History - The Village of Baxter Estates

Village of Baxter Estates History

In the posts below, explore the captivating history of Baxter Estates, nestled in the Port Washington Peninsula and dating back to the 1600’s. This area has a rich history that has been preserved by its residents, employees, and dedicated local volunteers. With over 90 years of incorporation, Baxter Estates stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of its community. For a deeper dive into the peninsula’s history, the Cow Bay Historical Society offers a wealth of detailed resources on their informative website.

Join us in preserving the rich tapestry of Baxter Estates’ history! Whether you possess treasured artifacts, captivating anecdotes, or invaluable memories passed down through generations, your contribution adds depth to our community’s narrative. Share your insights, photos, or artifacts with us today, and together, let’s ensure that the legacy of Baxter Estates continues to thrive for generations to come. Click here to get in touch!

Lower Main Street History

After the Long Island Rail Road was extended from Great Neck to Port Washington in 1898, newcomers began settling around lower Main Street, quickly making this area the new hub of the community. Their arrival added a new class of people to the town; the original residents were known humorously as “clam diggers” and the new arrivals were called “commuters”. Lower Main Street, as we know it today, was quite different around the turn of the 20th century. The dirt road known as Flower Hill Avenue ran straight to the town dock, the curve being added in 1850. In 1912 the entire street was renamed Main…

Sand Mining

Sand mining was common in the Port area, yet few realize that approximately one fifth of Baxter Estates was once used for sand mining. At the beginning of the 20th century the land behind McKee’s store was a sandbank as was the entire Village shorefront. A small dock, constructed over what is now the Village owned private beach, ran from the head of the excavation out to the station where the sand barges were moored, waiting to transport the sand. Travel on that section of Shore Road was slow, dusty, and very noisy. A.C. Bayles, one of Port’s large land owners in its early days, once said of the…

The First Settlers

The history of Baxter Estates dates back to the days before the arrival of the first settlers when the Matinecock Indians lived on the entire Port Washington peninsula. The Indians were hunters and fishermen and being of a peaceful nature, caused the early settlers little difficulty. Eventually, many were employed by the Cow Neck seafarers as sailors. By the mid 17th century the permanent settlement of Cow Neck was established. The area was so named because the land was enclosed as common pasture for cattle belonging to farmers owning large tracts of land. Its growth was very slow in pre-Revolutionary…

Sketches of Lower Main Street

The Village of Baxter Estates is pleased to have on display in the Village Hall located at 315 Main Street in Port Washington, four in a series of black and white pen and ink sketches of the Village, which were commissioned in the 1970’s by William Kurz of Kurz Oil Company for its annual calendar. The sketches are part of a collection donated to Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society (CNPHS) by Donald Kurz and are on temporary loan to the Village courtesy of the CNPHS. The sketches of lower Main Street created by Great Neck illustrator John Meola (1913-2002) depict scenes from this area circa…