September 5, 1953 Fire of an unknown origin swept through the vacant Locustdale Children’s home in Hauppauge, leaving the main building in ruins and causing $25,000 in damage.
Over 200 volunteer firemen representing six fire departments, answered the call but the flames had such a headway that the vamps concentrated on keeping the flames from spreading to other buildings on the five acre plot (Site of Branchinellis on the NE corner of 111 and Townline Road).
The blaze shot up in a single burst from the center of the three story building according to fire chief Ernest Wilcox of the Smithtown Fire Department. By the time the firefighters arrived, the building was a mass of flames and could be seen for miles. Smithtown, Hauppauge, Central Islip, Nesconset, St. James and Lakeland FDs operated at the scene. Firefighters were handicapped by the lack of water and hooked up over 3000 feet of hose from an irrigation setup of a local farmer.
The vamps battled the blaze until 0330 after being called at 1040. The buildings had not been occupied in recent years but prior to World War II was a very popular summer home for children from the Brooklyn Children’s home. The destroyed sections were a 22 room three-story building and two dormitories. The camp was owned by Jacob Kimbrig of Hauppauge and Jacob Patiky of Northport. Mr Kimbrig stated that the structure was partly insured. The property and buildings had been listed for sale. From the Smithtown News 9-10-1953.
Locustdale Children’s Home was located where the Branchinellis Shopping Center is now. The facility opened in 1908 and had room for 226 children, with 385 children spending half a summer there. It was a multiple building complex on 5 acres of land.
Locustdale had wood outer structures besides the main building, and the girls and boys slept in separate sections. The main house had an infirmary and industrial-size kitchen, and the children would have their meals there. The grounds also had three pavilions where the campers would play on rainy days.
Across from Camp Locustdale was a field where corn grew and another where cows grazed. On the same road as Hauppauge United Methodist Church, there was a store called Kimbrick’s, Shortly after this fire, what was left of Locustdale was demolished. It became the site of a Robert Hall Clothing Store and then a shopping center with stores such as Leading Man and Shoe Town.
The buildings had not been occupied since before this fire. The pavilion burned on March 30th of 1955.
Former Smithtown FD member Franklin P. Micciche adds:
My grandparent’s home was 3 houses up from locustdale. My expectant parents (with me) lived in the barn that was converted for them. I heard the stories for years about what an amazing conflagration there was. My grandparents, great grandmother, aunt and pregnant mother were on the rooves of the houses and out buildings extinguishing fallout from the fire.
As a child we would regularly use the remaining playground which had a tall slide, tall swings and a large push merry-go-round. Across the street on 111 was a ball field with a back stop. Most impressive was the picnic pavilion atop a hill that existed where the shop center now is. The pine grove surrounding it was so dense that nothing grew on the floor below.
Many summers a theatre troupe set up a tent where the home sat and had performances. There was one remaining house on the property that was of 1940’s vintage that served as the post office.
Smithtown Fire Dept chief Charlie Watts was a locustdale resident as was my Aunt Doris (married to Nick Micciche) and her sister Evelyn.
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