347 Henry Street

Living with the Nolans in Queens Village was a wartime compromise for our parents. In their letters, they frequently plan for a home of their own. Shortly after Dad came home from France in February 1946, Mom and Dad started house hunting on Long Island; housing was hard to find. Mom and Dad purchased 347 Henry Street, East Hempstead, in 1946 for $10,200. The Koch family moved into their new home March 3, 1947, a month after Richard was born. At that time Dad's income was $4800; their mortgage was $9200. The house was built in 1942. In 1950 the address was changed to 827 Henry Street. In 1953 East Hempstead became Uniondale.

The house had two bedrooms, a living room, a bathroom, and a small kitchen. There was an unfinished basement and attic; we had no garage. Everytime Mom was pregnant, the family would go househunting; we almost bought houses in Merrick and Roosevelt. Dad did not want to lengthen his communte, and we never found a house nearby that had a backyard so perfect for gardening, swimming pools, and baseball games.