Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series: #25 Wheatley Hills “Golfway” Bridge in East Williston
A total of 65 bridges were built by the Motor Parkway from 1908 to 1931 including; parkway bridges (Motor Parkway was on top of the bridge over roads and railroad tracks), highway bridges (Motor Parkway went under the bridge), farmway bridges (Motor Parkway connected adjoining farmland) and one golfway bridge.
The 25th bridge in our series documents the only "golfway" bridge which connected two sides of a golf course.
Enjoy,
Howard Kroplick
March 1909 Suvey
The Motor Parkway purchased 68.114 acres of the William Titus farm in East Williston in order to build the road through this section. As part of the purchase, the Motor Parkway was required to build a farmway bridge to connect the western and eastern sections of the farm.
58.524 acres were purchased east of the Motor Parkway.
7.432 acres were purchased west of the Motor Parkway including the Titus home and barn.
1920s Wheatley Hills Golf Club Brochure
The Wheatley Hills Golf Club was established in 1913 as the Midland Golf Club with the Titus house as the clubhouse. The golf club property was initially leased from the Motor Parkway with additional property to the west purchased from the William Titus family.
This Wheatley Hills Golf Club brochure (courtesy of the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum) noted: "the course is divided into two almost equal parts by the Long Island Motor Parkway which...will be attraction rather than a detriment both by the reason of the way it divides the land and by reason of the facilities which it offers for access to the club house.
The entrance from the Motor Parkway to the clubhouse looking north and east.
A closeup shows the bridge!
The original Wheatley Hills Golf Club formerly the Titus family home.
1928 Aerial
This aerial clearly shows the bridge connecting the two sections of the golf course.
1930s Photos
This photo shows the bridge looking south. The wooden railings were typical for farmway bridges. Photo courtesy of Bob Valentine.
The Motor Parkway can be seen behind the golfer in the middle to just above the golfer on the right. Note the Long Island Lighting utility line on the Parkway right-of-way.
1930s Aerial
Discovered by my favorite co-author Al Velocci, this aerial looking west shows Wheatley Hills Golf Club. Northern State Parkway can be seen on the bottom with the Motor Parkway further west. The Hillside Avenue Parkway Bridge is on the far left with the Wheatley Hills Golfway Bridge on the right.
A close-up of the aerial shows the Golfway bridge.
Members of the Wheatley Hills Golf Club bought their passes to the Motor Parkway in the clubhouse.
1940 Map
By the 1940s, New York State acquire the eastern section of the golf club for Northern State Parkway.
2010 Photos
There are no remnants of the bridge today at Wheatley Hills Golf Club...but the LIPA utility lines still mark the Motor Parkway path.
The golf club has installed this historic marker commemorating the Motor Parkway.
Update: December 3, 2012
Art Kleiner has provided this article on Wheatley Hills Golf Club from the December 22, 1913 issue of New York Evening World: "The (two) nine-hole links will be divided by the Long Island Motor Parkway, though there will be no interruption by pedestrians or vehicles. Provision has been made for crossing the parkway by means of an archway underneath."
Comments
Thanks Howard -here is a link to two more signs at the golf course commemorating the Motor Parkway.
http://www.freewebs.com/limparkway/historicalmarkersupdated.htm
THE GOLF COURCE BRIDGE PICTURE IS A JOSEPH BURT PICTURE. AS YOU KNOW HIS PICTURES OF EARLY NASSAU COUNTY AND AVIATION ARE WELL DOCUMENTED AND PUBLISHED. I HAVE SEVERAL OTHERS AS HIS SON ALSO JOE WAS A MEMBER OF MY AMERICAN LEGION POST AND WE BOTH WORKED IN THE BELL SYSTEM