Oyster Bay, New York
Town
Town of Oyster Bay
Oyster Bay Town Hall in 2016.
Oyster Bay Town Hall in 2016.
Flag of Oyster Bay, New York
Flag
Official seal of Oyster Bay, New York
Seal
Nickname: 
TOBAY
Location in the state of New York and Nassau County.
Location in the state of New York and Nassau County.
Coordinates: 40°45′34″N 73°30′10″W / 40.75944°N 73.50278°W / 40.75944; -73.50278
Country United States
State New York
CountyNassau
First settled1653 (1653)
Incorporated as a town1687 (1687)
Government
 • TypeTown Council
 • Town SupervisorJoseph S. Saladino (R)
 • Town Council
Members' List
Area
[1]
 • Total169.40 sq mi (438.73 km2)
 • Land103.74 sq mi (268.69 km2)
 • Water65.65 sq mi (170.04 km2)  38.75%
Elevation
180 ft (55 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total301,332
 • Density1,800/sq mi (690/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Area codes516, 363
FIPS code36-56000
GNIS feature ID0979336
Websitewww.oysterbaytown.com

The Town of Oyster Bay is the easternmost of the three towns that make up Nassau County, New York, United States. Part of the New York metropolitan area, it is the only town in Nassau County to extend from the North Shore to the South Shore of Long Island. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 301,332, Making it the 5th most populous city or town in the state.

There are 18 villages and 18 hamlets within the town of Oyster Bay. The U.S. Postal Service has organized these 36 places into 30 five-digit ZIP Codes, served by 20 post offices.[2] Each post office shares the name of one of the hamlets or villages, but their boundaries are usually not coterminous.

Oyster Bay is also the name of a hamlet on the North Shore, within the town of Oyster Bay. Near this hamlet, in the village of Cove Neck, is Sagamore Hill, the former residence and summer White House of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and now a museum. At least six of the 36 villages and hamlets of the town have shores on Oyster Bay Harbor, an inlet of Long Island Sound, and many of these at one time or another have also been referred to as being part of the hamlet of Oyster Bay.[3]

History

George Bradford Brainerd (American, 1845–1887). Camp Fire, Oyster Bay, Long Island, ca. 1872–1887. Collodion silver glass wet plate negative. Brooklyn Museum

Succeeding cultures of indigenous peoples had lived in the area for thousands of years. At the time of European contact, the Lenape (Delaware) nation inhabited western Long Island. By 1600 the band inhabiting the local area was called the Matinecock after their location, but they were Lenape people.

Following European colonization, the area became part of the colony of New Netherland. In 1639, the Dutch West India Company made its first purchase of land on Long Island from the local Native Americans. The English also had colonies on Long Island at this time. The Dutch did not dispute English claims to what is now Suffolk County, but when settlers from New England arrived in (present-day) Oyster Bay in 1640, they were soon arrested as part of a boundary dispute. In 1643, Englishmen purchased land in the present-day town of Hempstead from the Indians that included land purchased by the Dutch in 1639. Nevertheless, in 1644, the Dutch director granted a patent for Hempstead to the English.

The Dutch also granted other English settlements in Flushing, Newtown, and Jamaica. In 1650, the Treaty of Hartford established a boundary between Dutch and English claims at "Oysterbay", by which the Dutch meant present-day Cold Spring Harbor (to the east) and the English meant all of the water connected to present-day Oyster Bay Harbor. Meanwhile, the government of England came under the control of Oliver Cromwell as a republic, and smugglers took advantage of the unresolved border dispute. In 1653, English settlers made their first purchase of land in Oyster Bay from the local Matinecock tribe, though there were already some rogue English settlements there. For this purchase, the English settlers paid to the Native American Moheness (aka Assiapum), "six kettles, six fathoms of wampum, six hoes, six hatchets, three pairs of stockings, thirty awl-blades or muxes, twenty knives, three shirts and as much Peague as will amount to four pounds sterling."[4] The monarchy was restored in England in 1660, and in 1664 King Charles gave Long Island (and much else) to his brother James, leading to the Dutch relinquishing control of all of New Amsterdam.

In 1667 the settlement at Oyster Bay received its charter from the new English colony of New York, becoming the Township of Oyster Bay. By 1687, the last piece of land was sold by the Indians, and few remained by 1709.[5]

During most of the American Revolution the town was under the control of British forces.

The town was originally part of Queens County, until the western portion of that county was amalgamated into New York City in 1898 and Nassau County was created in 1899. In 1918, Glen Cove, to the west, incorporated as a city and formed a governing system separate from the town. Following World War II, housing replaced farmland as the population grew from about 40,000 in 1950 to more than 290,000 in 1990.[5][6]

Oyster Bay is home to the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, one of the oldest yacht clubs in the Western Hemisphere, which opened in 1871.[7] There are 40 buildings and sites presently named Town of Oyster Bay Landmarks.

Geography

Aerial view from a plane after taking off from LaGuardia of Mill Neck Creek and Oyster Bay on the North Shore of Long Island.

