Jericho was a Quaker hamlet for more than 200 years after Robert Williams (the credited founder of Jericho) and members of his family settled here. The tiny community grew and prospered over the years, with well-maintained Quaker farms.
In the 1920s, wealthy families such as the Phippses, Whitneys, Burrills and Mrs. W. K. Vanderbilt II bought up small farms and built large county estates in the Westbury-Jericho area. The general store, post office, Jericho Hotel, barber shop, garage and a few other stores appeared at the Jericho Corners as the central hub of
the hamlet.
After World War II, the atmosphere of Jericho began to change, as did many places on Long Island. In the 1950s, large parcels of land were sold to residential developers. In 1958-59, the center of the little hamlet of Jericho was demolished by the Department of Transportation to widen roads and to build traffic ramps in the cloverleaf pattern connecting Jericho Turnpike to Broadway.
In 1972, after so much of Old Jericho had been lost to the bulldozer, Nassau County Executive Ralph Caso created a 20-acre historic site known as the Jericho Historic Preserve on the north side of Jericho Turnpike—just east of Route 106. This is a historic preserve in the true meaning of the word, as the buildings all sit on their original foundations and are protected by landmark status. Today, the historic buildings look attractive but are in need of continuing maintenance. Architectural preservationists hope that the Nassau Conservancy will make vital improvements to the Preserve, but private funds may be needed to save these buildings.
The source of this information is the Jericho Library publication Jericho: The History of a Long Island Hamlet by local history librarian Betsey Murphy. You can pick up a copy at the circulation desk for a $20 donation.
— Courtesy of the Jericho Public Library
