Kleiner’s Korner: (Very) Quiet Viewing Spots Along the Long Island Motor Parkway (Part 1)
Following my post of July 22, 2023 in which I included pictures of a Woodbury cemetery used as a viewing spot of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Races, I thought it interesting to find other cemeteries in close proximity to the Motor Parkway. While at the time of the Parkway these were probably very quiet locations, today's nearby highways and traffic have changed that.
Here are some locations in which I've found documentation.
Queens: The Johnson Burial Ground (source: NYcemeteryfiles.wordpress.com)
Dating back to the mid-1800s, this area south of the Motor Parkway in the Alley Pond section of Queens is thought to be the final resting place of several African-Americans.
The location is east of Springfield Blvd.
The area today is surrounded by various multi-family apartment buildings.
Nassau: A Proposed War Dept. National Cemetery
In 1936 Congress authorized an initial sum of $360,000 at the request of the War Department for a national cemetery to be built on Long Island. (Times-Union Jun.12, 1936)
Several golf courses in the heart of Nassau County were proposed by Assistant Secretary of War, Harry H. Woodring. The Nassau County Board of Supervisors was tasked with evaluating the proposals and making a decision. (The Nassau Daily Review Aug. 18, 1936).
The proposed sites included 2 golf courses in close proximity to the Motor Parkway and 1 just a few hundred yards south.
Unfortunately for the War Dept. the proposed sites were not looked upon favorably by local politicians and residents alike.
The Nassau County Board of Supervisors rejects the sites in August. (The New York Times Aug. 25, 1936)
The New York Times Aug. 25, 1936
Soon after, the War Dept. received an offer for a new site in Suffolk County. The area known as Pinelawn will be covered in Part 2 of this post. (New York Times Aug. 25, 1936)
Suffolk: The Lower Melville Cemetery
Associated with the Methodist Episcopal Church, the cemetery was located near the Motor Parkway.
A prime location!
West of the cemetery the Motor Parkway came through the sandpits (on the left) and passed over today's Route 110.
The area today.
Part 2 of this post will detail additional sites in Suffolk County proposed for cemeteries and located near the Motor Parkway.
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