This is the latest in a series of posts chronicling historic landmarks on Long Island with ties to the Italian American community.
Born in Bologna, Italy, Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of the radio, made a significant contribution to world and Long Island history when, in 1902, his “shack” in Babylon, NY, was the home of wireless ship-to-shore communications for ships approaching New York Harbor.
This “radio station” was the first in American history and was located on the coast of the south shore for better visibility for shops approaching New York. The original structure had a 210-foot antenna used for communication efforts.
The structure operated for five years in Babylon. By 1930, RCA Radio Central Transmitting Station in Rocky Point acquired it as a historic artifact. The ownership was later transferred to the Rocky Point School District in 1969, and it sits on school property today.
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If you have ideas for other Italian-specific landmarks on Long Island for us to explore, please email [email protected].
–Words and photos by Chris R. Vaccaro, Executive Director of the Italian American Heritage Society of Long Island
