By Chris Bender
Peter J. Herman was a prosperous businessman and community leader that served on the local board of education, helped organize a Catholic Church and was the organizer of the Franklin Square and Munson Fire Department.
Herman's home burned down in March 1901, but Herman drew up plans for another and the new house was finished in 1902. The two and a half story Victorian house exhibits influences from the Queen Anne style, with fretwork decorations and several outbuildings.
The home was originally located on Hempstead Turnpike, but in the early 1950s it was moved to the back of the property which runs along Herman Boulevard, where it currently stands today.
"This home is remarkably well-maintained," said Town of Hempstead Councilman Joseph Kearney. "The house is an important part of Franklin Square's history, and it remained in the Herman family until 1999."
Herman died in 1953 but it remembered as one of the most important civic leaders in the development of Franklin Square from a farming district to a residential community.
"Peter J. Herman left his mark on the western end of the Town of Hempstead for over 50 years," Town of Hempstead Supervisor Rich Guardino said. "His home is typical of the homes that lined Hempstead Turnpike from Jamaica to Hempstead in the early 20 century and is an enduring reminder of that era."
