Vanderbilt Cup Races

Dec 28 2011

Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series:#15 The Smith Farmway Bridge in Lake Success(Update: 4/1/20)

Going west to east, the third Nassau County bridge built by the Long Island Motor Parkway was a farmway bridge connecting the Richard W. Smith property in Lakeville later renamed Lake Success.

April 1909 Survey

As part of the parkway's path between Lakeville Road and New Hyde Park Road, the Long Island Motor Parkway, Inc. purchased 2.409 acres from Richard W. Smith.

1923 Belcher Hyde Map

Since the large Smith property was both north and south of the Motor Parkway, the purchase agreement required that a farmway bridge be built connecting the sections.

1924 Aerial

This was the approximate location of the Smith Farmway Bridge between Lakeville Road on the left and New Hyde Park Road on the right. The rectangular piece of land to the left of the circle corresponds to the northern section of the Smith property.

1910 Motor Parkway Survey Bookmap

The Bookmap noted the Smith Farmway Bridge was also designated as station 742.

1929 Aerial

This amazing aerial has already revealed three Motor Parkway bridges; the Vanderbilt Farmway Bridge, the Marcus Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge and the Lakeville Road Motor Parkway Bridge. The circle may be the fourth- the Smith Farmway Bridge. Let's take a closer look at that suspicious white dot.

Eureka, it is the Smith Farmway Bridge! The white dot was the north abutment. Note the bridge overpass seen as a black line across the Motor Parkway.

192os

The above information confirms that this image from the collection of Noel Gish was a view of the Smith Farmway Bridge. The copy reads "View Along the Long Island Motor Parkway. 1st Bridge After Great Neck". The wooden railings were typical for a farmway bridge. The Motor Parkway goes over road leading to the Smith farmland.

Current Views

A Google Map shows the approximate site of the Smith Farmway Bridge, now the athletic fields of Great Neck South High School. The clearing around the baseball field is the site of the northern section of the Smith property.

The Motor Parkway is in great shape here with three-foot concrete extentions on both sides of the 16-foot pavement. This view looking east of the Motor Parkway has not changed in over 100 years.