West Babylon - the Name, the Zip Code, Etc.

The earliest written evidence of the name “Babylon” is found in the home of Nathaniel Conklin, built at the corner of Deer Park Avenue and East Main Street, in 1803. The name is commonly credited to Phebe Smith Conklin, Nathaniel’s mother, though two differing legends exist. 

The first legend purports that she chose the name from the Bible Psalm “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down.” However, a more scandalous version suggests that Mrs. Conklin was unpleased with the proximity of her son’s home to a raucous tavern at the American House. Referring to the alleged debauchery of Ancient Babylon, she declared “It is another Babylon!” Nathaniel retorted that “It is a New Babylon,” and engraved the name in his chimney stone. 

Instead of “New Babylon,” the name Babylon was adopted. The post office name was changed from Huntington South to Babylon in 1830.

The Nathaniel Conklin House and stone inscribed “New Babylon – This House Built by Nat Conklin 1803.” The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. The Nathaniel Conklin House, 280 Deer Park Avenue, Babylon, is now a museum. Images from the Library of Congress, Historic American Buildings Survey, 1936.

The name “West Babylon” appears to have started as a general reference to being the western end of Babylon or an area west of Babylon. The broad area now known as West Babylon, North Babylon and the Village of Babylon was generally referred to as “Babylon” up through the late 1800s. The incorporation of the Village of Babylon in 1893 established a municipal boundary between the village and the hamlet of West Babylon, but much of the area west and north of the Village of Babylon continued to be referenced as “Babylon,” up until the mid-1900s. 

In the decades after World War II, the rapid population increase and expansion of community facilities – schools, stores, and businesses – created the individual West Babylon community identity.  

The Babylon Post Office was established on March 8, 1851, with Nathan E. Bassett as Postmaster, and likely served the areas now known as West Babylon, North Babylon and the Village of Babylon. In the 1800s and early 1900s, post office operations were typically conducted from an existing store/office location, and the merchant/Postmaster received modest compensation for the job. 

Up through the mid-1900s, it was common for residents to pick up their mail from the post office. In 1910, for example, a letter addressed to “Miss Mary Jackson, Babylon, New York” or “Babylon, Long Island,” was sufficient to have the letter delivered to the Babylon Post Office, where it would wait for Miss Jackson to pick it up. (Residential mail delivery was established around 1950.) 

A substation of the Babylon Post Office, for West Babylon, was opened on Little East Neck Road, near Park Avenue, in January 1950. However, it used the name Babylon, not West Babylon.

In 1951, the West Babylon Taxpayers Association started a campaign to establish a “West Babylon” mailing address. (Apparently, residents had been able to use “West Babylon” in the late 1930s, but the Babylon Postmaster had told West Babylon residents to use “Babylon,” by 1950-1951.) In writing to the Postmaster General, the WBTA President Samuel N. Smith cited that the West Babylon population was 2,684 people and “We want our West Babylon addresses back.” (“W. Babylon Civics Want Right Address,” Newsday, June 18, 1951)

The West Babylon Post Office moved to the south side of Sunrise Highway, at Burnell Place, in October 1956. Under the direction of James Perretty, a 25-year postal employee, 16 letter carriers moved from the Babylon Post Office to West Babylon. (“Post Office Rites Set at W. Babylon,” Newsday, September 28, 1956)

Not just in the Town of Babylon, but across Long Island, the assignment of zip codes can cause confusion about “where” things are located.   In 1963, the U.S. Postal Service introduced the basic 5-digit zip code, across the country. The West Babylon Post Office was assigned 11704. The zip code assigned to addresses is based on the post office assigned to deliver the mail, but can be confused with all of the other facilities associated with an address. Here are examples of addresses within the West Babylon zip-code and school district. 

*Including the community of Venetian Shores in the hamlet of West Babylon is confusing to many people. As noted above, the neighborhood is under the jurisdiction of Lindenhurst post office, school/library district and fire department, but the area is not within the Village of Lindenhurst. Therefore, the community is part of the hamlet of West Babylon. For census purposes, the Venetian Shores area is part of the West Babylon Census Designated Place (CDP). Also, a street repair on Granada Parkway, for instance, is not handled by the Village of Babylon but, rather, the Town of Babylon.