Town of Babylon Celebrates 150th Anniversary of First Board Meeting

BABYLON, NY — The Town of Babylon recently passed a historic milestone.

Elected officials past and present gathered in the Town Board Room at Town Hall last week, to mark the Babylon's 150th Town Board Meeting.

Hosted by Town Historian Mary Cascone, the event was celebrated through a reenactment of the Town's first ever meeting.

In 1872, voters of the old Town of Huntington voted to separate and create a new township called Babylon, a press release stated. The New York State legislature approved the bill to create the Town of Babylon on March 13, 1872.

Less than a month later on April 2, 1872, voters went to the polls to elect their first Town Supervisor and Town Board. After the ballots were tallied, the newly-elected officials met that same day at the American House hotel in Babylon village, and held their first meeting where a total of five resolutions were passed.

Supervisor Rich Schaffer, Deputy Supervisor Tony Martinez, Councilmen Anthony Manetta, Terence McSweeney and DuWayne Gregory, Town Clerk Gerry Compitello and Receiver of Taxes Jennifer Montiglio helped recreate the meeting, each portraying a former board member and reading aloud the resolutions passed that day.

“We have to commend Town Historian Mary Cascone for never letting us forget the significance of history,” said Supervisor Rich Schaffer. “She does a tremendous job as our Town Historian and all the information she compiled for this reenactment is proof of that.”

The event concluded with Huntington Town Supervisor Ed Smyth, who entertained attendees with a modern-day “it’s not you, it’s me” letter written from Huntington’s perspective of the breakup.