The Motor Parkway Toll Collection Structures: #12 Bethpage Lodge Updated 3/13/2017
Going west to east, the 11th Motor Parkway toll collection structure was the Bethpage Lodge located in Bethpage (now Old Bethpage).
The Bethpage Lodge was located just west of Round Swamp Road and south of Manetto Hill Road (now Old Bethpage Road). The Bethpage Lodge was one of the original three toll lodges built in 1908 and designed by John Russell Pope.
Enjoy,
Howard Kroplick
June 1908 Surveys
The half-acre property for the lodge was purchased from William A. Finger.
As seen in this survey, the original entrance to the Bethpage Lodge was Manetto Hill Road. Later, the entrance was built off Round Swamp Road.
1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race
The 1908 eastern terminus of the Motor Parkway was located just east of the lodge at Round Swamp Road. As seen in this map, it was part of the course for the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race, the only time the races passed through this section. The 1909 and 1910 courses for the Vanderbilt Cup Races were shortened and ended at Massapequa-Hicksville Road.
This photo was taken in September 1908, one month before the opening of the Motor Parkway. Construction of the Round Swamp Road Motor Parkway Bridge had not yet begun.
Photos (Circa 1910)
This photo was likely staged by the photographer
The villages mentioned on the sign:
Left- Woodbury, Cold Spring, Syosset
Right-Farmingdale, Amityville
Caption : Looking east from "Bethpage Lodge" Mar.27/10
The Bethpage Lodge after the Round Swamp Road Bridge was completed.
Then & Now
1928 Motor Parkway Atlas
Aerial- September 16, 1935
Note the Lodge and the entrance road on to Round Swamp Road
Aerial- October 16, 1935
A wonderful view of the bridge, lodge and entrance road.
Aerial- 1950
According to my favorite co-author Al Velocci, after the Motor Parkway closed in 1938, the lodge and its half-acre were purchased by Ida Damiano, the Bethpage lodge keeper since 1926, and her husband Louis for $1,700.
The Damianos raised their three children, Hubert, Rodney and Anita, in this relatively small home. The moved out of the lodge sometime in the late 1950s and sold the property to a land developer in 1961.
Photos-Circa early 1960s
The abandoned lodge shortly before it was demolished in the early 1960s.
Current Views
Check out Wayne Consolla's online Motor Parkway map to find the location of the Bethpage Lodge.
This house is located just in front of the site of the Bethpage Lodge. The tree line follows the path of the Motor Parkway.
Update: 3/13/2017: Submitted by Frank Fememias
Comments
Great research. Very Cool.
So sad to see the empty lodge, broken and forgotten. So much of the LIMP has faded from memory, when it was a chapter in the history of American’s love for the auto and the open road. It is a unique characteristic of our nation, from the National Road in the early 19th Century to the modern interstate.
At the western end of the municipal building’s driveway, to the left (south) of the tree line, there used to be an embankment showing the actual grade of the LIMP there. I have old photos of this somewhere; I’ll have to hunt them up. Sam, III
It is 12 motor lane I used to live there. There is or was a mound in front of the house that marked the spot. My mom told my the old motor parkway toll house used to be there. They butchered the trees off motor lane. Sad it used to be more shady. Any way I have pictures of the land the circled house was built on before it was built from the backyard of 12 motor lane back in the early 70s. It was all woods I remember when they tore it all down and built the house there. The house circled is on roud swamp it was built in the mid to lates 70s my parents bought 12motor lane in the early 70s and there was one previous owner. I remember older folks in the neighborhood would tell me this was all farmland when we moved out here. The neighborhood still looks nice just less trees.
Ron, your story is as good as it gets! Please send any pictures to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) so everyone can view this historic transformation. Any photos while living at the lodge would be most educational for all. Overall, these photos would be priceless to be seen, thanks to you.
Tom -
Did the toll house look like the photos in these links?
http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/images/blog/2016-12-15_18-43-42_edited-1.jpg
http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/the_motor_parkway_toll_collection_structures_11_bethpage_lodge