Rockville Centre, New York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rockville Centre
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| Incorporated Village of Rockville Centre | |
Rockville Centre's Eugene J. Murray Village Hall in September 2021.
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| Nickname(s):
RVC
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Location in Nassau County and the state of New York.
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 Rockville Centre
Location in Long Island
Rockville Centre
Location in New York
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  New York |
| County | Nassau |
| Town | Hempstead |
| Incorporated | July 15, 1893 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.34 sq mi (8.64 km2) |
| • Land | 3.25 sq mi (8.42 km2) |
| • Water | 0.09 sq mi (0.22 km2) |
| Elevation | 30 ft (9 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 26,016 |
| • Density | 8,002.46/sq mi (3,089.88/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes |
11570
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| Area codes | 516, 363 |
| FIPS code | 36-63264 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2391098 |
Rockville Centre, often called RVC, is a village in Nassau County, New York. It is located on the South Shore of Long Island. In 2020, about 26,016 people lived there.
Contents
History of Rockville Centre
The area where Rockville Centre is today has been home to people for thousands of years. Early Native American groups, like the Lenape people, lived here. Their communities were part of the larger Algonquian-speaking tribes of Long Island.
Early Native American Settlements
By the 1600s, many Native American groups lived on Long Island. These included the Canarsie, Recouwacky (Rockaway), Matinecock, and Massapequa tribes. They were part of the Lenape and Metoac peoples.
European diseases greatly reduced the Native American population in the 1500s and 1600s. Many Native Americans were forced to leave their lands as European colonies grew. Conflicts between tribes also caused losses.
The Reckouakie tribe moved to what is now Rockville Centre around 1640. They had ties to the Matinecock and Massapequa tribes. Treaties between Native Americans and Dutch settlers often caused misunderstandings. This led to conflicts and even wars.
How Rockville Centre Got Its Name
The village was named "Rockville Centre" in 1849. It was named after a local leader, Mordecai "Rock" Smith. He was a Methodist preacher in the community.
Rockville Centre officially became a village in 1893. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, it grew into a commuter town. This meant many people lived there and traveled to New York City for work. The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) helped connect the village to the city.
Important Events in Rockville Centre
In the 1920s, some people in Rockville Centre supported the Ku Klux Klan. This group promoted white supremacy. In 1923, when the group placed a wreath at the town's war memorial, the American Legion removed it. This showed that not everyone in the community agreed with the group's views.
In 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. visited Rockville Centre. He spoke to a large crowd at South Side Junior High School.
In the early 1940s, Rockville Centre grew in size. It added the Mercy Medical Center property, which was about 87 acres.
A sad event happened on February 17, 1950. Two LIRR trains crashed near the Rockville Centre station. This accident killed 32 people and injured more than 80 others.
The Rockville Centre Post Office is an important historical building. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
Population and People
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 1,882 | — | |
| 1900 | 1,884 | — | |
| 1910 | 3,667 | 94.6% | |
| 1920 | 8,262 | 125.3% | |
| 1930 | 13,718 | 66.0% | |
| 1940 | 18,613 | 35.7% | |
| 1950 | 22,362 | 20.1% | |
| 1960 | 26,355 | 17.9% | |
| 1970 | 27,444 | 4.1% | |
| 1980 | 25,412 | −7.4% | |
| 1990 | 24,727 | −2.7% | |
| 2000 | 24,568 | −0.6% | |
| 2010 | 24,023 | −2.2% | |
| 2020 | 26,016 | 8.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
What is Demographics?
Demographics is the study of populations. It looks at things like how many people live somewhere, their ages, and their backgrounds.
Rockville Centre's Population in 2010
According to the census of 2010, there were 24,111 people living in Rockville Centre. There were 9,201 households, which are groups of people living together. About 6,468 of these were families.
The population density was about 7,496 people per square mile. This means a lot of people live close together.
Most people in the village were White (78.3%). There were also Black or African American people (8.6%) and Hispanic or Latino people (9.7%). About 2.0% were Asian.
Many households (32.0%) had children under 18 living with them. The average household had 2.64 people. The average family had 3.28 people.
The median age in Rockville Centre was 40 years old. This means half the people were younger than 40 and half were older. About 25.8% of the population was under 18.
Geography of Rockville Centre
Rockville Centre covers a total area of about 3.4 square miles (8.8 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, about 3.3 square miles (8.5 square kilometers). A small part, about 0.1 square miles (0.26 square kilometers), is water.
Education in Rockville Centre
Students in Rockville Centre attend schools in a few different districts. Most attend the Rockville Centre Union Free School District. Some parts of the village are also in the Oceanside UFSD and the Baldwin UFSD.
Rockville Centre School District
The Rockville Centre Union Free School District has five public elementary schools:
- The Watson School
- The Covert School
- The Wilson School
- The Hewitt School
- The Riverside School
After elementary school, students go to South Side Middle School and then South Side High School. This school district also includes parts of nearby areas like South Hempstead and Hempstead.
