Heckscher State Parkway - History

History

Heckscher State Park, formerly known as Deer Range State Park, began in 1925 with people who were opposing the Northern State Parkway because it would hurt their hunting of foxes in the area. Their legislators in the New York State Legislature refused to provide money for a park, so the group went to August Heckscher, a local philanthropist. He donated the $262,000 (1929 USD) to the Long Island State Park Commission (LISPC) and got land appropriated for a new park, which became Deer Range State Park. On June 2, 1929, the park was rededicated in the name of August Heckscher. Speaking was done by Alfred E. Smith, former governor of New York and Robert Moses, head of the LISPC along with Heckscher, who had a bronze tablet made honoring his work. August Heckscher died in April 1941, nearly twelve years after dedication of the park in his name.

The Heckscher State Parkway began as a two-lane from NY 27A to Heckscher State Park, constructed in 1929. No progress was made for extension for almost two decades, and when the extension of the Southern State Parkway opened in November 1949, provisions were left at the Bay Shore Road junction for where the Heckscher, Southern, Sagitkos and Captree Parkway (now the Robert Moses Causeway) would meet. In 1952, when the state acquired the W. Bayard Cutting estate in Great River, projections were to have the Heckscher constructed by 1954 so the land could be turned into an arboretum. In March 1959, bids were announced by the State of New York Department of Public Works to construct the last 6.27 miles (10.09 km) section of the Heckscher State Parkway from the Sagtikos State Parkway to NY 27A. This, along with a widening of the Southern State Parkway, would complete the gaps in the original 200-mile (320 km) parkway system proposed by Robert Moses. The estimated cost of construction totaled out to $8,327,000 (1959 USD) and with a slated completion 18 months later, September 1960.

On November 1, 1962, it was announced by the Long Island State Park Commission that the parkway would open on the upcoming Saturday (November 3) with attendance of Robert Moses and governor Nelson Rockefeller with a ceremony at 11:30 AM. On November 3, the Heckscher State Parkway's full alignment was opened to traffic, cutting a ribbon on a rainy morning. A motorcade of 110 vehicles followed the new parkway to the Bayard Cutting Arboretum, but Governor Rockfeller was late due to mechanical difficulties with his personal plane. The new parkway also necessitated expansion of facilities, which included 1,658 acres (671 ha) of land and 18,000 feet (5,500 m) of new beachfront. Opening the parkway also made connections to the nearby Southside Sportsmen's Club, which would be turned into a recreation area, and the Bayard Cutting Arboretum.

In 1963, the Heckscher State Parkway received a brand new set of trees planted along the parkway. The Long Island State Park Commission was to plant 67,000 trees, shrubs and ground cover on the new parkway (along with several other parkways on Long Island), which included evergeen trees, Japanese crab, cherry, mimosa, magnolia, forsythia and laurel plants were being planted. From 1997–2001, engineers at Parsons Brinckerhoff had been working on a $6.5 million (2001 USD) study that would expand that would improve Long Island's transportation system by 2020. Included within the plan was 130 miles (210 km) of road widening. These proposals would give the Heckscher a restricted-access lane for buses and carpooling drivers, part of a 60 miles (97 km) long system on Long Island. Under the proposal, called "Long Island Transportation Plan 2000", a lane would be added from exit 44, which serves NY 27, to the Southern State Parkway.