Bohemia, Decade by Decade
The 1980s: Preservation, Progress & Gloria
A fight for history
By the 1980s, the “old” Bohemia — the village of cigar factories, button shops, and dirt roads — was rapidly disappearing. The tragic loss of the 1903 schoolhouse in the previous decade had left a void, and residents realized that if they didn’t act, their history would be lost forever.
July 22, 1984
A Fight for History
Their goal was simple but urgent: to collect, preserve, and display the artifacts of the village’s unique Czech-American heritage. This movement eventually led to the preservation of the Museum Building on Locust Avenue, ensuring that future generations would know about more than just suburban developments.
On July 22, 1984, a group of dedicated residents gathered to officially charter the Bohemia Historical Society.
September 27, 1985
The Storm of the Century
On September 27, 1985, life in Bohemia came to a screeching halt. Hurricane Gloria, the first major hurricane to strike Long Island directly since 1960, slammed into the coast.
The storm made landfall just past 3:00 AM on a Friday, unleashing winds exceeding 85 mph that battered the hamlet until the eye moved out past 3:00 PM. News coverage captured the intense local devastation, showing workers scrambling to board up the ShopRite supermarket right here in Bohemia, which had already suffered blown-out windows and significant roof damage at the height of the gales. The ferocious winds devastated the remaining old-growth trees that lined Smithtown and Ocean Avenues, stripping away pieces of the town’s original 19th-century landscape and threatening historic properties.
Bohemia, along with over 700,000 other Long Island homes, was plunged into darkness. With local utility lines shredded and power out for 11 days in some neighborhoods, residents had to rely on battery-operated radios, and many flocked to fast-food restaurants that were able to stay open using gas stoves. The National Guard was called in to help clear the roads, and the roar of chainsaws became the new soundtrack of the autumn as neighbors banded together to clear debris from yards and roadways.
1986
A Unified Voice
As the hamlet grew, residents needed a stronger political voice to protect their quality of life from over-development.
In 1986, the Bohemia Civic Association was formed. Unlike the Historical Society (focused on the past), the Civic Association focused on the future — advocating for zoning laws, traffic safety, and the preservation of the “small town feel” that drew so many families to the area in the first place.
Late 1980s
The Modern Firehouse
The 1980s also saw the Bohemia Fire Department settle into its modern role. Having outgrown the older facilities on Locust Avenue and Walnut Street, the department solidified its operations at the expansive headquarters at 950 Pearl Street. This facility was designed not just for the larger modern trucks, but as a community shelter — a role that became critical during storms like Gloria.