Brooklyn Water Works

Brooklyn Water Works, located on the west side of North Brookside Avenue, was a three-story brick Romanesque Revival building which was designed in 1888 by Frank Freeman. Freeman (1852-1940), a noted Brooklyn architect, also designed the Eagle Warehouse and Storage Company in 1893 and the City of Brooklyn Fire Headquarters in 1892. Originally called the Milburn Pumping Station, the Brooklyn Water Works was one of a series of pumping stations that provided water from a 2,000-acre watershed to the City of Brooklyn. Freeport's oyster industry was adversely affected by Brooklyn's demand for water.

By the 1920's, upstate New York became the major supplier of water for New York City. The 48-inch-wide iron conduit that runs from Freeport to Queens was used for emergency reserve until New York City sold the site to Nassau County in 1977. In 1986, Freeport gave the Brooklyn Water Works landmark status. That same year, Gary Melius of Carle Place, bought the site for $1.4 million. Efforts to turn the building into condominiums and later a nursing home both failed.

In 1988, the building was damaged beyond repair in a major fire. The Village of Freeport settled a $3.5 million lawsuit with Gary Melius. The remaining structure was demolished in 2010. In 2012, Nassau County purchased the land for $6.22 million. The site, which is south of the Brookside Preserve, is landmarked and cannot be developed.