Thursday, June 19, 2025
Paul van Wie, village historian for the Franklin Square Historical Society, formally released his third book, Franklin Square: The Rise of a Suburban Community, on April 26.
Van Wie hosted a book-signing event at the Franklin Square Public Library, where more than 30 guests—many of them lifelong Franklin Square residents—attended and purchased copies. The book chronicles the community’s evolution from its rural beginnings to the present day.
After providing an overview of the book and reading a few anecdotes from its pages, van Wie led a brief Q&A session.
According to van Wie, the book took about five years to write. He revised and added material over time as he continued researching and interviewing sources. As a history professor at Molloy University, much of his writing took place during evenings and weekends.
“I go right to the sources,” van Wie said of his research process. He explained that he conducted numerous interviews with people who lived through the events described in his book.
He also gathered old newspapers, original photographs, documents and other primary sources to inform his work.
A lifelong Franklin Square resident, van Wie has been a member of the historical society since its founding in 1975, when he was 18. At the time, many members were elderly residents who had lived in the area their entire lives, which helped him connect with individuals who held firsthand historical knowledge.
“A lot of families don’t leave,” van Wie said. “I don’t know why that is, but we have great love for our community.”
He added that many Franklin Square residents are hardworking people whose families strived to purchase homes—including his own grandparents and parents. One of van Wie’s adult children has also purchased a home in the community, continuing the family’s legacy.
Carl Gerrato, another lifelong Franklin Square resident, attended the April 26 event and had his copy of the book signed by van Wie at the end of the hour-long program. Gerrato said his family has lived in Franklin Square since 1921, and he still resides in the house his great-grandfather built.
“I love the community,” Gerrato said. “They always say with Franklin Square—you’re born here, you live here, you die here.”
Now 58, Gerrato said he was just 9 years old when the historical society was founded, recalling that it launched the same year the Ben Franklin Bicentennial Committee was formed ahead of the United States’ 200th birthday. He later joined the society in his 20s.
“I think that’s when it sparked for me,” Gerrato said, explaining that watching the community come together inspired him to care more about the town. “Hearing the stories growing up from my mom and everyone—it sticks with me.”
At the close of the event, van Wie thanked the Franklin Square Public Library for co-hosting the signing. Aviva Kane, the library’s director, then thanked attendees for supporting the historical society.
“We are defined by our communal organizations,” Kane said. “And that way, we’re not just a Hempstead Turnpike. We’re not just a Franklin Avenue. We are actually a community here, and the support is so, so worth it.”
