Huntington, New York
The Town of Huntington is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York, USA. Founded in 1653, it is located on the north shore of Long Island in northwestern Suffolk County, with Long Island Sound to its north and Nassau County adjacent to the west. Huntington is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town population was 195,289.
History
On April 2, 1653, Richard Holbrook, Robert Williams and Daniel Whitehead, all of Oyster Bay, bought from Raseokan, Sachem of the Matinecock tribe, a parcel of land that is now known as 'the First Purchase.' The Oyster Bay men immediately turned the land over to a group of white men who had already settled within its boundaries. This first purchase was bordered on the west by Cold Spring Harbor, on the east by Northport Harbor, on the south by what is now known as Old Country Road and on the north by Long Island Sound. As time went on, other land was purchased from the Indians, gradually extending the limits of the town from Long Island Sound on the north to Great South Bay on the south, and from Oyster Bay on the west to Smithtown and Islip on the east. In 1872, part of the town was removed to form the Town of Babylon.Most of the early settlers were English people who came to Huntington by way of Massachusetts and Connecticut. As a result, they felt more of a kinship with New England than with their Dutch neighbors to the west in New Amsterdam. The town in fact voted in 1660 to place itself under the jurisdiction of Connecticut to gain some protection from the Dutch. Following the custom of New England, the earliest form of government in Huntington was the Town Meeting. Called as the need arose, free men of the town gathered to distribute town-held land, resolve disputes, regulate the pasturing of cattle on town land, engage schoolmasters, appoint someone to keep the ordinary (public house) and maintain the roads, as well as resolve any other matters that concerned the town as a whole. For example, the people of Huntington showed their interest in education very soon after the founding of the town. The Town Meeting voted on February 11, 1657 to hire Jonas Houldsworth as the first schoolmaster. In 1660 the town voted to build a schoolhouse.When in 1664 the Duke of York became proprietor of the area formerly known as New Netherland, he (in the person of Governor Richard Nicolls) informed Connecticut that by virtue of his royal patent they no longer had any claim to any territory on Long Island. Governor Nicolls summoned representatives of each town on Long Island to meet in Hempstead early in 1665. The representatives were required to bring with them evidence of title to their land and to receive new grants affirming that title. The Hempstead Convention also adopted 'The Duke's Laws' which regulated virtually every area of life. At this time, too, Long Island, Staten Island and Westchester were formed into an entity called 'Yorkshire,' which was divided into three parts, or 'ridings,' as land was divided in England. What is now Suffolk County, including Huntington, became part of the East Riding. With some modifications, including the abolition of 'Yorkshire' and 'ridings' this was the form that the government of New York retained until the Revolution. Huntington was incorporated by patent on November 30, 1666. This patent was renewed by Governor Thomas Dongan on August 2, 1688 and again on October 4, 1694. In addition, the 1688 patent mandated the creation of 'Trustees' to manage and distribute town-owned land. The Trustees, like other town officials, were chosen at a Town Meeting. It also authorized the creation and use of a seal, which is still in use today.In the years between the first settlement of the town and the start of the American Revolution, Huntington became an established community. The earliest settlers clustered near what became known as the 'town spot', the site of the present Village Green. As the town prospered and grew, people moved to fill the outlying areas. In addition to the many farms that were established in remote as well as central portions of the town, the town included a school, a church, flour mills, saw mills, brickyards, tanneries, a town dock and a fort.Huntington's fine harbor made shipping an important part of the economy. The harbor was a busy place, with vessels traveling not only to and from other ports along the Sound but also as far as the West Indies. Ship making and related nautical businesses prospered, since water was for many years by far the most efficient way to transport both goods and people. In the first half of the nineteenth century, Cold Spring Harbor was a busy whaling port, second on Long Island only to Sag Harbor.In June 1774 Huntington adopted a 'Declaration of Rights' affirming 'that every freemans property is absolutely his own' and that taxation without representation is a violation of the rights of British subjects. The Declaration of Rights also called for the colonies to unite in a refusal to do business with Great Britain. Two years later, news of the Declaration of Independence was received with great enthusiasm in Huntington, but the euphoria was short-lived. Following the defeat of the rebel forces at the Battle of Long Island on August 27, 1776 Long Island was occupied by the British Army. Residents were required to take oaths of allegiance to the Crown. If a man refused to take the oath, he and his family could be turned off their property, losing everything. In 1782 the occupying army established an encampment in Huntington's Old Burying Ground, razing tombstones to clear the site. Not surprisingly, many townspeople resisted, waging guerilla warfare until the war was over and the British left in 1783.Nathan Hale landed at Huntington in 1776, coming by boat from Norwalk, Connecticut on a spying mission for George Washington. Sent to gather information about the British forces on Long Island and in New York City, he was captured and executed in New York City in September 1776. A memorial stands in Halesite, the area named in his honor by a late nineteenth century real estate developer.Huntington was formally recognized as a town on March 7, 1788, at which time Eatons Neck and Crab Meadow were annexed.Slavery existed in Huntington until the beginning of the nineteenth century. Farmers relied on slave labor for help in the fields and it was a mark of status to have black slaves as domestic servants, but rarely did a person own more than a few slaves. For example, according to a 1755 census, there were 81 slaves belonging to 35 families in Huntington. Unlike the South, the economy was not heavily dependent on slave labor. The New York State Legislature passed an act in 1799 allowing for the gradual abolition of slavery.The War of 1812 did not touch Huntington as had the Revolution, but the town was prepared. 