistoric Woodlands period Windsor culture living on eastern Long Island, considered by some to be branches of the Pequot: Merrick, Nissequoge, Secatoag, Seatauket, Patchoag, Poosepatuck (also called Uncachogee), Corchaug, Shinnecock, Manhansett (also called Manhasset), and Montaukett.

Imported diseases had decimated the natives in 16th century. While disease was still a major factor during the decades of the 17th century, native mortality in western Long Island due to disease was similar to that of the settlers. Most Lenape were pushed out of their homeland by expanding European colonies; the colonies received many emigrants while the Munsee-speaking Indian communities did not. Their dire situation was exacerbated by losses from intertribal conflicts.

The Reckouakie tribe (the Reckonhacky chieftaincy) had left their original land in present-day Rockaway and its surroundings in Queens County to Dutch Governor Kieft in 1640 because he wanted it for better defense of New Netherlands.[5] Most settled to the east in what was to become Rockville Centre on the traditional land of the Matinecock (or of the Massapequa), with whom they had ties of kinship. Dutch and English settlers declared the 1639 treaty meant no Indians would remain in western Long Island (so they could sell it to emigrants), in contrast to the exact terms of the treaty which meant the Native Americans were willing to share the usufruct of unoccupied land, with the Dutch leadership having eminent domain superior to their sachem's eminent domain. This led to many conflicts, then four years of open warfare. The Reckonhacky / Rockaway were party to a peace treaty dated May 24, 1645, following the devastation of Indian communities by Dutch soldiers.[6] [7] [8] Violent expropriation dislocated them with the arrival of additional Dutch and English settlers.[9]

The hamlet was named "Rockville Centre" in 1849, after local Methodist preacher and community leader Mordecai "Rock" Smith. It was incorporated as a village in 1893.[10] Rockville Centre emerged in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century as a commuter town connected to New York by the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR).[11] In 1915, the New York Tribune went so far as to declare that Rockville Centre was a place in which "the average mortal could live happily."[12]

Like many Long Island communities at the time, Rockville Centre's population included a considerable number of supporters of the Ku Klux Klan during the 1920s.[13] When the white supremacist organization placed a wreath at the town's memorial to its war dead in 1923, the American Legion removed it in protest, but the village police received so many calls of complaint in response that they were forced to replace the wreath. In the late 1960s, the village of Rockville Centre received a stinging rebuke for its failure to maintain public housing units primarily inhabited by African-Americans.[14] A report from Nassau County's Human Rights Commission stated Rockville Centre was "at best indifferent to, if not actually in favor of, Negro removal." Martin Luther King Jr. visited Rockville Centre in 1968, where he addressed a large audience at South Side Junior High School on March 26, 1968.[15]

In the early 1940s, Rockville Centre annexed the Mercy Medical Center property; the annexation saw the village's total area expand by 87acres.[16]

On February 17, 1950, two LIRR trains collided near Rockville Centre station, killing 32 and injuring more than 80.[17]

The Rockville Centre Post Office was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.

Demographics

2000 census

At the time of the census[18] of 2000, there were 24,568 people living in the village, 9,201 households and 6,468 families. The population density was 7496.5sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 9,419 housing units at an average density of 2874sp=usNaNsp=us;,.[19] The racial makeup of the village was 84.3% White, 9.8% African American, 7.8% Hispanic or Latino of any race, 1.5% Asian, 0.08% Native American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.0% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races.

There were 9,201 households, of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.1% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.25. The population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 women there were 87.9 men. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 81.9 men.

According to a 2007 estimate,[20] the median income for a household in the village was $99,299, and the median income for a family was $128,579. Males had a median income of $70,149 versus $43,800 for females. The per capita income for the village was $40,739. 5.0% of the population and 2.8% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 7.0% of those under the age of 18 and 5.7% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

2010 census

At the time of the census[21] of 2010, there were 24,111 people living in the village, 9,201 households and 6,468 families. The population density was 7496.5sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 9,419 housing units at an average density of 2874sp=usNaNsp=us .[22] The racial makeup of the village was 78.3% White, 8.6% Black or African American, 9.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.0% Asian alone, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 0.1% Some Other Race, and 1.2% Two or More Races.

There were 10,002 households, of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 32.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.28. The population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 women there were 87.9 men. For every 100 women age 18 and over, there were 81.9 men.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 3.4sqmi, of which 3.3sqmi is land and 0.1sqmi – or 2.38% – is water.[23]

Education

Rockville Centre students attend the Rockville Centre Union Free School District, the Oceanside UFSD, and the Baldwin UFSD.

