Author Archives: john.friia

Malverne, a one square mile village in southern Nassau County on Long Island, holds an interesting story of its history and residents. According to the 2010 United States Census, the estimated population is around 10,000 that are predominantly Caucasian and a small percentage of minorities.

Previously known as Norwood, resident wonder where the name Malverne derived from. In 1913, Alfred Wagg and Ernest Childs were one of the first residents of Norwood, but according to village records they wanted to change the name to make it a unique place to live. At the time there were many Norwoods in New York State and they rallied residents to submit new names. Childs suggested to name the village after a town he visited and feel in love with in England named Malvern. Residents agreed to the name and added and extra “e” at the end to make it Malverne.

Governed by a Mayor and Board of Trustees this village also has its own police department, fire department, volunteer ambulance corp, historical society and civic association. The main goals of all these departments are to maintain the small town feel within the community. The Malverne Police Department has experienced controversy in the past decade focusing on the high wages and the pay for illegal overtime pertaining to federal holidays. Exposed by Newsday the police chief was forced to resign and John Aresta, was appointed as the new chief. The current mayor is Patricia Ann Norris-McDonald who has the followed the footsteps of her father and former mayor. The Board of Trustees includes Deputy Mayor Joseph Hennessey, Trustee Michael Bailey, Trustee John O’Brien and Trustee Patricia Callahan.

When Malverne was incorporated in 1918 the village was meant to be a place for the Jewish faith, but as time passed different congregations became welcomed in the village. There are many different houses of worship including, Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church, Grace Lutheran Church, Bridge Church of the Nazarene, and the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church. There was a Malverne Jewish Center located Hempstead Avenue, but in 2012 it closed and the Bridge Church took its place. Every year during Thanksgiving all the churches come together a share an ecumenical service, where all the church leaders give sermons to all the residents.

As people stroll down Hempstead Avenue, they will notice the business district of Malverne. Comprised of all small businesses there are a large variety of stores in Malverne from the independent movie theatre to the bakery and to the numerous restaurants.  According to the Malverne Merchants and Professional Association, there are over 800 registered businesses in Malverne and this organization helps promote a better business environment and keeping the small town charm within the village. During autumn,both the Malverne Merchants and Professional Association and the Malverne Civic Association work together to organize the annual country fair that many residents look forward to.

The Malverne Civic Association and the Malverne Historical Society are actively involved with the community and host events throughout the year. Wanting create comradely with other residents the Civic Association hosts an annual Getting to Know You function, wine tasting, and assistant the village on their annual Lighting of Malverne. The Historical Society holds their annual holiday gala, which is one of the highlights of the Lighting of Malverne.

Children that reside in Malverne are zoned for either Malverne School District 12 or Valley Stream School District 13. The Malverne School District includes students from Malverne and Lakeview, which is has a large population of African Americans. Many of the Malverne families that reside within District 12 decide to send their children to private elementary schools and high schools. During the 1960’s, as segregation within schools disbanded the Malverne School District was not as easily integrated as others in the area. Newspapers reported the NAACP held marches for integration of the district and explained the extent the Board of Education attempted to do to stop it. Eventually the state mandated that both Whites and Africans American attend the Malverne school district.

This small village is home to one of the last working farms in Nassau County. On the corner of Ocean Avenue and Hempstead Avenue the residents have come to love Grossman’s Farm. During its peak of popularity the hottest commodity was the farm grown corn on the cob. However, once the last Grossman passed away the farm ceased operations and became defunct, until the Nassau County Land Trust purchased the property. In 2012, the farmed changed its name from Grossman’s Farm to Crossroads Farm at Grossman and has continued the tradition of organically grown food for residents and any that stops by.

For prospective buyers Malverne could be an ideal place to start a family with all the necessary amenities nearby. Even though the village offers a lot to its residents, there is one downfall the high taxes. According to the census, it be concluded that this is an affluent community with a median income of $115,000, a poverty rate of 0.7% and nearly 95% of the population attended college or a higher level. Taking every detail together it creates an interesting story of what Malverne is.

Hempstead Avenue – Malverne