Collecting scraps of West Hempstead’s history

The West Hempstead Historical Society was the recipient of a very special “loan back in time” this past January. Robert F. Hockenjos II was happy to let the West Hempstead Historical Society borrow his grandfather’s (Robert F. Hockenjos I) scrapbook.

It contains photographs of the family’s store that was on the corner of Eagle Avenue and Woodfield Road and the family’s bar and grill that was a few doors down to the east in the same Lakeview Plaza Development building. The store is the current feature of the West Hempstead Historical Society’s Past and Present series.

In 1927, the Hockenjos store which was the first at the Lakeview LIRR station, sold soda, candy, cigarettes, Reid’s ice cream, newspapers and even fireworks that were legal at the time. It also served as the R. F. D. (rural free delivery) United States Post Office.

The Hockenjos family owned the business until September of 1946 when it was sold to Carl and Lillian Herman. The Herman’s called it the Lakeview Sports Shop. The Sports Shop still sold Reid’s ice cream but it also sold “Garcia Grande” cigars, various stationary items and was a “lending library.”

By 1964, the Herman’s store was renamed Carl’s Stationary after Carl. The store was sold to Tom Sheehan in June of 1979. At some time, over twenty years ago it became a corner barber store called The Family Place Star Salon. The barbershop is a busy business at the Lakeview Station today.

The West Hempstead Historical Society deeply appreciates the past and present community dedication and generosity of the Hockenjos family. Many additional photos can be viewed on our Facebook page and we are presently working to preserve the photos on the New York Heritage Digital Collection so they can be easily accessed for generations to come. Thank you to this remarkable family who has had such a positive impact on our community for decades!