Historical Where Was this Photo - Locustdale

Hauppauge residents know their history. This week, Patch's first " was guessed in only three hours.

Congrats to Christopher Crean who correctly identified the Locustdale Home for Children, which was built on the site of what has become Branchinelli's Shopping Center on the corner of Route 111 and Townline Road.

The with enough room for 226 children, and as many as 385 children spending part of their summer there each year.

The camp served girls and boys until the early 1950s when Locustdale was abandoned and later demolished, according to local historian Noel Gish. It was immediately turned into a Robert Hall Clothing Store that was built into a shopping center, adding stores such as Leading Man and Shoe Town.

Now, the site on Route 111 and Townline Road is commonly refered to as the Branchinelli's Shopping center for the longstanding pizzeria and it's neighbor, Jade Garden, who have been anchors to the shopping center for years.

Check Patch next week for another "Where Was This Photo Taken" to test your knowledge of Hauppauge and Nesconset, with more historical photos to come.

Have a photo you want to identify, or think would poss a challenge? Send it to sara-megan.walsh@patch.com.