Wheatley Heights Community Profile

History Highlights:

In 1710, Jacob Conklin built the first home in present Wheatley Heights. However, it is his notoriety for having once sailed with Captain Kidd that has fascinated generations of people.

Situated in the lower Half Hollow Hills, which have long been cherished for their natural properties, the clay and sand were found to be ideal for brick making. During the late 1800s, over 1.6 million bricks a year were produced in Wheatley Heights and Wyandanch brickyards and shipped by rail for use in New York City. Capitalizing on the popularity of the region's mineral springs, some companies bottled and commercially sold the spring water, touting their health benefits.

Wheatley Heights was historically part of the hamlet of Wyandanch, known as West Deer Park until the mid-1800s, though the community was separated by two school districts. The name Wheatley Heights comes from a 1913 development mapped out by real estate investor William Geiger. A portion of the renowned Vanderbilt Motor Parkway, operated from 1908 to 1938, ran through Wheatley Heights.

 





The home built by Jacob and Hannah Conklin, around 1710. The Conklin home stood for more than 200 years until it was destroyed by fire in 1918.

Situated in the lower Half Hollow Hills, which have long been cherished for their natural properties, the clay and sand were found to be ideal for brick making. Capitalizing on the popularity of the region’s mineral springs, which were considered to have medicinal and curative properties, the Colonial Mineral Springs Company bottled water from several of the region’s mineral springs, in the mid-1800s.

 








An example of the bottle label used by a local water bottling company, around the late 1890s to early 1900s.

A small portion of the famed Vanderbilt Motor Parkway, operated from 1908 to 1938, ran through Wheatley Heights. Wheatley Heights was historically part of the hamlet of Wyandanch, although the community was separated by two school districts starting in the early 1800s. 

The name Wheatley Heights comes from residential developments mapped out by real estate investor William Geiger, in the 1910s. In 1974, civic leader Hermann Griem led the effort to name the post office substation Wheatley Heights, establishing the community’s current identity.




Postcard image depicting Wheatley Heights Estates. The scene is believed to be Geiger Lake.

 

Visit the Town Historian’s Blog for articles about local history topics:

  • “The Legend of Jacob Conklin” Link