Vanderbilt Cup Races

One of the myths of the Long Island Motor Parkway’s history was that there were 12 lodges designed by prominent architect John Russell Pope and built to collect tolls and provide housing for the toll-takers and their families. The answer to the question of the number of toll lodges on the Motor Parkway is not as easy as you may think.

As documented in Al Velocci’s wonderful book “The Toll Lodges of the Long Island Motor Parkway, and Their Gatekeepers’ Lives”, the number of Long Island Motor Parkway “lodges” and toll collecting structures depends on how the structures were counted and the definition of “lodge”. Confusion has arisen over time due to name changes, building relocations and the Parkway’s confusing use of various geographic names, “lodge” designations and, even, listing for years on their maps and brochures one particular lodge that never was built.

The first six lodges were built by the Long Island Motor Parkway between 1908 and 1911. The first six lodges all had living quarters for the toll takers and were the only Long Island Motor Parkway toll lodges designed by the prominent architect John Russell Pope, who went on to design the Jefferson Memorial.

Overall, at least 20 structures were constructed by the Long Island Motor Parkway to collect tolls. Only 10 of the buildings had small living quarters for the toll collectors and their families.

If counting by geographic area, toll collection structures were located in at least 15 different areas from 1908 to 1938.

If counting by year, the number of toll collection structures was 3 (1908), 5 (1909), 7 (1910), 10 (1911) , 12 (1912) and 13 (1928).

The maximum number of toll collection structures operating at one time was 13 in 1928. Of the 20 structures, only the restored Garden City Lodge resembles the structure when it operated as a toll lodge. Four other structures are partially extant as part of private homes; the Great Neck Lodge, the Mineola Lodge, the Roslyn Lodge and the Ronkonkoma Lodge. The other 15 Long Island Motor Parkway structures have been destroyed over the last 75 years.

Here is a breakdown of the Long Island Motor Parkway’s structures built to collect tolls, their years of operation, and their current status:

Toll Lodges with living quarters for the toll-takers designed by John Russell Pope (6)

Meadow Brook Lodge (1908-1938) - Toll lodge (Destroyed 1950s)

Bethpage Lodge (1908-1938)-Toll lodge (Destroyed 1960s)

Massapequa Lodge (1908-1938)–Toll lodge - Shown in the above image during the 1909 Vanderbilt Cup Race ( Destroyed 1960s)

Great Neck Lodge (1909-1938)-Toll lodge (Partially extant as the kitchen of a private home)

Roslyn Lodge (1909-1938) - Toll lodge (Extant as a private home)

Garden City Lodge (1911-1938) - Toll lodge (Extant as Garden City Chamber of Commerce Office, restored and moved to 7th Avenue, Garden City)

Toll Lodge with living quarters for the toll-takers (4)

Mineola Lodge (1921-1938) - Toll lodge 100 feet south of the Jericho Turnpike Lodge (Kiosk)(Partially extant as private home)

Ronkonkoma Lodge (1923-1934)- Toll lodge/shanty with gate stationed across Long Island Motor Parkway, same location as last Ronkonkoma Lodge ticket booth (1915-1923) (Extant as private home, moved 100 feet west and north off right-of way)

Huntington Lodge (1922-1934) - Toll lodge- built at same location as Huntington Lodge kiosk located in Melville (1910-1923) (Destroyed 1960s)

Brentwood Lodge at Commack Road (1923-1928) - Toll lodge -located on southeast corner of Commack Road and the Motor Parkway. (Destroyed 1920s)

Ticket Kiosks/Gates/Booths (8)-Revised 1/30/16

Jericho Turnpike Lodge (Kiosk)(1909-1921) - Ticket booth kiosk (Destroyed 1922)

Huntington Lodge (Kiosk) (1911-1922)- Ticket booth kiosk (Destroyed 1924), located in Melville.

Brentwood Lodge (Kiosk) (1911-1915)- Ticket booth kiosk at Washington Avenue, Brentwood (Moved to Commack Road in 1922)

Brentwood Lodge at Commack Road (Kiosk) (1922-1923)- Kiosk from Washington Avenue was relocated to northeast corner of Commack Road and the Motor Parkway in Commack (Current site of Bonwit Inn) (Moved 1924)

Great Neck Lodge (Kiosk) (1912-1938)- Ticket booth kiosk, south of Great Neck Lodge (Destroyed 1939)

Hillside Avenue Lodge (1921-1928)–Ticket booth (Destroyed 1928)

Ronkonkoma Toll Gate (1915-1923)- From 1911 to 1915, the Ronkonkoma Lodge existed in name only. Toll receipts bearing the Ronkonkoma Lodge name were collected by toll collectors from three locations east of the Brentwood Lodge: the intersection at Rosevale Avenue, Wheeler Avenue and, sometimes, Nicoll Road. From March 23, 1915 to 1923, a tollgate was placed 1,500 west of Rosevale Avenue in Ronkonkoma.

Nassau Boulevard Lodge (1928-1938, never manned) - Kiosk with a wood barricade across the Long Island Motor Parkway at the western terminus- No living quarters. Also known as Horace Harding Boulevard Lodge from 1936 to 1938. (Destroyed early 1940s)

Toll Gates (2)

Rocky Hill Road Lodge (1928-1938) Toll gate across the Long Island Motor Parkway- No living quarters but accommodations built nearby. From 1912 to 1921, the Rocky Hill Road entrance was known as the Hillside Avenue Lodge. However, no toll collection structures were built during this period at this location. Same location as Hillside Lodge (1921-1928) (Destroyed early 1940s)

Brentwood Lodge at the Commack Spur Road (1928- January 1934) - Toll gate near the Spur Road (Harned Road) to Jericho Turnpike- No living quarters. Also known as the Smithtown Lodge or the Smithtown Gate. (Destroyed 1930s)

Entrances/Exits with No Toll Collection Structures (2)

Deer Park Avenue Entrance/Exit, Dix Hills - Despite appearing on publicity brochures and maps, the Deer Park Avenue Lodge or Deer Park Gate was an entrance to the parkway with no toll collecting structures at the location.

73rd Avenue Entrance/Exit, Fresh Meadows - There was an entrance/exit road to the Motor Parkway at Black Stump Road (73rd Avenue) in Fresh Meadows, Queens. It is unclear whether this entrance was built by the Motor Parkway or created by drivers over time.

Hillside Avenue Lodge (1912-1921)- This was the entrance at Rocky Hill Road. There was no toll collector at this site until 1921.

For More Toll Lodge Information

If you wish to obtain a copy of Al Velocci’s excellent book, Al can be reached at [email protected]. Only a few copies of the book remain for sale.

Links to related VanderbiltCupRaces.com posts:

Archives: Toll Lodges

Ron Ridolph Collection: Images of the Long Island Motor Parkway

Archives: Long Island Motor Parkway