The town of Oyster Bay extends from Long Island Sound in the north, south to the waters of South Oyster Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered by the town of North Hempstead on the northwest and the town of Hempstead on the southwest. It is the easternmost of the three towns of Nassau County, with Suffolk County immediately to the east.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 169.5 square miles (439 km2), of which 104.4 square miles (270 km2) is land and 65.1 square miles (169 km2), or 38.42%, is water. As with most of Long Island, the north shore is hilly, the south shore has sandy beaches, and the area between is a plain.

Between the 1990 Census and the 2000 census, the town exchanged territory with the towns of Hempstead (Nassau County) and Babylon (Suffolk County). It also gained territory from the town of Huntington in Suffolk County.[8]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
17904,097—
18004,54811.0%
18104,7253.9%
18305,193—
18405,86512.9%
18506,90017.6%
18609,16832.9%
187010,59515.6%
188011,92312.5%
189013,87016.3%
190016,33417.8%
191021,80233.5%
192020,296−6.9%
193036,86981.7%
194042,59415.5%
195066,93057.1%
1960290,055333.4%
1970333,34214.9%
1980305,750−8.3%
1990292,657−4.3%
2000295,1640.9%
2010293,214−0.7%
2020301,3322.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]

The 2019 American Community Survey determined the population was 293,576, estimating a 1.6% increase from the 2010 United States census.[10] The racial and ethnic makeup of Oyster Bay was 75.5% non-Hispanic white, 2.3% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian or Alaska Native, 12.5% Asian, 2.0% from two or more races, and 8.1% Hispanic or Latin American of any race.

As of the 2010 census[11] the population was 85% White (80% Non-Hispanic White), 2.3% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 9.1% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 1.9% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.5% of the population.

As of the census[12] of 2000, there were 293,925 people, 99,355 households, and 80,278 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,816.2 inhabitants per square mile (1,087.3/km2). There were 101,076 housing units at an average density of 968.4 per square mile (373.9/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 90.83% White, 1.64% Black or African American, 0.07% Native American, 4.85% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.36% from other races, and 1.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.06% of the population.

There were 99,355 households, out of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.9% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.2% were non-families. 16.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.5% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.

According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the town was $99,873, and the median income for a family was $115,095.[13] Males had a median income of $60,726 versus $39,420 for females. The per capita income for the town was $35,895. About 2.0% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

King Kullen, a supermarket chain, is based in Bethpage. Aer Lingus operates its United States office in Oyster Bay, centered on the hamlet of Jericho.[14][15][16] Cablevision Systems, a major cable company in the tri-state area has its corporate headquarters in Bethpage, New York,[17] as well as a satellite office in Jericho, New York that contains its medium to large business solutions division, Lightpath.[18] Acclaim Entertainment was originally located in the hamlet of Oyster Bay.[19] It originally occupied a one-room office in Oyster Bay. At a later time it occupied a brick structure with two stories.[20] In 1994 Acclaim bought a headquarters building in Glen Cove.[21]

Education

Both the State University of New York at Old Westbury and New York Institute of Technology or NYIT (and its affiliated New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine) are located in Old Westbury. LIU Post, the largest campus of the private Long Island University system, is located in Brookville.

Government

The Town of Oyster Bay has a government comprising a town supervisor and a town council consisting of six members. Council members are elected on a town-wide basis, and there are no election districts within the town. Two other elected positions are town clerk and receiver of taxes. At one point, the town had its own police force, but it no longer does.[22]

In New York, a town is a major division within a county. Larger towns may contain a number of named incorporated villages that provides numerous local services to the village residents. Towns may contain named unincorporated hamlets, governed and administered by the town council.

Villages (incorporated)

The Town of Oyster Bay contains all or part of 20 incorporated villages:[23][24]

  1. Amityville (partial)
  2. Bayville (1919)
  3. Brookville (1931)
  4. Centre Island (1926)
  5. Cove Neck (1927)
  6. East Hills (1931) (mostly in North Hempstead)
  7. Farmingdale (1904)
  8. Lattingtown (1931)
  9. Laurel Hollow (1926)
  10. Massapequa Park (1931)
  11. Matinecock (1928)
  12. Mill Neck (1925)
  13. Muttontown (1931)
  14. Old Brookville (1929)
  15. Old Westbury (1924) (partial, with North Hempstead)
  16. Oyster Bay Cove (1931)[25]
  17. Roslyn Harbor (1931) (mostly in North Hempstead)
  18. Sea Cliff (1883)[a 1]
  19. Upper Brookville (1932)[26]
  20. Westbury (partial)

Hamlets (unincorporated)

The town of Oyster Bay also contains all or part of 17 unincorporated hamlets:[27]

  1. Bethpage
  2. East Norwich
  3. Glen Head
  4. Glenwood Landing (portion in North Hempstead)
  5. Greenvale (mostly in North Hempstead)
  6. Hicksville
  7. Jericho
  8. Locust Valley
  9. Massapequa
  10. North Massapequa[a 2]
  11. Old Bethpage
  12. Oyster Bay
  13. Plainview
  14. Seaford (mostly in Hempstead)
  15. South Farmingdale
  16. Syosset
  17. Woodbury

There are also a few areas that are not part of any incorporated village or census-designated place:

  • A small area between Bayville and Lattingtown that contains Stehli Town Beach and a housing subdivision
  • A small area between Old Westbury and Jericho that contains an undeveloped part of the SUNY Old Westbury campus
  • Jones Beach Island and nearby uninhabited islands in South Oyster Bay

Notes:

  1. ↑ Sea Cliff: a small portion within the town of Oyster Bay that is not part of this village has the same ZIP code as the village.
  2. ↑ A small portion of Massapequa has the same ZIP code as Seaford, which is in the town of Hempstead.

