Middle Village

Middle Village was settled by the English in the 17th century. It was named for its location as the midpoint of the Williamsburgh and Jamaica Turnpike (presently, Metropolitan Avenue). This turnpike was built in 1816. Following the Civil War the community became primarily German. A housing boom occurred in the 1920s and once again following World War II. From its inception until around 1850 Middle Village was a farming community. In 1852 many farms were transformed into cemeteries. The main businesses in Middle Village during the latter half of the 19th and early decades of the 20th   centuries catered to the needs of those visiting, maintaining and constructing its cemeteries. Following the Civil War and continuing through World War II Germans and people of German ancestry comprised the largest ethnic component of Middle Village’s population.

By Historian Richard Hourahan