Bald Hill (Farmingville, New York)
| Bald Hill | |
|---|---|
Vietnam Memorial in the snow
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 331 ft (101 m) |
| Coordinates | 40°50′37.8924″N 73°1′17.8212″W / 40.843859000°N 73.021617000°WCoordinates: 40°50′37.8924″N 73°1′17.8212″W / 40.843859000°N 73.021617000°W |
| Geography | |
 Bald Hill
Location in the state of New York
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| Location |
Farmingville, New York, United States |
| Parent range | Ronkonkoma Moraine |
| Topo map | USGS Brookhaven |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Road |
Bald Hill, located in the hamlet of Farmingville, New York, part of the Town of Brookhaven, is one of the highest areas of elevation on Long Island. The highest elevation in the Bald Hill area is 331 feet (101 m). Though local residents often claim it to be the highest point on Long Island, that honor actually belongs to Jayne's Hill in the Town of Huntington at 401 feet (122 m). Also, nearby Telescope Hill, about 0.8 miles (1.3 km) WSW, is slightly higher at 334 feet (102 m). Bald Hill in Brookhaven should also not be confused with Bald Hill in Riverhead.
The Bald Hill area is part of the Ronkonkoma Moraine, which runs east to west along the center of the Town of Brookhaven, and marks where the glacier which formed Long Island stopped its advance. When first settled in the late 18th century, the area was called "Bald Hills." While the elevation and views are impressive for Long Island, George Washington found the hills to be merely "trifling" when he passed through in April 1790.
In 1897, the cross-Island Bicycle Path was opened and passed through the Bald Hill area.
In 1970-71, Patchogue-Mt. Sinai Road (County Route 83) was built through the Bald Hill area. Two overlooks were constructed in a widened median area with automobile access, and stone markers were placed for "Danger Hill" and "Breakneck Hill", the names given to the two hills by early settlers. A Vietnam Veterans memorial was opened on the southern lookout side in 1991 (elevation 321 feet).
The Brookhaven Town Hall and Sachem East High School are on the east side of the hill. The Glacier Ridge Preserve to the north of the structures has a network of 11 miles (18 km) of cross country bicycle trails.
From 1965-1980, Bald Hill was the site of a Town-owned skiing area known as the Bald Hill Ski Bowl.
The seeds for this project were planted in 1964, when Suffolk County builder Henry Taca approached the Town with plans to build houses on his 229 acres (0.93 km2) in the area, including the hilly Bald Hill tract. He turned over 64 acres (260,000 m2) of the Bald Hill property to the Town free of charge in 1965, and in return, he received Town approval for a "cluster housing" project known as Hawthorne Estates. Under the approval, he was allowed to build more houses on his remaining acreage than would otherwise be permitted.
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Wikipedia