'On one occasion a corps of 200 militiamen marched from Huntington to Lloyd's Neck on the circulation of a report [untrue] that the British were there effecting a landing in force.' In November 1814 the Town Meeting voted that $207.86 be paid by the town for costs incurred in preparing its defense.Huntington's best-known resident, Walt Whitman, was born in South Huntington in 1819. His family moved to Brooklyn when he was a child but he returned to Long Island as a young man. At the age of 19 Walt Whitman founded The Long-Islander, a Huntington newspaper. The paper is still published every week, although it's now owned by Long Islander News.The railroad was extended from Syosset to Northport in 1867. The arrival of the railroad in Huntington presaged the decline of the maritime economy, although shipping was important until approximately the turn of the twentieth century. Since shipping had long been an important part of the life and economy of Huntington, the town had not been unconnected to the rest of the world. With the increased accessibility of Long Island due to steamboats, trains and later automobiles, Huntington became physically less isolated. Residents of New York City were able to easily visit Huntington, as had not been possible in earlier days. Cold Spring Harbor became a popular summer resort.When World War II ended in 1945 the population of Huntington, like that of Long Island as a whole, exploded. After almost 200 years of gradual growth, the population of the town mushroomed. Huntington had approximately 32,000 residents in 1940. By 1960 there were 126,000 inhabitants. By the 1980s the population had gone over the 200,000 mark. With the enormous growth of the town its rural landscape changed. Farms and vacant land disappeared, replaced by housing, schools, highways, recreational facilities and new and expanding business and industry.Huntington was named an All-America City in 2002 by the National Civic League. It was also a finalist in 2001.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 137.1 square miles (355.1 km²), of which, 94.0 square miles (243.4 km²) of it is land and 43.2 square miles (111.8 km²) of it (31.47%) is water.The west town line is the border of Nassau County, and the north town line, delineated by Long Island Sound, is the border of Connecticut. Also, the two other town lines include the east town line which is the border of Smithtown and the south town line which is the border of Babylon.Between the 1990 census and the 2000 census, the town lost some territory to the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 195,289 people, 65,917 households, and 52,338 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,078.4 people per square mile (802.5/km²). There were 67,708 housing units at an average density of 720.6/sq mi (278.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 88.31% White, 4.22% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 3.50% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.27% from other races, and 1.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.58% of the population.There were 65,917 households out of which 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.4% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.6% were non-families. 16.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.26.In the town the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males.According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the town was $102,865, and the median income for a family was $113,119. Males had a median income of $61,748 versus $40,825 for females. The per capita income for the town was $36,390. About 2.9% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.1% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.
Government and politics
The town government consists of a town council with four members, all of whom are elected at large. The town supervisor is elected by the entire town. Other elected positions are the Town Clerk, Highway Superintendent, and Receiver of Taxes. A referendum to move to a ward district system on 22 December 2009 failed 81% to 18%.
Economy
Sbarro's headquarters are located in Melville in the Town of Huntington.Around 2002, Swiss International Air Lines's North American headquarters moved from Melville to Uniondale, Town of Hempstead. The facility, the former Swissair North American headquarter site, was completed in 1995. Swissair intended to own, instead of lease, its headquarters site. It enlisted architect Richard Meier to design the Melville facility.In 1997, Aer Lingus announced that it was moving its North American headquarters from Manhattan to Melville; James Lyndon, a spokesperson for the airline, said that the company moved to Long Island in an effort to reduce costs, as leasing costs are lower in Long Island than in Manhattan. The move would transfer 75 employees, including administrative personnel, marketing personnel, sales personnel, and telephone reservation agents. The airline planned to move on June 15, 1997. The airline had also considered sites in Boston and in Westchester, New York.
