How Dix Hills Park Got its Start

The 1950s marked the transition of Huntington from a small town to a bustling suburban center as "former GIs were out of college and married now—earning enough to buy a home.  Others, who had started in Levittown, wanted bigger homes for growing families." (From "Huntington in Our Time").

According to census figures, the 1950 population of Huntington was only 47,506 people, but by 1960 it had mushroomed to 126,595 people.  These high levels of population growth and subsequent land subdivision created two demands: the need to preserve open space and the need to provide recreational activities for the people. 

As a result, the Town of Huntington adopted a widespread park program on May 9, 1961.  To encourage residents to vote to approve the bond issue to finance the plan that June, the Town Planning Board released an informational brochure, which outlined the plan.  The plan had three facets: the creation of larger parks of over 100 acres; the creation of numerous neighborhood sites of 10 to 15 acres; and the locating of the neighborhood parks, wherever possible, as close to school playgrounds as possible.  Despite having the support of many of the town's civic organizations, this proposal was defeated by a close margin, 3,885 to 3,338.

The town tried again the following year and proposed the purchase of ten park sites. A public hearing was held on September 13, 1962 to vote on whether or not to issue bonds in the amount of $2.6 million to purchase these sites, totaling nearly 700 acres. Having faced defeat the year before, this time a full promotional campaign was undertaken including a semi-official committee, the Citizens Action Committee for Huntington Parks, which sponsored public information statements, speeches, and a "Keep Huntington Green" poster contest in the schools; statements by leaders of all three political parties stating that the issue would not be a political one and would not be opposed by any party. 

The bond issue was approved by a wide margin, with 5,272 in favor and only 1,815 opposed according to the September 27, 1962 Long-Islander.  The bond issue applied only to the acquisition of the lands, not the construction or equipping of them. 

A part of the Havemeyer Estate, located on Vanderbilt Parkway off Deer Park Avenue and which would become Dix Hills Park, was one of the sites included in this proposal. Rosalind Havemeyer sold 144 acres of her estate to the Town of Huntington for $510,000 in January of 1963.  That March, the Town Board authorized the "necessary aerial photography and contour mapping work to be performed by the engineering firm of Edwin S. Voorhis and Son at a cost not to exceed $1,740," according to the March 21, 1963 Long-Islander.  By June of 1964, the town was taking bids to clear the property and prepare it for development with facilities that would include a swimming pool and nine-hole golf course, among other things.  By April of 1965 it was reported that the town's first public swimming pool would be open that summer.

On Saturday, July 24, 1965 the Olympic-size swimming pool at Dix Hills Park was opened with over 3,000 people in attendance.  The pool measured 165 feet long and 75 feet wide and its depth ranged from two to 12 feet, with three diving boards—with the highest at three meters.  Entirely separate from the main area, was a fenced-in, very shallow, kiddie pool.  In his speech that day, Supervisor Robert J. Flynn said, "This pool and the surrounding park is truly worthy of being in the town of Huntington.  It is a tribute to the forward-looking attitude of our township."  As part of the opening day festivities a swimming exhibition by the "Aquajets," a clowning-around high-diving team, entertained the crowd. 

According to the July 29, 1965 Long-Islander, parking facilities accommodated 335 cars and season passes for families cost $25, $10 for individuals and daily admission cost 50 cents for children and 75 cents for adults.  All 600 family memberships for the inaugural year were sold.  The pool opened everyday from 9 a.m. to dark, and Wednesdays from 1 p.m. to dark.  The town offered swimming and even water skiing lessons at the pool.

The pool was well designed; it had shower and locker rooms for men and women, an open patio for outdoor eating, and an indoor snack bar.  The pool complex won a design competition sponsored by the Long Island Association, and garnered honorable mention in a national design competition sponsored by the publication Swimming Pool Age.  Chester Voorhis, engineer and designer of the pool, received the award at the National Swimming Pool Institute's annual conference in Las Vegas in January 1967, according to the February 2, 1967 Long-Islander.

The golf course opened in April of the following year.  The first foursome to play the course were Bernie Simpson of Huntington Station, Al Montello of Huntington, Ronald Oltom of Dix Hills and Connie Vertom of Elwood, and they were photographed for the April 28, 1966 issue of the Long-Islander. 

In May of 1973, Supervisor Jerome Ambro announced the opening of "innovative recreation" at Dix Hills Park.  As part of his campaign to have recreational programs for adults as well as children, three jogging trails were opened at the park everyday from 7 a.m. to dusk.  With something for everyone, the first trail was a mile long and very flat, the second was a mile and an eighth and covered steeper ground, and the last was a mile and a quarter with very difficult terrain. 

Later that same year, the opening of bids was announced for the construction of a regulation ice hockey rink at Dix Hills Park.  It would become the first publicly operated skating rink in Suffolk County.  First the equipment needed to provide the ice for the surface of the rink was to be purchased, allowing an outdoor rink to be constructed.  Then the skate house, locker rooms, team rooms, bathrooms, pro shop and food concessions would be built in an adjacent 8,000-square-foot building.  Contracts were awarded to five contractors and totaled $644,365, allowing construction to begin at the spring thaw of 1974.  The rink measured 200 by 85 feet and accommodated about 400 skaters at one time, and had lights around the perimeter that allowed for night skating. 

With the addition of the (then outdoor) rink in time for the 1974 skating season, Dix Hills Park became a year-round facility.  Additionally, the town was able to increase services by offering instruction in all sorts of skating types and techniques. There was a seven-week ice hockey program, in addition to the skating lessons.  According to the December 12, 1974 Long-Islander, which announced the opening of the park just before Christmas, admission fees were $1 for resident adults, 50 cents for resident children, $2 for nonresident adults, and $1 for nonresident children.  Skates could be rented for two-hour sessions for 75 cents and a two-hour locker rental was 10 cents for a small one and 25 cents for a large one.  The ice could be rented for two-hour sessions by not-for-profit organizations for $50 an hour for prime time, and $40 an hour off peak. 

Like the swimming pool at Dix Hills Park, the ice skating rink also won awards.  Designed by Ward Associates of Bohemia, the rink won the regional competition for architectural excellence, known as an "Archi" as reported in the November 9, 1975 New York Times.  The Long Island Association of Commerce and Industry and Long Island Society chapter of the American Institute of Architects sponsored the competition.  The Dix Hills Park rink beat out 61 other facilities in 16 categories to take home the "Golden Archi."  According to the same New York Times article, the rink was selected because "the skating rink complex solved the problem of grafting a service building onto a skating rink in a sophisticated and satisfying way that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing." 

But not everything about the history of Dix Hills Park was so pleasant.  Despite the 1962 statements made by all the political parties promising that it was not going to become a hot-button partison issue in an election, the development of the park program in Huntington became one anyway in the Town Supervisor race of 1965. 

Supervisor Robert J. Flynn, who oversaw the expansion of the park program in Huntington, including Dix Hills Park, was a Democratic-Fusion Economy Party candidate.  In his campaign that year he stressed the town's recreational programs as one of his biggest accomplishments. 

The Republican- Conservative candidate John P. Kane, his opponent, described the recreation program as "pre-election crash programs" and commented that "Flynn had spent six years cutting ribbons," according to the October 7, 1965 Long-Islander.  Later in the same article, describing a debate between the two candidates, Kane is quoted as saying that "the Dix Hills swimming pool is filled with the tears of taxpayers." 

Kane won the election.  But Robert Flynn's park program has been vindicated as evidenced by the numerous recreational programs at Dix Hills.  It seems the legacy of the park program, which makes Huntington such a wonderful place to live, speaks for itself.