By Dr. Raymond A. Hoeffner, Jr.
In the late 1800s the population of East Meadow was increasing and the demand for social clubs was growing along with it. The East Meadow Hotel was already established on the corner of East Meadow Avenue ‹ formerly Newbridge Avenue ‹ and Prospect Avenue ‹ formerly Hay Carters Lane ‹, where today¹s Town Square is located.
On July 31, 1858, John Noon, who owned the hotel from 1848-59, donated a parcel of land across the street on the east side of East Meadow Avenue for the construction of the Methodist-Episcopal Church, today known as The Open Hand of God Church. The next structure that came along to the developing community was the Town Hall. Initially, a Town Hall Association was formed as a stock company that was divided into 1,000 shares and each share was sold at the price of $1. This price was set low so that all East Meadow residents could afford membership.
In 1896, Heinrich Schultz, the next proprietor of the East Meadow Hotel, from 1883 to 1914, donated the use of a 50-by-100-foot parcel of property located between the present day Post Office and The United Methodist Church, on the west side of East Meadow Avenue. By 1896, sold were 186 shares and the search began for the home of the Town Hall Association. The association purchased the first school in East Meadow, which would be used as the Town Hall. The school was located where our public library sits today, on the corner of East Meadow Avenue and Front Street.
During the summer of 1896, the building was then moved to its new location. Upon completion of the move, it was placed on a new brick foundation and its move was celebrated by a watermelon and ice festival. However, its grand opening was held on Labor Day in 1896. Hundreds of people attended, and bicycle and potato sack races were held. A parade marched down East Meadow Avenue and the event ended with a dance in the hall. The hall was used more for community events and social functions than as a governmental office.
The East Meadow chapter of the Epworth League, an official youth work group of the Methodist Church, would hold yearly strawberry festivals in the hall. The Town Hall Association remained there until its demolition in the early 1960s.
About 100 years later, the only thing that remains on its site is a parking lot of the East Meadow Post Office and some old photographs of the Town Hall and the bell from the bell tower that has been occasionally displayed at the library.
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