A provisional charter was granted by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York on February 16, 1990 to the Central Park Historical Society.  The purpose of the Central Park Historical society is to promote and encourage historical research, to disseminate and encourage a greater knowledge and interest in the state of New York, particularly Bethpage and the surrounding area.  The Central Park Historical Society is in the process of gathering, preserving, displaying, and making available for study artifacts, relics, books, manuscripts, papers, photographs, and other records relating to Bethpage. The name Central Park was the name of our hamlet before 1936.  In 1936, with much festivity, the name was changed to Bethpage.