The Rockville Centre Union Free School District has five public elementary schools:The Watson School, The Covert School, The Wilson School, The Hewitt School, and The Riverside School. In addition to the elementary schools, Rockville Centre also consists of South Side Middle School and South Side High School. The district extends beyond Rockville Centre's borders, including part of South Hempstead, and Hempstead. Covert Elementary School is located in South Hempstead. Part of Rockville Centre is located in the Oceanside school district and a part in the Baldwin School District.

According to www.schooldigger.com, South Side High School ranks 116th out of 752 schools in New York state. This is based on actual test scores.[24] In 2012, South Side High School was ranked #22 by U.S. News & World Reports Best High Schools, and #2 in the state of New York. It has also consistently rated in Newsweeks The Top of the Class: The complete list of the 1,300 top U.S. Schools, #42 in 2008, #44 in 2007, #32 in 2006, #45 in 2005 and #65 in 2003.

Approximately 20 percent of the residents of the Village of Rockville Centre live in the Oceanside Union Free School District. Rockville Centre students attend Oceanside School #2 and Oceanside School #5 as well as the Oceanside Middle School and Oceanside High School and some live in the Baldwin School District attending Plaza Elementary School, Baldwin Middle School, and Baldwin High School in Baldwin, NY[25]

Rockville Centre has one private K–8 Catholic day school, The Saint Agnes Cathedral School. The Saint Agnes Cathedral School occupies a single campus. The Saint Agnes Cathedral School provides day school education for kindergarten through eighth grade for families across Nassau County. The Saint Agnes Cathedral School's upper school (9–12), though now defunct, shared the complex at one time. The school is widely regarded for their consistently high-rated academic program among Long Island private schools, as well as their diverse secondary school placement.

Notable people

Notable current and former residents of Rockville Centre include:

In popular culture

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: History: Flushing Willets Point Corona Queens : QueensAlive.org . January 25, 2016 . February 20, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150220033004/http://www.queensalive.org/queensalive_history.php . dead .
  2. Web site: ArcGIS REST Services Directory. United States Census Bureau. September 20, 2022.
  3. http://www.garviespointmuseum.com/indian-archaeology-long-island.php The Indian Archaeology of Long Island
  4. https://books.google.com/books?id=jHcVAAAAYAAJ&dq=Reckonhacky&pg=PA179 Aboriginal Place Names of New York, Bulletin of the New York State Museum, 1907; page 179; accessed 8 February 2018.
  5. http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/indianwars/articles/kieftswar.aspx Governor Kieft's Personal War
  6. http://www.matinecock.org/portal/desktopdefault.aspx?tabindex=2&tabid=23&item=9 Matinecock Masonic Historical Society: History
  7. https://books.google.com/books?id=U9pZQLEDiZYC&dq=Reckonhacky&pg=PA158 Encyclopedia of Massachusetts Indians
  8. https://books.google.com/books?id=SnkCBQAAQBAJ&dq=Reckonhacky&pg=PA61 The Munsee Indians: A History
  9. Rockville Centre: A Community Not Easily Pigeonholed. Rather. John. September 10, 2000. New York Times.
  10. Web site: History of Rockville Centre. August 21, 2014. Village of Rockville Centre. April 18, 2016.
  11. Rockville Centre a Growing Suburb. August 14, 1910. New York Times.
  12. Rockville Centre a Popular Town. July 18, 1915. New York Tribune.
  13. Seized Klan Wreath Ordered Replaced. May 31, 1923. New York Times.
  14. Rights Panel Report Assails Rockville Centre on Housing. Leventhal. Paul and RV Denenberg. February 15, 1966. Newsday.
  15. Book: Devlin, Marilyn Nunes. A Brief History of Rockville Centre: the Heritage and History of a Village. The History Press. 2011. London. 101.
  16. News: September 22, 1941 . Opposition to Annex Mercy Collapses . . 4 . ProQuest.
  17. Web site: Recalling Rockville Centre's deadly LIRR train crash 69 years later. Strack. Ben. February 21, 2019. Herald Community Newspapers. September 14, 2019.
  18. Web site: U.S. Census website . . January 31, 2008 .
  19. http://www.ci.rockville-centre.ny.us/bn_state1.html
  20. Web site: Rockville Centre village, New York – Fact Sheet – American FactFinder. https://archive.today/20200211181334/http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=16000US3658442&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US36%7C16000US3658442&_street=&_county=rockville+centre&_cityTown=rockville+centre&_state=04000US36&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=160&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=ACS_2007_3YR_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null:null&_keyword=&_industry=. dead. February 11, 2020. Factfinder.census.gov. January 24, 2011.
  21. Web site: Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 . https://archive.today/20200212055711/http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_DP_DPDP1 . dead . February 12, 2020 . Factfinder2.census.gov . May 19, 2014.
  22. http://www.zip-codes.com/zip-code/11570/zip-code-11570-2010-census.asp
  23. Web site: US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990. United States Census Bureau. April 23, 2011. February 12, 2011.
  24. http://www.schooldigger.com/go/NY/city/Rockville+Centre/search.aspx?level=3
  25. Web site: Quick Facts about the Village. portal. August 21, 2014. www.rvcny.us. en. September 17, 2017.
  26. Leggett, William. "Bioperse: Top Jockey Eddie Arcaro", Sports Illustrated, June 17, 1957. Accessed January 6, 2017. "Today he lives in his tastefully furnished home in Rockville Centre, on New York's Long Island, together with his wife (the former Ruth Mishkell) and their two children, Carolyn, 15, and Bobby, 13 (see picture above)."
  27. Tannenbaum, Rob. "Comedy Schlub; Dave Attell's Insomniac kicks off its fourth season this week. A conversation with TV's funniest fat, bald, booze-loving loner.", New York (magazine). Accessed January 6, 2017. "Raised on Long Island, in Rockville Centre, Attell graduated from NYU in 1987 with a degree in communications, then began performing at open-mike nights, inspired by his comic heroes, Bill Hicks and Sam Kinison."
  28. [Garry Valk|Valk, Garry]
  29. News: Johnson. Natalie. Local Actress Shines in Starring Role . Patch . August 15, 2010 . December 6, 2018.
  30. Goldstein, Richard. "Sy Berger, Who Turned Baseball Heroes Into Brilliant Rectangles, Dies at 91", The New York Times, December 14, 2014. Accessed September 29, 2016. "Sy Berger, who transformed a boys’ hobby into a high-stakes pop culture niche as the father of the modern-day baseball trading card, died on Sunday at his home in Rockville Centre, N.Y., on Long Island."
  31. http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/49fc595e Tommy Bianco
  32. Neuhaus, Cable. "Rude, Crude and Outrageous, John Byner's Bizarre Behavior Makes Him Cable's King of Comedy", People (magazine), December 12, 1983. Accessed January 6, 2017. "The chances of discovery were indeed bleak for Byner during his early years. The fifth of six children of Michael and Christina Biener, John does not have warm memories of his upbringing in Rockville Centre on Long Island, N.Y."
  33. Staff. "John F. Carew Dies; Retired Jurist, 77; Member of the State Supreme Court 14 Years Presided at Vanderbilt Custody Suit Awarded Child to Aunt Figured in 1915 Row", The New York Times, April 14, 1951. Accessed January 6, 2017. "Rockville Centre, L.I., April 13—Former State Supreme Court Justice John Francis Carew died here last night at his home, 141 South Park Avenue."
  34. Botte, Peter. "Cashman Knows Who's the Boss" New York Daily News, February 8, 1998. Accessed January 6, 2017. "Brian McGuire Cashman was born on July 3, 1967, in Rockville Centre, L.I."
  35. The Cast Of Characters In The Bc Caper . Sports Illustrated . February 16, 1981.
  36. Marshall, Angela. "Inventor wins national honor: Villager recognized for contributions to science", Rockville Centre Herald, April 10, 2003. "It is hardly a stretch of the imagination to believe that one day there will be a sign at the entrances to Rockville Centre saying 'Birthplace of Dean Kamen.'"
  37. http://santaclarabroncos.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/keating_kerry00.html Kerry Keating
  38. Slotnik, Daniel E. "David Wong Louie, Who Probed Ethnic Identity in Fiction, Dies at 63", The New York Times, September 27, 2018. Accessed November 25, 2020. "Mr. Louie was born on Dec. 20, 1954, in Rockville Centre, N.Y., on Long Island, to Henry and Yu Lan (Mok) Louie."
  39. Nichols, Joseph C. "30,000 Expected at Polo Grounds; Johansson's First Defense Likely to Bring Receipts of $750,000 at Gate", The New York Times, June 19, 1960. Accessed December 8, 2007. "Ingemar Johansson, a 27-year-old native of Goteborg Sweden, will make the first defense of his world heavyweight championship tomorrow night. He will oppose the previous title-holder, Floyd Patterson of Rockville Centre, L.I., in a fight scheduled for fifteen rounds at the Polo Grounds."
  40. http://www.newsday.com/community/guide/lihistory/ny-hometown_stern,0,2669272.story?coll=ny_community_guide_lihistory_util Howard Stern
  41. News: Wolfe . Alexandra . July 3, 2014 . Director Matt Reeves on 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' . en-US . Wall Street Journal . March 3, 2022 . 0099-9660.
  42. https://www.liherald.com/stories/from-rockville-centre-to-the-white-house-presidential-historian-returns-to-long-island,101823 D'Onofrio, Matthew. "From Rockville Centre to the White House, Presidential historian returns to Long Island," LIHerald.com, Thursday, April 5, 2018.

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