Top employers
According to Huntington's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the town are:
Education
There are a number of notable schools in Huntington.
Cold Spring Harbor Central School District
Cold Spring Harbor Jr./Sr. High School
Commack School District
Commack High School
Elwood Union Free School District
Harley Avenue Primary School
James H. Boyd Intermediate School
Elwood Middle School
John Glenn High School
Half Hollow Hills Central School District
Half Hollow Hills High School East
Harborfields Central School District
Harborfields High School
Huntington Union Free School District
Huntington High School
Northport-East Northport Union Free School District
Northport High School
South Huntington Union Free School District
Walt Whitman High School
Local media
Several weekly newspapers cover local news exclusively, most notably The Long-Islander, since 1838. Online, Patch, (An AOL Company), is the leading source for hyper-local news on the issues, people and events in Huntington. 105 local community Patches exist Nationally, with 20 currently on Long Island. Launched in 2009, Patch employs over 500 full time editors, marketing/sales, engineering, administrative and other executive positions and is slated to reach 350 Patches in local communities nationwide and 1,000 employees by the end of 2010. www.huntington.patch.com
In popular culture
Huntington is the town in which the American sitcom Growing Pains supposedly takes place. However, Robin Hood Lane, the street address of the Seaver family's home, is fictional. The show's creator, Neal Marlens, grew up in Huntington.
Notable residents
Jason Alexander,Actor
Wendy Andreiev(Wendy Wild) - Lead vocalist in the 1980s for several New York–based bands.
Al Arbourlived in Cold Spring Harbor during his coaching career with the New York Islanders. He moved in 1999, some years after his retirement
Ian Matthias Bavitz(Aesop Rock) -Hip-Hop, Rapartist.
Brian Bloom, actor who previously lived in Dix Hills.
Bob Bourne, former New York Islanders hockey player
Stephen Bowen, Dallas Cowboys defensive end, lived in Dix Hills through high school
Christie Brinkley- Model
Brendan B. Brown- Lead vocalist for the bandWheatus.
Edwin G. Burrows- Won 1999Pulitzer Prize for Historyfor the bookGotham: A History of New York City to 1898.
Greg Buttle- FormerNFLfootballplayer for theNew York Jets.
Peter Calandra- Broadway, movie, and televisionpianist/composer.
Mariah Carey-singer, born and raised in an isolated suburban neighborhood.
John Coltrane, famous jazz musician lived in Dix Hills during the last years of his life.
Gerry Cooney, former heavyweight boxer.
Bob Costas, Sportscaster
Anthony Cumia, co-host ofXM Satellite Radioprogram 'The Opie and Anthony Show'
Marlene Dietrich-actressandsinger
James L. Dolan,CablevisionCEO, graduated in 1974 from Cold Spring Harbor High School.
Arthur Dove,artist
Stephen Dunne, professionalWorld of Warcraftplayer
Adam Ebbin,Virginia House of Delegatesmember
Edie Falco- Broadway, movie, and television actress best known for her role asCarmela SopranoonThe Sopranos.
Alison Fanelli- Actress who is best known for the role on the television seriesThe Adventures of Pete & Pete
Greg Fox- Nationally syndicatedcomic stripartist/writer (His comicKyle's Bed & Breakfasttakes place in Northport.)
Courtney Galiano, contestant on So You Think You Can Dance
Andrew Geller- Renownedarchitect.
Adam Gertler, Food Network chef
Clark Gillies, former New York Islanders hockey player
Jackie Gleason- comedian who spent many summers in Huntington.
Rube Goldberg-cartoonist
Leroy Grumman
Tom Gugliotta, formerNBAplayer.
Julie Halston, Actress and comedienne
Jupiter Hammon
Sean Hannity- Talk Show and Fox News Host
Pete Harnisch, Major League Pitcher
Mel Harris, actress
Joseph Jeffrey Hazelwood, the ship's master of theExxon Valdezat the time of theExxon Valdez oil spillin the Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 24, 1989.
Elizabeth Hendrickson- Television actress best known for her role as twin sisters Frankie and Maggie Stone onAll My Children.
Ron Hextall, former NHL goalie
Gregg (Opie) Hughes
'Cousin' Sal Iacono, comedian and writer
Amy Ignatow, author and illustrator,The Popularity Papers.
