In 1848, general store merchant Robert Pettit sought to establish a post office to honor Mordecai Rock Smith, a prominent local farmer and preacher. After the Post Office Department in Washington, D.C. rejected Pettit’s initial proposals due to existing name duplications, Rockville Centre was chosen as the only name that both honored Reverend Smith and satisfied federal requirements.
February 17, 1849, marked the official naming of Rockville Centre. At that time, mapmakers transitioned from using broad regional terms like Queens or Hempstead to recognize the area by its unique name, Rockville Centre.
Scope of Collection
The Phillips House Museum archival collection contains numerous historic maps of Rockville Centre and its vicinity, dating from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century. The bulk of the collection consists of subdivision, insurance, and area maps.
When possible, maps are scanned in their entirety. For oversized items, maps are scanned in sections to ensure complete digital preservation.
![The [George Nathan] Newman Collection of Photographs of Vanished and Vanishing Buffalo](/sites/default/files/styles/browse_thumbnail/public/content/collection/covers/VHB004.jpeg?itok=iQTc6n6S)
