The story of Island Trees begins with the story of the Hempstead Plains, sixty thousand acres of flat,
treeless grasslands that was once considered the largest prairie in the eastern United States. It was here,
in 1644, that a group of English colonists established Hempstead, the first permanent settlement in what
later became Nassau County. Subsequently, through various grants and land deals, Hempstead was
divided into territories, one of which became known as Island Trees, likely because it contained a tall
group of pine trees that, from a distance, resembled an island unto itself.

 

        The few early residents of Island Trees were mainly farmers of English descent. When the Long Island
Rail Road extended its tracks from Jamaica to Hicksville in 1836, the Island Trees farmers found themselves
with a new, more convenient means of transporting their goods to market - and for receiving shipments
of feed and fertilizer. This made the area surrounding Hicksville highly attractive to German land
developers, who soon purchased large parcels of land in the railroad's vicinity, which included Island
Trees. Over the next several decades, small villages of immigrants, most from Germany, sprouted up
around the area.

        Island Trees' main cash crops in the late 1800s were cabbage and cucumbers, until a severe blight hit
 the area in 1912 and farmers shifted their attention to potato farming. Island Trees soon became the center
of potato farming in Nassau County. But then, in the mid 1930s, farmers in the area suddenly began to
 experience serious potato crop damage brought on by a dreaded critter called the golden nematode. It was
 at the onset of this crisis that Abraham Levitt and his sons, Alfred and William, purchased an abandoned
potato field in Island Trees at a "greatly reduced price."

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

 Maria Monterssori School       Carolyn Larcy, Administrator

 North Village Green
 Levittown, NY 11756
 516-520-0301

 Holy Trinity Diocesan HS      James Boglioli, Principal

 98 Cherry Lane
Hicksville, NY 11801
516-433-2900

 

Groups	Contact information

Civics

Levittown Community Council
Donna Ryan & Lowell Wolf, Co-Presidents
PO Box 294
Levittown, NY 11756
516-731-1999                                               

Levittown Chamber of Commerce
(http://www.levittownchamber.com/index.htm)
 Les Rumel, President
516-731 8041
E-Mail:   lesro39@aol.com

                        Levittown Property Owners Association
                        Jim Morrow, President
                        PO Box 804
                        Levittown, NY 11756

                        516-796-7498

                        Levittown Kiwanis
                        PO Box 152
                        Levittown, NY 11756

                        516-579-5361 

            Seniors

                        Levittown Senior Center at
                        Yours, Ours, Mine Community Center
                        152 Center Lane
                        Levittown, NY 11756

                        Director, Kim George

                        516-796-6633 x249

                        Island Trees Senior Citizens
                        Island Trees Middle School
                        45 Wantagh Avenue
                        Levittown, NY 11756

                        516-520-2157

                        Levittown Golden Age Club
                        Levittown Memorial Education Center
                        150 Abbey Lane
                        Levittown, NY 11756

                        Noreen Hunt, President

                        516-520 8300  x 677           

            Veterans 

                        American Legion Island Trees Post 1877
                        PO Box 245
                        Levittown, NY 11756
                        Commander: John Lively

                        516-796-3701

                        American Legion Post No. 1711
                        3123 No. Jerusalem Road
                        Levittown, NY 11756
                        Commander: Bill Hynes

                        516-731-9114

                        VFW Post 9592
                        55 Hickory Lane
                        Levittown, NY 11756
                        Commander: George Dowl

                        516-579-4420

            Youth/Sports                      

                        Island Trees Soccer
                        http://www.islandtreessoccerclub.com/
                        PO Box 172
                        Levittown, NY 11756
                        Phil Goldberg, President

                        516-796-6262

                        Island Trees Baseball
                        3813 Jacqueline Street
                        Bethpage, NY 11714
                        Nick Sguigna

                        516-735-1841

                        Levittown/Island Trees Youth Council     
                        28 Chase Lane
                        Levittown, NY 11756
                        Kevin Regan, Executive Director

                        516-826-9889

Nassau County
Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi
1 West Street
Mineola, NY 11501

Hempstead Town Hall
Supervisor Kate Murray
Washington Street
Hempstead, NY 11550
516-489-5000

Parks

                        Town of Hempstead Pools and Parks                                                                                                             http://www.townofhempstead.org/content/rc/parksrec.html

           
Museums

            Levittown Historical Society Museum
            Levittown Memorial Education Center
            150 Abbey Lane
            Levittown, NY 11756

            516-735-9060

            Hours:  Wed. 2:30-4:30pm, Friday 7-9pm

 http://www.levittownhistoricalsociety.org/index2.htm

 Levittown Times

Mineola, NY 11501

            516-747-8282

            Jaime Tomeo, Editor