As the population increased in the Village, the need for a school became apparent. A Board of Education was formed and a four room school house, called the Floral Park School, was built and opened in 1895 on South Tyson Avenue. Upon the death of John Lewis Childs in 1921, the name was changed to the John Lewis Childs School. … Read More

Religious organizations came to Floral Park as early as 1889, when the Extension Society of the Methodist Church sent a min­ister to preach on Sunday evenings. A church was formally dedicated in 1891 and became the first church in the Village. St. Hedwig Roman Catholic Church dates from 1902 and offered some Masses in Polish for a large ethnic congregation. … Read More

The Hook & Ladder Company was founded in 1893, the first of the Floral Park fire companies. The first firehouse was on Violet Avenue, now the location of a municipal park­ing field. The second floor of this hall served as a meeting place for Village activities for many years. A second unit, Alert Engine Company, was formed in 1907, followed … Read More

Law and order was provided by two deputy sheriffs, Gilbert Wright and George Hurrell, when the Village incorporated in 1908. It wasn’t until 1918 that Floral Park had a uniformed police force with a booth at Jericho Turnpike and Tyson Avenue, which served as police headquarters. Today, the Village is served by uniformed officers, civilian dispatchers, crossing guards and parking … Read More

With population increasing in 1910 to almost 800 people, a proposition was submitted to Village voters recommending the addition of two trustees. It was voted down until 1922, when it was again submitted and passed. The title of President was changed to Mayor in 1927. In 1926, Floral Park was classified a Village of the First Class with a population … Read More

The Village of Floral Park was formally incorporated on October 15, 1908. Two days later, some 175 voters elected John Lewis Childs as President, along with two Trustees, George F. Downing and John F. Klein. The first Village Clerk, David W Syme, and Tax Collector, Andrew Wright, were named. The new officials, through the gen­erosity of John Lewis Childs, met … Read More

Young Childs became an employee of C. L. Allen, who was a grower of flowers and seeds. After a year of apprenticeship, he went into business for himself. He rented a small area of land and began a seed and bulb business. He advertised his products in leaflets, thus starting the first seed cat­alogue business in America. The business grew … Read More

The history of Floral Park begins in 1874, when 17 year old John Lewis Childs came to the area known as East Hinsdale. The community, then a part of Queens County, consisted of a small group of houses, one store, the Hinsdale Post Office and a rail­road station. In 1899 the County of Nassau was formed and Floral Park became … Read More