Malverne street gets new name Thursday, replacing sign named after KKK leader

The Village of Malverne will be unveiling a new name for a downtown street Thursday that, for the past century, has carried one from a village founder and leader of the Ku Klux Klan.

The Malverne Village Board unanimously voted in September to rename Lindner Place as Acorn Way, with the sign-changing ceremony taking place Thursday.

The street had been originally named for Paul Lindner, a village founder who was also known as a grand cyclops for the KKK. The street runs past the Malverne Library and the Maurice W. Downing Primary School, formerly known as Lindner Elementary, and one of the first schools integrated in New York to accept Black students.

A group of community members and Malverne High School students led the petition for the village to rename the street after exposing Lindner’s history of cross burnings and KKK rallies on Long Island and Queens. Lindner sold his farm land to develop downtown Malverne, founded in 1921, and also served on the Malverne school board.

Malverne Mayor Keith Corbett said the village will add a plaque to commemorate the name change and its historical context.

“I think it’s an amazing testament to our high school student and residents who raised facts came together and united as the community we are today,” Corbett said. “This was a long time coming. We want to show how this came to be and not repeat past mistakes.”

Malverne Superintendent Lorna Lewis quoted Martin Luther King Jr. in ushering in the renaming, saying: “The time is always right to do what’s right.”

“I am thrilled this has finally come to fruition,” Lewis said. “After all these years that have allowed this name to stand, the community is doing what they’re supposed to be doing.”

The village voted to rename the street following research and a presentation about Lindner’s history. They also formed a renaming committee to settle on Acorn Way. Village officials said they had to order new signs and notify the U.S. Postal Service for routes and maps.

Lewis said the school has requested the old Lindner Place sign to hang in the elementary school’s library. She said high school art students are working on a children’s book to teach younger students about the renaming effort and the village history.

Some community members had accused the village of trying to erase history, but Lewis said it is important to preserve the past to remind people of what happened.

“I think it’s important for children to understand history and the struggles we’ve overcome through injustice,” Lewis said. “if you know your history, you can change the future.”

There are four remaining students from the group that first spoke to the village board last year, Lewis said. She said they will join Thursday’s ceremony to witness history.

“I’ve been in education for 40 years and there’s been no greater moment in my career,” Lewis said. “I’m so proud of these students. This is what public education is about — to pass on that passion for civic engagement. As they left us last year, these students identified this moment to make a difference in their lives.”

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.