Brentwood has always had a railroad station, but at one time it also almost had a trolley. There was great hope for a trolley line linking Brentwood with (depending on who you spoke to) Bay Shore, Babylon or Nassau County. It was to run along Motor Parkway.

 The idea first originated around 1892, but that amounted to nothing more than talk. There were no efforts to raise money or secure a trolley franchise. Then, in 1894, Archibald Martin, manager of New York’s Electric Construction Company, became interested. He enlisted the help of Brentwood’s Judge George B. Studley. They formed a company with an initial investment of $1,000,000 and then applied to the Highway Commissioners of the Towns Of Islip and Babylon who agreed to take the matter into consideration.

Martin and Studley were quite successful in getting support for the trolley in Brentwood. Residents realized that it would mean easier travel to and from nearby towns, Nassau County and New York City. They also knew this would mean more customers for local businesses. Plans were made for work to begin in January 1895,with the goal of completing it in two years. But there was opposition to the trolley in Bay Shore, mostly because of its planned route through Union Avenue. However, on April 26,1895,the Suffolk County News reported: “There will probably be a compromise, and it is likely that the trolley will run as short distance above and parallel to the railroad to Lawrence’s line, then to the bay and west to Babylon”. On May 3,the News reported that “the Board, with unanimous accord, granted the Brentwood Trolley Company the franchise”. But despite all the enthusiasm, there is on evidence to indicate that the trolley was never actually built. It apparently remained just a pipe dream.

-N. Ziino. History Newsletter September 2009