Mystery Friday Foto #6 Solved: The Lake Ronkonkoma Lodge Structure
The Ronkonkoma Lodge has been identified.
Identify;
- The location- was it moved from somewhere else?
The location of the Ronkonkoma Lodge is about 1,500 feet west of Rosedale Ave. When the parkway was closed in 1938, the building was purchased by the last lodgekeeper Eric Ericson. He removed the port cochere and moved the building off the 100 foot right-of-way of the Motor Parkway and approximately 150 feet west of its original location. The Erickson family continued to live in the lodge into the 1960s.
- What was the original purpose of the structure?
The first, (or last) toll collection point, (depending on direction of travel) for the Motor Parkway from 1923-1938.
- When was it built?
1923. Rather than build a lodge from scratch with a design from the now famous architect John Russell Pope, the Motor Parkway chose to purchase a pre-cut four room bungalow for the Mineola, Huntington and Ronkonkoma Lodges. According to Al Velocci in his book "The Toll Lodges of the Motor Parkway, and Their Gatekeepers' Lives", the bungalow was ordered from Aladdin Redi-Cut Houses of Bay City, Michigan. Unlike the Russell lodges, the bungalow offered a single floor with a kitchen, dining alcove, living room, two bedrooms and space for a bathroom.
- Approximate year of the photo- provide a rationale.
2006. In 2012, the buidling was extensively remodeled and expanded and is unrecognizable from the original lodge structure. With the exception of the front door overhang mimicking the shape of the original Porte-cochre.
Comments (6)
Congrats to ErnieM, Steve Lucas, Art Kleiner, and Frank Femenias for identifying the Ronkonkoma Lodge. Kudos to Ernie for his 'now' photo and Frank's documentation of the lodge movement.
Greg O.
The lodge how it looked from 1938-2012
The Ronkonkoma Lodge was one of only two lodges that the Porte-cochre ran across the Motor Parkway. the other lodge with this feature was the Rocky Hill Rd. Lodge, (1928-1938) built 5 years later in Queens.
In 2012, the buildling was extensively remodeled and expanded.
2016-Today(2026)
Comments
The Ronkonkoma Lodge was built in 1922 where it stands today. It served as living quarters for the Gatekeeper and his family.
There was a significant expansion performed in 2012, adding a second story and expanding the first floor to the rear of the property. The photo was taken sometime before the this expansion.
The attached image, while from Google Maps, is what you would see if driving out of Woodlawn Rd to Motor Parkway. Too bad they lost those trees!
That’s the Ronkonkoma Lodge for the LIMP. It was built in 1923 and located about 1/8 mile west of Lake Ronkonkoma. After the LIMP closed in 1938, it was moved about 150 feet north, off the LIMP right-of-way, and continued to be a residence for the last LIMP toll collector. The photo was taken around 2007 according to a previous blog post here.
To add to my post I am happy that the owners kept the outline of the portico in the front door overhang and kept much of the styling (house width, window placement size and style) of their “historic” residence. Seen from Woodlawn Rd the old house outline is still there.
West of Rosevale Avenue, near Woodlawn Avenue in Lake Ronkonkoma. Moved from Bay City, MI - see next answer.
It was a pre-cut bungalow made in MI and moved to LI to be the Lake Ronkonkoma Toll Lodge.
Originally built in 1923.
Date of photo - 2006.
I haven’t delivered mail there in 25 years, but is it the toll hose in Roslyn, just west of Roslyn Rd in East Williston. Must,ve been built in teens. I don.t think it was moved.
It looks very differnt from what I remember
I believe it’s Motor Pkwy’s Lake Ronkonkoma Lodge as a home in 2006, after it was moved 50ft NW away from the Motor Pkwy RoW in 1938. The home is extant but has since been upgraded and no longer distinguishable
Greg, A correction regarding the construction of the Ronkonkoma Lodge. It was not a pre-cut bungalow but built by LeRoy Vollgraff “replicating the Huntington Lodge”. See page 50 in my book.
frankfemenias: thanks for the image. I viewed it but missed several things, like the movement of the house.
However, I disagree with the home being no longer distinguishable from the way it was built. While we may see this as a historic monument to be preserved it is someone’s house! I love how they matched the original window style, and somewhat brought back the porte-cochre.