KINGS PARK , LONG ISLAND

Kings Park, Long Island

Kings Park is a hamlet and census-designated place located in Suffolk County, on the North Shore of Long Island, New York. It is within the Town of Smithtown. The hamlet is renowned for its schools, numerous parks, and natural beauty. Kings Park has five miles of shoreline and it borders on the Nissequogue River. As of the 2000 census, there were 16,146 people, 5,480 households, and 4,197 families residing in the CDP. There were 5,480 households out of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.1% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.4% were non-families. The latitude of Kings Park is 40.886N. The longitude is -73.257W. It is in the Eastern Standard time zone. Elevation is 174 feet.

The first European settlers, dating back to colonial times were descendants of Richard “Bull” Smith, the founder of Smithtown. The eighteenth century home of Smith’s grandson, Obadiah Smith, remains intact on what is now St. Johnland Road. In the 1960s and 1970s, Kings Park was transformed from a small, aging hospital village into an active young suburban community. The community was named for the Kings County Farm, a local institution for the poor and mentally ill. Kings Park is best known for its state mental hospital. Founded 95 years ago, the hospital was originally for residents of Kings County. In 1887, the name of the village was little more than a railroad station and farms.

Notable residents include Craig Biggio (baseball player), John Petrucci (metal band Dream Theater member), John Myung (metal band Dream Theater member), and Kevin Moore (metal band Dream Theater member). About 28% of Kings Park residents were Italian ancestry and 24% were Irish. The Kings Park Central School District includes residents of that portion of Fort Salonga that lies in the Town of Smithtown as well as residents of Kings Park that has a total of one intermediate school, two elementary schools, one middle school, and a high school. The district provides an excellent education for all their students and gives them the opportunity to develop academically, physically, socially, and emotionally while learning the necessary skills to communicate effectively.

The Kings Park Heritage Museum is one of the famous museums in town. The museum offers exhibits on the rich water heritage of the area with several rooms featuring artifacts from Kings Park families which include books, photos, tools, and family trees. Other historical landmarks include Sunken Meadow State Park; a park that provides an excellent venue for cross-country running, and host competitions for many cross-country teams from local high schools and runner’s club. It has also a golf course with no less than three 9-hole courses and facilities for biking, horseback riding, and general recreation.