Steve Israel,U.S. Representative(D-N.Y.).
Curtis Jacksonaka,50 cent
Billy Joel- Singer
Angelina Jolie- Actress
Darius Kasparaitis- FormerNHLice hockeyplayer for the New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, Colorado Avalanche and the New York Rangers.
Ricky Kasso- Murderer
Jack Kerouac-Novelistand writer commonly credited as the catalyst for the 1960scounterculturemovement.
Pat LaFontaine- Professional Hockey Player
Fiorello Laguardia
John Lennonowned a house inLaurel Hollow, where he frequently spent time from the late 1970s until hisassassinationin 1980.
Charles Lindbergh- Aviator
Lindsay Lohanspent a portion of her childhood and teen years in Cold Spring Harbor. She attendedCold Spring Harbor High Schooluntil her Sophomore year of high school.
Mark LoMonaco, wrestler who grew up in Dix Hills.
Patti Lupone-Tony Award-winningbroadwayand television actress, best known for her role asEva PeroninEvita.
John Macaluso, Drummer
Ralph Macchio, actor (The Karate Kid), raised in Dix Hills
Ashley Massaro, FormerWorld Wrestling Entertainment(WWE) Diva
Eddie McGee,Big Brotherwinner
Chris Messina- Television actor, best known for his roll asTed FairwellonSix Feet Under
Dina Meyer, actress
Dan Milano- Television writer and voice actor best known as the co-creator of the showGreg the Bunny.
Paul Steven Miller, Commissioner, USEqual Employment Opportunity Commission(1994–2004), Henry M. Jackson Professor of Law at theUniversity of Washington School of Law(2004–present),Special Assistantto President Obama (2009)
Bruce Morrison- Former United States Congressman from Connecticut. He grew up in Northport and attended Northport High School.
Jim Neu(1943–2010), playwright.
Daniel O'Donnell,New York State Assemblymember
Rosie O'Donnell- Former talk show host and GLBT rights activist
Eugene O'Neill-playwright, in 1931
Steve Park,NASCARdriver
Mary Pickford,Actress
Brad Pitt- Actor
Gretchen Rau-Academy Award-winningmotion pictureset decorator.
Sarah Reinertsen, leg amputee and athlete who set many world records
Sean Ryan, Native American Tribe Leader
Alia Sabur- Youngest professor in history.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry-authorofThe Little Prince, written atDelamater-Bevin Mansionin Asharoken in 1942
John Scurti- Television actor best known for his role as Kenny Shea onRescue Me
Dee Snyder, front man for rock band,Twisted Sister
David Spergel, theoretical astrophysicist andMacArthur Fellow; presently a professor atPrinceton Universityknown for his work on theWMAPmission and chair of the Astrophysics Subcommittee of theNASA Advisory Council
Ruth Ann Swenson, Opera singer
Craig Ricci Shaynak- Televisioncharacter actor
Henry L. Stimson, Secretary of State underHerbert Hoover, Secretary of War underWilliam Howard Taftand again forFranklin D. RooseveltthroughoutWorld War II
Wally Szczerbiak,NBAbasketball player for theCleveland Cavaliers, attended Cold Spring Harbor High School.
Evan Thomas, journalist, editor and author, grew up in Cold Spring Harbor.
Randall Tolson, a craftsman and clockmaker, known for a series of highly collectible memorial clocks, lived in Cold Spring Harbor until he died in 1954.
Ryan Vesce, Player for theSan Jose Sharksin theNHL, grew up inLloyd Harbor, adjacent to Cold Spring Harbor, and attended Cold Spring Harbor High School
Wesley Walker, former Jets wide receiver
James D. Watson,Nobel Prizewinner, co-discoverer of the structure ofDNA, and former Chancellor of theCold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Jim Wetherbee(born 1952), astronaut.
Meg Whitman, CEO ofeBayand 2010 California gubernatorial candidate, grew up inLloyd Harbor, adjacent to Cold Spring Harbor, and attended Cold Spring Harbor High School, graduating in 1973.
Walt Whitman-poet
Judd Winick, writer/artist fromMTV'sThe Real World (San Francisco)(former)
Villages (incorporated)
Asharoken
Huntington Bay
Lloyd Harbor
Northport
Hamlets (unincorporated)
Centerport
Cold Spring Harbor
Commack(partly)
Dix Hills
East Northport
Eatons Neck
Elwood(CDP only)
Fort Salonga(partly)
Greenlawn
Halesite
Huntington Station
Huntington
Melville
South Huntington
West Hills