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ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY
VILLAGE HISTORY
December 13, 1643 - Sachem Tackapousha, chief of the Indians occupying the "Rockaways" and south shore of Long Island, and six other chiefs signed a deed granting Englishmen a large tract of land encompassing all the southern half of what is now Nassau County. Twelve years later, fearing that the Indians felt inadequately compensated. Governor Nichols of New York wrote the magistrates of the newly established Town of Hempstead to "pay Tackapousha further gratuities for payment of lands which he said were bought too cheap . . . and prevent trouble and settle it one and for all." In 1657 they did just that and added to the original payment "some great cattle, and some small cattle, and some wampum, and some hatchets, some knives, some trading cloth, and . . . some powder and lead, and they went away for anything I know very well satisfied." as recorded by one of the negotiators.
Sunrise Highway Looking East Circa 1948


"Gentlemen wishing a county seat will find it to their interest to secure lots in said Village." With development came entrepreneurs who established newspapers, such as "The Picket," first published in 1865, with a distinct anti-South bias. It was "The South Side Observer," a successor paper which first touted the idea of a referendum on incorporation. The Village Green is located on the site of the Wallace home. It is the setting for a variety of special events for residents, including summer concerts, springtime arts festival and holiday programs.
Sunrise Highway Looking East 2005

The arrival of the railroad in 1867 heralded the entry of Rockville Centre into the modern era. It was now possible to get into New York City faster and more frequently than had ever been possible by stage coach on the Jamaica Plain Road or by sailing ship from East Rockaway.

Even before its establishment as a municipality, Rockville Centre enjoyed diverse services, including a volunteer fire company founded in 1875, a public library opened in 1882, and the South Shore's first high school, opened in 1892. South Side High School occupied the building and grounds which now house the Rockville Centre Municipal Building. The high school, now Village Hall, celebrated its 100th birthday last year, and a New York State historic marker in front sets forth the building's place in the history of this Village, and Long Island

The growth of the region, and the importance of Rockville Centre to the area's economy is highlighted by the founding, in February 1891, of the Bank of Rockville Centre, the first commercial bank operated on Long Island's south shore. The bank occupied the corner of Merrick Road and North Village Avenue. Banking was a growth industry in the Village, and by 1929, Rockville Centre had earned a reputation as a leading financial center for the Island. Today, many banking institutions have branches in the Village.

As incorporation and self-determination of municipal services dawned, Rockville Centre was a thriving community of 2,000.