Vanderbilt Cup Races

Mar 31 2011

VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: Images of The Last Brentwood Lodge & the Commack Spur Road

The final road construction on the Motor Parkway was the completion of the 1.55-mile Commack Spur" connecting Jericho Turnpike to the Parkway in September 1928. Located just 1/5 mile east of Commack Road, it was hoped that the spur would further increase traffic on the Parkway. The Spur was promoted in a new Motor Parkway brochure and map with an arrow pointed to the new entrance with a note to "Turn Left at Red Disc".

This Suffolk County Airmap aerial (taken sometime during 1928 and 1930) shows the Commack Spur (far right) connecting Jericho Turnpike (across the top) to the Long Island Motor Parkway (across the bottom). Courtesy of the Suffolk County Department of Planning.

In conjunction with the opening of the new Motor Parkway entrance, the location of "Brentwood Lodge" on Commack Road (1923-1928) was moved to the Commack Spur and a new toll collection structure was built. As reported in my favorite co-author Al Velocci's book The Toll Lodges of the Long Island Motor Parkway, and Their Gatekeepers' Lives describes the new "lodge":

"The Parkway constructed a building better suited for the new scenario. In the spring of 1928, local builder A.J. DeVeau was hired to build the new "lodge" at the Parkway spur road junction. He received $2,283 to construct a building "similar to the one at Rocky Hill Road" - in other words, a toll booth...no lodge keeper lived there."

Although I have yet to find a ground-level view of the Brentwood Lodge at the Commack Spur Road, this was the "similar lodge" at Rocky Hill Road (now Springfield Boulevard) in Queens.

This is where today's post gets exciting..at least for LIMPers. A close-up of the 1928-1930 Airmap aerial reveals a gem- The "Brentwood Lodge" at the Commack Spur Road!! Okay, it is a little blurry, but I believe this is the only known aerial view of this elusive lodge. Note the lodge was built at a 45-degree angle allowing tolls to be collected from both the Commack Spur and the Motor Parkway.

When the Motor Parkway closed in 1938, the structure was purchased by local resident Joseph Carll. He moved it to the adjacent parcel of land where he removed his primary interest- the 8 foot by 12 foot ticket booth. As seen in 1964, he left the remains in a field just east of Commack Road and north of the Motor Parkway.

The roof of this structure did match the one atop the Rocky Hill Lodge. But, click on the image for a real close-up discovery. Across the middle of the roof was the word "STOP".

This is last known image of the Brentwood Lodge located at taken in 1972 by Lester Cutting. Soon after the photo was shot, the remnants were taken away to make way for a shopping center. Its final fate remains unknown. (Courtesy of Margaret and George Vitale.)