An Historical Tiny Town

BY CHRISTY HINKO chinko@antonmediagroup.com

Tucked neatly approximately five blocks off Camp Avenue in North Merrick, on Central Avenue, are the remnants of “Tiny Town,” once a Methodist church campground in the mid-1800s.

In the 1860s Methodist churchgoers from around the state congregated in Merrick each year. The campgrounds attracted about 300 worshipers, but it was noted that some of the meetings were attended by up to 10,000 Methodists during the annual summer revivals.

The circular streets of Fletcher and Asbury avenues were designed to host the church in the center of the campsite. In the earlier years, it was noted by some historians that the pie-shaped lots were tented and caravan campsites which eventually evolved into permanent little structured cottages.

Today, the area is known as “Tiny Town,” although very few of the original tiny homes remain. Old timers simply call it “the campgrounds.”

The handful of remaining tiny cottages are quaint and charming and are merely feet from the street’s edge, but blink and you are sure to miss these pint-sized treasures.

The streets are terribly narrow, not suitable for inconspicuous sightseeing. You are better off parking on one of the outer circles and taking a respectable stroll through to truly appreciate the historic value and character of these once-religious celebratory grounds.