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Town moves to preserve history of American Venice community
American Venice was the dream of an Italian - American developer who wanted to bring the beauty of Venice to his new country, and to attract Italian- Americans from New York City and Queens to Long Island. American Venice is situation south of Montauk Highway in Copiague and Lindenhurst. It is identified primarily by the two lions that sit atop the large pillars that are still today, the gateway to the residential community. A Venetian style gazebo, the infrastructure for which town officials believe may still exist under the buildings currently on the site, attracted home buyers from far and wide.
"A turquoise lagoon under aquamarine sky. Lazy gondolas. Beautiful Italian Gardens. Is it Venice on the Adriatic? No, Venice in America. Soon this will be a reality on the shores of the Great South Bay at Copiague and Lindenhurst L.I. $10,000 will be spent in building one of the finest and most amazing developments ever attempted. You can soon have a beautiful Venetian-type home in this splendid Venetian city at reasonable prices. American Venice was laid out to give a true architectural and landscape impression in the style of the famous Venetian city. Broad canals offered supreme boating and a property owners had beach rights within the community. "At the grand entrance, a magnificent lagoon, 240-feet by 600-feet stretches all the way out to Great South Bay. Live in American Venice the year around," the ad said. This great experiment attracted home buyers who eventually did move to the area, but completion of the full expanse of the developer's plans came to a halt with the stock market crash of 1929 and the ensuing Great Depression. "There are some who called that venture a failure," said Bellone in discussing this part of the town's history. "But when you look at the beautiful community that was formed as a result, it can be called nothing but a success, and we want to do what we can to preserve its history and its beauty because in the not too distant future, it will be lost." The Town is moving to purchase the property of RPM Marine through county funds set aside to preserve open space and promote downtown revitalization. Already, initial negotiations with the owner are underway and seem promising, said Bellone. S.C. Leg. Wayne Horsley (D-Babylon) is putting a resolution on this week's agenda to get the funding through the county's Open Space Preservation program. "Frankly, more often than not, these resolutions are for open space purchases in the East End for millions of dollars so I am pleased to be able to introduce this to give our area its fair share of these funds," said Horsley. "It is a home run for our taxpayers." Once the property is transferred to the Town, Bellone said he will be seeking out other government funding to restore the site. He is hoping, he said, to be able to preserve some of the original architecture there. "It is amazing that those two golden lions are still standing," said Bellone. "That is a tribute to the craftsmanship of the era, and the pride that was taken in the work." Establishing the American Venice as an historical district will not have an impact on individual homes, though some of the older homes in the area might qualify to be placed on the National Register of Historic Homes if the owners choose to do that.
"This is one of the most unique residential communities anywhere with its golden Lions and bridges and its Gazebo," said Bellone. "We want to do whatever we can to preserve that and bring it back to its former glory."
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