Historic Mural Covered In Nassau, Causing Upset For Local Buffs

HEMPSTEAD, NY — Local history enthusiasts are not happy with Hempstead Village officials' decision to cover up a vintage mural at Village Hall with a flat-colored wall being used as a backdrop for public meeting broadcasts starting early this year, according to multiple reports.

The mural, painted in 1944 by Sea Cliff artist Robert Gaston Herbert, depicts a 1643 agreement between white settlers from Connecticut and Native Americans who negotiated the land agreement for the settlement of Hempstead, Newsday reported Tuesday.

Mayor Waylyn Hobbs told Newsday, "I believe in preserving history," and that "We will just have to find a way to keep the mural and at the same time make improvements in our village board meetings."

According to an LI Herald report from January, Herbert was commissioned to paint the mural, which was dedicated on April 16, 1944, as part of the 300th-anniversary celebrations by Hempstead Village and Hempstead Town.

“The mural provides us with the opportunity to celebrate Native American culture and inspire residents to learn more about Long Island’s Indigenous roots," Regina G. Feeney, trustee and archivist with the Freeport Historical Society, told the Herald in January. "As an alternative to covering up this important piece of art and history, I would recommend relocating the mural to a location that would maintain its visibility for the community.”

According to his obituary, Herbert was born in 1873 in South Charleston, Ohio, and died in 1954 in Sea Cliff, Long Island, New York. His artist biography states that he was known for marine paintings, commercial art, and wood carvings.