A community's history defines it; it binds generations together to form a link, a connection from past to present, preserved through time. In Franklin Square, a historical society for over 20 years has been preserving the history of the community, collecting artifacts and photos so well that it outgrew its modest dwelling in the basement of an elementary school.

After years of searching for a home of their own to house a museum of artifacts pertinent to the history of Franklin Square, the Franklin Square Historical Society has finally found one. The Town of Hempstead will lease a section of property near the gazebo in Rath Park to the society for a minimal fee and the historical society, with money they have collected during their search, will erect a structure that will serve as a museum for the community.

This past Saturday, the Town of Hempstead and the historical society held a groundbreaking ceremony in Rath Park in the area where the museum will be built. Town of Hempstead Supervisor Richard Guardino was pleased to be entering into a partnership with Dr. Paul van Wie, president of the Franklin Square Historical Society, to preserve the history of the community.

"We anticipate that the Franklin Square Historical Society's new home will be visited by many community groups and will be an excellent educational tool in providing details of our rich heritage," Guardino said. "The Franklin Square Historical Society has done so much for the community. The Town of Hempstead wanted to respond and acknowledge that by assisting them in this endeavor."

For Dr. van Wie and the members of the historical society, the search for a new home has been a long process. Founded as the Franklin Square Bicentennial Committee in 1976, the historical society's collection continued to grow, although the space allotted for it did not.

"Back when the Franklin Square Historical Society began, its collection was already extensive," said Philip Munda, the organization's first president. "We had just finished the bicentennial and we had a lot of people who donated a lot of artifacts."

In 1976, the Franklin Square Board of Education gave the Bicentennial Committee a home in the John Street School for a museum. In 1993, the historical society moved to the basement of the Washington Street School. "But we have totally outgrown our room. There is no more space at all. Many of our treasures are packed up in boxes," said Dr. van Wie.

As the historical society searched for a new and larger facility, it wasn't until Dr. van Wie approached Supervisor Guardino that the society was granted the space it needed to build a new facility. "This is just a great spot," Guardino said of the Rath Park location. "This is going to be a partnership."

For Dr. van Wie, the new home took a long time to secure, but was a major victory for the Franklin Square Historical Society. As the historical society celebrates its silver anniversary, it has been given gold in the form of land.

Plans are being drawn up for the building, which will be a one floor structure that will give the historical society adequate room to display the rich history of Franklin Square.

Meanwhile, the historical society is continuing to raise money for the cost of the building. "We want to present a first class facility at no cost to the taxpayer," Dr. van Wie said.

The new museum will also contain the society's latest donation - a coat worn by a Franklin Square firefighter who participated in the rescue effort on Sept. 11 at the World Trade Center. It was donated in memory of New York City firefighter Tom Hetzel, an Elmont resident and graduate of H. Frank Carey High School in Franklin Square who died during the rescue effort at the World Trade Center.