History & Facts About East Hills NY

Acquisition Of Land

East Hills, New York, was formed on June 24, 1931, and had its first election on July 8, 1931. East Hills, however, has been a part of the United States' documented history since 1643, long before it was established. In that year, the Rev. Robert Fordham and John Carman traveled from Stamford, Connecticut, across Long Island Sound to acquire the Rockoway, Mericock, Marsappeaque, and Matinecock Indians' property, which is today known as the townships of Hempstead and North Hempstead.

The next year, settlers arrived and called the place Hempstead after their hometown of Hemel-Hempstead, England. Following that, the place was mostly forgotten for the next century.

A Few Historic Sites

Although George Washington did not stay in East Hills, his journal mentions an Oyster Bay visit and breakfast at what is now known as the George Washington Manor on Old Northern Boulevard in Roslyn. We also know that President Washington visited the paper factory in Roslyn Park, and it's not hard to imagine the Father of Our Country riding, or walking, the 100 yards to what was to become East Hills.

Harbor Hill Road in East Hills NY may be the only man-made object in the neighborhood that has been around for longer than any other. Records going back to 1661 refer to "a route alongside Harboure Hill."

For many years, a few rich family inhabited much of what is now East Hills. A polo field previously stood on the site of what is now Fairfield Park. Beginning in 1898, the Clarence Mackay family resided in the Country Estates area for 30 years. In 1924, the Mackay estate hosted the Prince of Wales, who eventually abdicated the English throne to marry Mrs. Simpson. After his historic solo flight to France in 1927, Charles A. Lindberg stopped by the Mackay estate for a respite.

 

The Administration

Representatives from the village's 269 residents convened in the house of Robert H. Willets, whose family had resided in the region for eight generations, on June 24, 1931. Stephen Taber, one of Roslyn's early big names, lived in the house where the Willets family lived in 1839. The house may still be seen at 50 Andover Road, at the entrance to the Norgate community, off the Long Island Expressway's South Service Road. H. Stewart McKnight, the Nassau County Attorney at the time, suggested the name "East Hills," which was chosen.

Mr. Willets was chosen Mayor two weeks after the incorporation in a barn on the Mackay estate. Trustees were elected by John Mackay, Ellen A. Hennessy, Stephen Willets, and Catherine Hechler. Mrs. Heckler's husband, Charles Hechler, was elected to the position of Village Clerk.

Mayor Robert Willets held the position until 1945, when he retired. He was followed by William W. Murray, Jr., who served until 1952 when he resigned due to illness. Following that, Mayor Raymond E. Dolar served until 1966, when he moved to Florida. In 1967, he was succeeded by William R. Fleischer, who became the city's fourth mayor.

Village Life In The Past & Present

The land area of East Hills was 98 percent agricultural and estate holdings when it was formed in 1931, with 65 dwellings making up the remaining 2%. Today, the ratio has flipped, with dwellings occupying 98 percent of the land area and fewer than 2% remaining undeveloped. Today, East Hills has roughly 2,300 residents and a population of about 7,200.

That, in a nutshell, is the history of East Hills, from tribal holdings through enormous acreages for the rich few, to today's pleasant living for many.