Fresh Meadows Motor Parkway Blueprint: #1 The Western Terminus and North Hempstead Turnpike Bridge
A rare October 1924 blueprint survey of the Long Island Motor Parkway in Fresh Meadows, Queens has been discovered and will be presented in an exclusive series in VanderbiltCupRaces.com. First up, the Western Terminus and North Hempstead Turnpike Motor Parkway Bridge.
Enjoy,
Howard Kroplick
The Fresh Meadows Blueprint-October 1924
This October 24, 1924 survey indicated property purchased for the Motor Parkway by the Lakeville Holding and Development Company, a holding company organized by William K. Vanderbilt, Jr. and his business associates.
A survey of the Western Terminus of the Motor Parkway which ended at Nassau Boulevard, now Horace Harding Boulevard, the south service road of the Long Island Expressway.
A survey of the North Hempstead Turnpike Motor Parkway Bridge.
Other Western Terminus Surveys
According to this October 4, 1924 survey, the property in this area was conveyed by the Wheeler Brothers to the Lakeville Holding and Development Company, a holding company for the Long Island Motor Parkway, Inc.
This 1938 survey indicated the proposed bike path after the Motor Parkway closed.
This 1976 map shows how New York City acquired the property at the Kissena Corridor Park. Parcels 3 and 5 were Motor Parkway property deeded to New York City on June 24,1938.
Fresh Meadows Aerials
A 1938 aerial looking north
A 1939 aerial looking west. Note North Hempstead Turnpike and Nassau Boulevard intersecting at the top.
A 1948 aerial of Fresh Meadows looking south.
A close-up of the remains of the remnants of the North Hempstead Turnpike Bridge.
Another 1948 aerial looking west.
A 2012 Bing Bird's Eye aerial of the Western Terminus looking north.
Comments
From Jerry R:
“Amazing blue print! I spent a lot of time in Fresh Meadows as a kid. My friend Mark lived there. I biked all over. Good stuff.”
I know it might be lame of me but I just don’t get the Hempstead Tpke, Nassau Blvd pic here…what does it share with all of the other placements?
As for the others….of special note: Clear view of the Fresh Meadows Shopping Center and location of what is now St Frances Prep! Thanks!
Hi James, this is the Fresh Meadows section of the Motor Parkway. North Hempstead Turnpike is no longer there and Nassau Boulevard is Horace Harding Boulevard. Great to see Gram and you yesterday at the Great Neck AutoFest.
Good post! This is the kind of information that should be distributed on the online community. I would like to read more of this.