Hometown History (The Port Washington News)

Port Washington is more than just a beautiful waterfront enclave filled with historic homes, beaches, restaurants, shops, and award-winning schools. Port Washington has a rich and storied history dating back to colonial days. Although Port has certainly changed since the 1600’s, upon further exploration, it amazes me how much has really stayed the same. The history of Port Washington is not just a story from long ago but is still a part of our community in so many ways.

The area around Port Washington was first settled in the late 1600s. The Matinecock Indians, the original inhabitants of the land, sold it to a collection of eighteen English families from Connecticut in exchange for goods. Two of the more powerful families, the Sands and the Willets, are remembered today by the Sands-Willets House, a public museum, educational center and exhibition venue, that maintains their names. They originally named the area “Cow Neck”, after the cow pasture used by the original eighteen families. Today, Cow Neck Road runs through the old land, which is now Manorhaven, Soundview and Sands Point.

By the 1860’s, Port Washington, as it was renamed, served as a shell fishing area where steamboats could fish and use the town dock. However, Port was still a small community of residents. The population and landscape of Port Washington was completely changed by 1865 with the discovery that the shores of the peninsula were filled with a fine sand that could be used for producing concrete for the construction of buildings. Workers were recruited from several European communities to develop a sand-mining operation to produce concrete for city streets, sidewalks, and buildings in New York City. The Chrysler Building and Empire State Building are just two of the many skyscrapers that were built with the sand from Cow Bay Sand. With an increase in job opportunities, many of the sand-mining employees and their families decided to settle in Port Washington. This new community of residents needed resources and so buildings such as the Bayles Building were built. Although home to the Bayles Pharmacy in 1876 (now The Dolphin Bookshop), the building continues to be a center of residential and commercial space in town.

In 1898, the population of Port exploded with the creation of the Long Island Railroad, allowing those families with ample money to commute to New York City for work and live on large, waterfront estates. The town continued to grow in both size and culture, warranting a marine lifestyle of boating and fishing while also establishing a tight knit, diverse community.

Today, Port Washington is one of the most desirable suburbs of New York City. Although the population has grown substantially (around 33,000) and the town has evolved significantly since its founding, so much has stayed the same. Not only do we maintain the names of our founding families on many of the historical buildings, but our shorelines, beaches and richly diverse culture has been preserved. We continue to live the suburban marine lifestyle: we visit the town dock (1870s), dine at Louie’s Bar and Grill (1905), visit the Landmark/Port Washington High School (1908). Our community is still embodied by a multitude of ethnic and religious backgrounds. Port Washington continues to be so much more than just a town, it is our home. That day in September that we have come to know and love as Pride in Port is more than just a parade and a football game, it is the amazing feeling of community.