South Side High School is known for its strong academics. It has often been ranked as one of the best high schools in New York state and even nationally. For example, in 2012, U.S. News & World Report ranked it #22 nationally and #2 in New York.
Other School Districts
About 20% of Rockville Centre residents live in the Oceanside Union Free School District. These students attend Oceanside School #2 or #5, Oceanside Middle School, and Oceanside High School. Some residents are in the Baldwin School District, attending Plaza Elementary, Baldwin Middle School, and Baldwin High School.
Private Schools
Rockville Centre also has a private Catholic school called The Saint Agnes Cathedral School. It teaches students from kindergarten through eighth grade. This school is known for its high academic standards.
Famous People from Rockville Centre
Many notable people have lived in Rockville Centre. Here are some of them:
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- Kevin Anderson (born 1971), soccer player and coach.
- Eddie Arcaro (1916–1997), famous jockey in horse racing.
- Dave Attell (born 1965), comedian.
- Pete Axthelm (1943–1991), sportswriter and TV commentator.
- Gina Naomi Baez, actress.
- Sy Berger (1923–2014), designed baseball cards for Topps.
- Tommy Bianco (born 1952), played baseball for the Milwaukee Brewers.
- John Byner (born 1938), comedian and actor.
- John F. Carew (1873–1951), politician who served in the U.S. House of Representatives.
- Brian Cashman (born 1967), general manager of the New York Yankees.
- Max Caster, professional wrestler.
- Kevin Connors, ESPN anchor.
- Ted Demme (1963–2002), film director and producer.
- Thomas DiNapoli, New York State Comptroller.
- Billy Donovan (born 1965), head coach for the Chicago Bulls (NBA).
- Crystal Dunn (born 1992), soccer player for the U.S. Women's National Team.
- Martin Feldstein (1935–2019), economic advisor to President Ronald Reagan.
- Joseph Fins (1959–), doctor and medical ethicist.
- Bethenny Frankel (1970–), entrepreneur.
- Joel Gallen, television and film director/producer.
- Joe Gannascoli, actor, known for The Sopranos.
- Doris Kearns Goodwin, author, historian, and Pulitzer Prize winner.
- Seth Grahame-Smith, writer and film producer.
- Judy Griffin, New York State Assemblywoman.
- Milton Gross, sports columnist for the New York Post.
- Mel Gussow (1933–2005), theater critic for The New York Times.
- Amy Hargreaves, actress.
- John D. Hawke Jr. (1933–2022), former United States Comptroller of the Currency.
- Jim Hayes (1948–2009), basketball player.
- Joey Heatherton (1944–), actress and entertainer.
- Ray Heatherton (1909–97), actor.
- John E. Herbst (1959–), ambassador.
- Art Heyman (1941–2012), basketball player.
- Henry Hill (1943–2012), mob informant.
- Donald Holder, stage lighting designer.
- Billy Idol, musician.
- Dean Kamen (1951–), inventor of the Segway Human Transporter.
- Kerry Keating, college basketball coach.
- Kevin Kelton (1956–), TV writer-producer.
- Gilbert King (1962–), author and Pulitzer Prize winner.
- Billy Koch (1974-), former baseball pitcher.
- Sandy Koufax (1935–), Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher.
- Frank Layden (1932–), former NBA coach and president.
- Kenny Laguna, music producer, songwriter, and musician.
- David Wong Louie (1954–2018), novelist and writer.
- Brian Mahoney (born 1948), former basketball player and coach.
- Brendan Malone (1942–), assistant coach for NBA teams.
- Terry McDermott, baseball player.
- Anne Meara (1929–2015), actress and comedian.
- Elliott Murphy (born 1949), singer-songwriter.
- John Nolan and Michelle Nolan of the band Straylight Run.
- Mark O'Connell, drummer of the band Taking Back Sunday.
- Daryl Palumbo (1979–), musician from the bands GlassJaw and Head Automatica.
- Floyd Patterson (1935–2006), former Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World.
- Frank Pellegrino, actor and restaurateur.
- Tommy Rainone (1980–), boxer.
- June Diane Raphael, actress, comedian, writer.
- Matt Reeves (1966–), film director.
- Bob Richardson (1928–2005), photographer.
- Tom Riker (1950–), basketball player.
- Joan Roberts, original star of Oklahoma! on Broadway.
- Ted Robinson, Emmy Award-winning sportscaster.
- Noah Rubin (1996–), tennis player.
- Amy Schumer (1981–), comedian.
- Robert B. Silvers (1929–2017), editor of The New York Review of Books.
- Dean Skelos, former New York State Senator.
- Howard Stern (1954–), radio personality.
- Paulette Tavormina, photographer.
- Danielle Tumminio Hansen, author, theologian, and religious leader.
- Vinny Testaverde, College Hall of Fame quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner.
- Marc Turnesa, golfer on the PGA Tour.
- Jay Wright (1961–), head coach of the Villanova Wildcats basketball team.
See also
In Spanish: Rockville Centre para niños
