East Rockaway

East Rockaway, village (1990 pop. 10,152), Nassau co., SE N.Y., on SW Long Island; settled c.1688, inc. 1900. It is mostly residential with some light manufacturing.

East Rockaway is a village in Nassau County, New York in the United States. The population was 10,414 at the 2000 census.

The Incorporated Village of East Rockaway is in the Town of Hempstead, at the base of the Rockaway Peninsula. The majority of the town is of Italian and Irish descent.

History

Originally named Near Rockaway, the village began as a shipping and trading center for the south shore of Long Island. The village's location was desirable for ships because of its deep channels inland. Eventually a grist mill was built on the Mill River by Joseph Haviland through a land grant in 1688. Later an oven was purchased to make bread for the surrounding population. The village prospered in shipping and milling over the years, even after several sales of the land.

The village's name was changed in 1869 to East Rockaway. The village was incorporated in 1900, Floyd Johnson was president. At the time of incorporation the town had a population of 969.

Education

Currently there are two elementary schools serving grades K-6 in the East Rockaway school district, and one Junior/Senior high school educating grades 7-12. Each grade of the high school consists of roughly 100 students. Located in East Rockaway is also St. Raymonds catholic school consisting of pre-k through 8th grade.

East Rockaway High School fields competitive teams in Football, Cross Country, Volleyball, Basketball, Softball, Baseball, Track. Along with these teams East Rockaway also combines with schools in the Malverne school district to form teams. These include Soccer, Lacrosse and Tennis. School musicals and the inter-class competition known as Rock Rivalry are widely popular throughout the community.

Part of East Rockaway is placed in school district 20, the Lynbrook school district. One elementary school from the district in located in the village, which feeds into Lynbrook High School.

Village services

The village is protected by the 4th Precinct of the Nassau County Police Department. Fire and ambulance services are provided by the East Rockaway Volunteer Fire Department.

References

External links

• The Village of East Rockaway official website
• The East Rockaway Fire Department official website
• East Rockaway Library
• East Rockaway School District
• East Rockaway Chamber of Commerce