New York State Route 264 - History

History

The north–south highway between Phoenix and Palermo was acquired by the state of New York in stages over the course of the early 20th century. The first section to become a state highway was a 2-mile (3.2 km) portion leading north from the Phoenix village limits in Schroeppel, which became state-maintained on November 20, 1909. Its continuation south to Main Street in Phoenix was added to the state highway system on December 12, 1914. The remainder of the highway in Schroeppel was taken over by the state on September 13, 1916. At the time, the highway veered eastward to serve the hamlet of Pennellville. Lastly, the part in Palermo was accepted into the state highway system on October 14, 1922. Although each segment of the Phoenix–Palermo state highway had an unsigned inventory number, the road did not have a posted route number.

Unlike hundreds of through state roads without a signed designation, the Phoenix–Palermo state highway did not receive a number as part of the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York. It was finally designated as NY 264 c. 1932. The route continued to pass through Pennellville until c. 1938, when it was moved onto a new highway bypassing the hamlet to the west. The southern half of NY 264's former routing became an extension of CR 54, which originally began at NY 264 in the center of Pennellville. North of the hamlet, the old route is now a town-maintained road named Godfrey Road. NY 264's alignment has not been changed since that time.