Help Garden City With Its Anniversary Celebrations

In 2019, the Village of Garden City has two momentous events to celebrate and wants your help in planning appropriate celebrations.

The Hempstead Plains was a flat, treeless 12-mile tract stretching from New Hyde Park to Farmingdale when Alexander Turney Stewart acquired the land from the Town of Hempstead in 1869 for $55 an acre. The year 2019 will mark the 150th anniversary of Mr. Stewart’s land purchase.

The second event is the 100th anniversary of the Community Agreement, which resulted in what is now the Village of Garden City as we know it today. The Community Agreement originated in 1919, when the Village of Garden City was incorporated. At that time, there were three developed areas in Garden City – “Old Garden City" now known as the Central Section, with 50 homes; “Garden City East" now known as the Eastern Section with 160 homes; and “Garden City Estates" now known as the Estates Section with 160 homes. The current Western Section was mostly undeveloped land within Estates until 1931 when it formally became its own geographic section of the Village. Until 1919, two development companies owned and managed the unsold land within each of the three geographic sections. The three sections came together in 1919 to form a unified Village of Garden City.

We are forming a committee to help us plan and run the celebration of these two events. We need you to volunteer and help! The Committee will be charged with developing ideas for the celebrations. Like the Hempstead Plains in 1869 there is an open canvas to create one event or several events during the year - perhaps a weekend carnival or a more formal dinner/dance on the grounds of the former St. Paul’s School or the Cathedral or a seminar with the help of our historians, Adelphi University, our Library and the school system. The Board of Trustees will allocate funds in its next budget, but the Committee should also investigate whether sponsorships are available to help defray costs.

We need and welcome volunteers with energy, related skill sets and time. Those with event planning, fundraising, musical and entertainment backgrounds, operating educational seminars and many other skills are urged to submit their names. Contact your Property Owners' Association or Village Clerk Karen Altman via email at kaltman@gardencityny.net.