Transportation

Rail lines

The Long Island Rail Road's Oyster Bay Branch serves the town's vicinity from Glen Head to Oyster Bay. The Main Line runs through the center of the town from with stations in Hicksville, and Bethpage. The Port Jefferson Branch begins at Hicksville, and goes through Hicksville and Syosset. Rail freight service also exists along the Central Branch which begins in Bethpage. Further south in the town, the Babylon Branch runs from Seaford to the Suffolk County Line with stations in Massapequa and Massapequa Park.

Bus service

The Town of Oyster Bay is served primarily by Nassau Inter-County Express bus routes, though some routes from Suffolk County Transit also enter the town from the county line.

Major roads

Notable people

References

  1. ↑ "2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 24, 2017. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Nassau County ZIP codes". Archived from the original on November 23, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Town Of Oysterbay". Rootsweb.com. Archived from the original on February 25, 2008. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  4. ↑ Robertson, P.B. (1975). Profiles of the Original Proprietors of the Town of Oyster Bay Long Island 1653 (Manuscript). p. 4.
  5. 1 2 Hammond, John E. (September 2, 2003). "The Early Settlement of Oyster Bay". The Oyster Bay Historical Society. Archived from the original on April 20, 2010. (PDF Archived April 20, 2010, at the Wayback Machine)
  6. ↑ "Oyster Bay Town History". The Oyster Bay Historical Society. Archived from the original on June 22, 2010. Retrieved April 22, 2012.
  7. ↑ "About the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club," Archived 2012-11-18 at the Wayback Machine Official site. Accessed Mar. 26, 2013.
  8. ↑ "New York: 2000 Population and Housing Unit Counts" (PDF). September 2003. p. III-9. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 16, 2010. Retrieved December 22, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  10. ↑ "2019 U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Oyster Bay town, Nassau County, New York". www.census.gov. Archived from the original on October 1, 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  11. ↑ Bureau, U.S. Census. "American FactFinder - Results". factfinder2.census.gov. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  12. ↑ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  13. ↑ "American FactFinder". Factfinder.census.gov. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Contact Us." Aer Lingus. Retrieved 2009-05-25.
  15. ↑ "Jericho CDP, New York." United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2009-05-25.
  16. ↑ "Oyster Bay town, New York." United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2009-05-25.
  17. ↑ "Investor and Stock Information Archived 2015-02-13 at the Wayback Machine." Cablevision. Retrieved 2014-08-06.
  18. ↑ "Metro Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet Solutions in New York (NY), New Jersey (NJ), and Connecticut (CT) - Optimum Lightpath - Lightpath Archived August 8, 2014, at the Wayback Machine." Lightpath. Retrieved 2014-08-06.
  19. ↑ Standard and Poor's Register of Corporations, Directors and Executives, Volume 1. Standard & Poor's, 1995. Page listing Acclaim Archived October 1, 2023, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved from Google Books 2010-07-08. "ACCLAIM ENTERTAINMENT INC. (See Corporate Information Section) 71 Audrey Ave., Oyster Bay, NY 11771"
  20. ↑ Pederson, James P. International Directory of Company Histories, Volume 24. St. James Press, 1998. Approx. Pages 3-7-ish Archived October 1, 2023, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved from Google Books 2010-07-08. ISBN 1-55862-365-5, ISBN 978-1-55862-365-1 "Acclaim went from a shoestring budget and one-room office in Oyster Bay, to a two-story brick structure,"
  21. ↑ "Acclaim buys Glen Cove site Archived 2012-06-30 at archive.today." Real Estate Weekly. July 20, 1994. Retrieved 2010-07-08.
  22. ↑ "Town of Oyster Bay Police Department, NY". Archived from the original on February 6, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Incorporated Villages in the Town of Oyster Bay". Town of Oyster Bay. Archived from the original on November 2, 2019. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  24. ↑ "Long Island Index: Interactive Map". www.longislandindexmaps.org. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  25. ↑ "Welcome to the Village of Oyster Bay Cove". Archived from the original on March 30, 2010.
  26. ↑ "List of Nassau County Villages, with Links to more Village Information". Nassau County Village Officials Association. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
  27. ↑ "Unincorporated Areas in the Town of Oyster Bay". Town of Oyster Bay. Archived from the original on November 2, 2019. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  28. ↑ Walton, E. P. (1873). Records of the Governor and Council of the State of Vermont. Vol. I. Montpelier, VT: J. and J. M. Poland. pp. 518–519.
  29. ↑ "(236129) Oysterbay". Minor Planet Center. Archived from the original on March 9, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  30. ↑ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Archived from the original on April 26, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
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