Historic Hempstead Plains - Nassau County, Long Island

TRESTLE TO NO WHERE

This trestle still exists disconnected from any rail what so ever. It provides a clue to the path of the old central rail. The rail according to a USGS survey and the position of the trestle indicates that the line took a route adjustment before going east through Eisenhower Park. The line went in service about 1873 and served for 52 years, before undergoing dismantling. The building in the background is at the southwest corner of Stewart and Merrick Avenue.

If you site along the track at the Endo Blvd termination point, the rail would appear to head through the southern 1/3 of the building. It did not. The trestle would appear to have crossed something but it does not (now). It may have been a stream or trail or rough terrain. There is water on the other side of the Meadowbrook parkway. The other interesting thing is that on the 1918 survey a secondary road headed north east across Aviation field #2, in this direction. There are no clues at the site, the surrounding area has been disturbed too much. The trestle is 350 to 450ft south of the east side of the Stewart Avenue overpass. It is wide enough for single track, there are no ties or rails.

The 1918 survey does not show water near the approximate position of the trestle. It also shows the northeast aviation road branching north and east to form a square block. The northeast corner of this block is the southwest corner of the intersection of Stewart Avenue and Merrick Avenue. The two branching roads and northeast field road no longer show in the 1955 survey map. The 1955 survey shows a road leading from this area to the north east.

It most likely crossed over a road that traveled northeast out of Aviation field #2 (Mitchel field). I have used the 1918 USGS survey and the 1955 USGS survey, to try to verify if this is so. But it remains hard to say. The road may have passed to either side or under it. It is tantalizingly close, but not proof positive. The surveys were obtained from the Long Island studies Institute. If you have any information, I would like to know. Thanks.

ANSWER: It was a road to the Meadowbrook club. The answer was obtained from a 1928 aerial photo.

	It looks as if it were constructed to be double tracked. On the photo to the left you can still see the original painted danger sign. Apparently, there is no better way to preserve the past than for it to cost too much to destroy.

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