A Motto For Babylon Village

 Babylon Village: Where History is Made

Question: why we need a motto? 

Answer: because this motto is true! 

 “We Didn’t Start the Fire” 

Remember the old Billy Joel song, ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’? Billy lists historical events in chronological order bringing us forward, through the decades, to the present. His point: we get to today by layering on those events of our past. 

Now that I have firmly implanted the song in your mind, substitute his words with Babylon Village history. Babylon has had that rich of a history. Literally, the story of Long Island can be told through the history of Babylon Village. With our song in mind substitute Salt Hay, Nathan Conklin, Baymen, Argyle Hotel, Marconi, Cuban Giants, Babylon Railroad station, Robert Moses, Captain Kangaroo, Beatification Society Fair, The Gazebo. As Billy Joel sings those notes, ‘it goes on and on’!   

To drive home a point, just within the last month, Babylon Village was reminded of two historic occurrences that may have slipped from our collective memories. The first, the publishing of a memoir “This is Panther Country”, were Tom McKeon, formally a Babylon High School student, tells the story of growing up in Babylon and witnessing the improbable underdog spirit and Basketball Glory of the 1974-5 Panther team that won the first ever Long Island Championship. Tom recently told his story to a spellbound crowd of over a hundred at the American Legion. Among those in attendance were coach Roy Koebel and star player Glenn Vickers.

Proud Panther Glenn Vickers addresses the crowd

The second historic marker was a surprise to everyone. While removing the facade of the closed Horace and Sylvia's restaurant on Deer Park Avenue, the name of Breitbard's Department Store resurfaced after having been covered over since the 1940s (see previous blog post for more information on this discovery). After a little research, we learned that this store was owned by the parents of Radio Hall of Famer William B. Williams, who was a graduate of the 1940 class at Babylon High School.

It is true that ‘We didn’t Start the Fire’ and it is still ablaze; Babylon Village-Where History is Made! 

 Why a motto? 

A motto will focus a preconceived idea of what our community values while instilling civic pride. If you're looking to buy into a community, whether for a home or business, and you see a motto reflecting the value of its history, it differentially sets apart our south shore community from any other. This is the same concept that drove the repurposing of the Village Historical Society Museum, the erection of the Bayman Statue, the Gazebo, the restoration of the Conklin House and more. It defines what people think of us as a community and will increase the value of Village property. 

A motto as proposed, will also stimulate interest by our residents in our history. This and programs like our Circa Board program for homes over 100 years old, encourages residents to maintain and nurture our older housing stock. Older communities that have a visible history become a place to visit. 

History, good schools and appreciation for the arts are drivers of a successful community. Let’s be sure we capitalize on our good fortune and brag about it to the world by adopting the motto Babylon Village- Where History is Made! 

 - Wayne Horsley