Facilities

The Peter J. Herman House in Franklin Square is a late-Victorian home, circa 1902, typical of the homes that lined Hempstead Turnpike from Jamaica to Hempstead in the early 20th century.

Peter J. Herman, who was married to Catherine Rath of Franklin Square, was a prosperous businessman and community leader. He sold farming supplies across a wide area, served on the local board of education, helped organize a Catholic church in Franklin Square, organized the Franklin Square and Munson Fire Department, and initiated the Franklin Square water and electric lighting districts.

In March of 1901, the old Herman home burned to the ground while the family was away. Herman engaged William Finn, a local architect, to draw up plans for a new home that would reflect the prominence of the family. Carl Mirschel, a well-known builder from Munson, was hired to execute Finn's design.

Typical of middle-class homes of the late Victorian period, the two-and-a-half-story structure exhibits influences from the Queen Anne style. It boasts ample bay windows, fretwork decorations, and several outbuildings. The home was originally located on Hempstead Turnpike, but in the early 1950s, it was moved to the back of the Herman property, fronting Herman Boulevard.

Peter J. Herman died in 1953, but he is remembered as the most important civic leader in the evolution of Franklin Square from a farming district to a beautiful residential community. The home remained in the Herman family until 1999.