Locust Valley, New York
Encyclopedia
Locust Valley is a hamlet
(and a census-designated place
) located in Nassau County
, New York
. Locust Valley is an unincorporated area of the Town of Oyster Bay
. As of the United States 2010 Census, the CDP population was 3,406.
s by the receding glaciers of the last ice age roughly 10,000 years ago. The Algonquian
tribe that settled the area, spanning from Flushing to Setauket, called the area "hilly ground" or Matinecock and as a result the Algonquian Indians who settled there became known as the Matinecock Indians
.
In 1667, Captain John Underhill
negotiated with the Matinecock Indians to purchase land for a settlement that he and his fellow colonists would call Buckram. The town name lasted for nearly 200 years, when in 1856 the name was changed to Locust Valley based on the number of locust trees located in the area. On April 19, 1869, the Long Island Rail Road opened the extension of the Glen Cove line
, via a single track to Locust Valley, making it the terminus of the line until the railroad was extended to its current terminus in Oyster Bay in 1889.
With the arrival of the Long Island Rail Road
, a commercial center developed and thrived around the Locust Valley station
and the nearby intersection of Forest Ave/Buckram Road and Birch Hill Road. As the North Shore of Long Island grew into the Gold Coast
in the early 20th century, the commercial center grew to serve the great estates
that were being established in the surrounding communities of Bayville, Centre Island, Lattingtown, Mill Neck, Matinecock, Muttontown and The Brookvilles.
In fact, by 1927, the wealthy Harrison Williams had established himself at his 150 acre (0.607029 km²) estate "Oak Point" at Bayville, on nearby Pine Island. Weekend guests ( which several times included the Prince of Wales) arriving at the Locust Valley Station were often fetched in one of his fleet of Rolls Royce Motorcars which would stop in the hamlet for last moment provisions. At that time, Williams was considered the wealthiest American, and John Kenneth Galbraith wrote, in his book about the great depression, of Williams' pyramiding of utilities holding companies. "If there must be madness something must be said for having it on a heroic scale".
In the 1940s and 50's, Locust Valley was the country home of Robert A. Lovett
, a partner (with Prescott Bush
) in Brown Brothers Harriman Bank on Wall Street and a former United States Secretary of Defense; Elizabeth Shoumatoff
, renowned portrait painter of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and other local luminaries; and finally, Leonard Hall
, The National Chairman of the Republican Party. The hamlet was also a regular stop for rest and relaxation for the Duke of Windsor
and Cole Porter
.
As the commercial center, with the railroad station for the surrounding Gold Coast communities, the geographically small Locust Valley became the name of reference for all surrounding areas between Glen Cove and Oyster Bay. This larger community was associated with the upper-class accent prevalent on the great estates: "Locust Valley Lockjaw
". While the accent is not heard as much as it once was, Locust Valley remains a social center for upper-class New Yorkers. Many are members of the exclusive clubs in the area: Piping Rock Club
, The Creek, Beaver Dam and the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club
.
The Cock-Cornelius House
, Matinecock Friends Meetinghouse
, and George Underhill House
are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²), of which, 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (2.13%) is water.
of 2000, there were 3,521 people, 1,279 households, and 915 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 3,832.0 per square mile (1,477.7/km²). There were 1,324 housing units at an average density of 1,441.0/sq mi (555.7/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 86.51% White, 3.89% African American, 0.03% Native American, 1.99% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 5.68% from other races
, and 1.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.54% of the population.
There were 1,279 households out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were married couples
living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $57,418, and the median income for a family was $70,592. Males had a median income of $51,115 versus $37,868 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $40,141. About 3.0% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.
, Lattingtown, Matinecock, Bayville
, portions of Mill Neck, Muttontown
, Old Brookville and unincorporated Locust Valley. There are five school campuses which include Ann MacArthur Primary, Locust Valley Intermediate, Bayville Primary, Bayville Intermediate and a shared Middle School-High School. The 2010-2011 annual budget with 2.84% budget to budget increase (smallest in 30 years) was approved by voters on May 18, 2010.
In 2004, LVCSD began offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB). In 2006, it had the first graduating class with IB Diploma recipients. The district appointed Dr. Anna Hunderfund to the position of Superintendent beginning July 1, 2008. In 2010, Locust Valley High School was ranked 136 out of 27,000 high schools (top 0.5%) in the U.S. by Newsweek Magazine, and its facts in brief brochure is entitled "A Very Private Public Education".
The high school newspaper The Spectrum has won the Columbia Scholastic Press Association's and the Empire State Scholastic Press Association's Gold Award for excellence in student journalism. Each year the school awards the Patrick J. Goostrey Award to the graduating senior most outstanding in American History and Student Leadership.
The schools colours are Hunter Green and White. The school crest includes a falcon, as the athletic teams are known as: The Falcons.
to design its grounds. They were the sons of Frederick Law Olmsted
, renowned architect of Central Park
.
In 1917, Locust Valley Cemetery was incorporated. A perpetual care fund was established to preserve its natural beauty. Today, that fund is supported by proceeds from every sale, ensuring the care of the woodland haven.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
(and a census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
) located in Nassau County
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Locust Valley is an unincorporated area of the Town of Oyster Bay
Oyster Bay (town), New York
The Town of Oyster Bay is easternmost of the three towns in Nassau County, New York, in the United States. Part of the New York metropolitan area, it is the only town in Nassau County that extends from the North Shore to the South Shore of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the town population was...
. As of the United States 2010 Census, the CDP population was 3,406.
History
The rolling hills of the north Shore of Long Island were laid down as terminal moraineTerminal moraine
A terminal moraine, also called end moraine, is a moraine that forms at the end of the glacier called the snout.Terminal moraines mark the maximum advance of the glacier. An end moraine is at the present boundary of the glacier....
s by the receding glaciers of the last ice age roughly 10,000 years ago. The Algonquian
Algonquian peoples
The Algonquian are one of the most populous and widespread North American native language groups, with tribes originally numbering in the hundreds. Today hundreds of thousands of individuals identify with various Algonquian peoples...
tribe that settled the area, spanning from Flushing to Setauket, called the area "hilly ground" or Matinecock and as a result the Algonquian Indians who settled there became known as the Matinecock Indians
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
.
In 1667, Captain John Underhill
Captain John Underhill
John Underhill was an early English settler and soldier in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the Province of New Hampshire, the New Haven Colony, New Netherland, and later the Province of New York...
negotiated with the Matinecock Indians to purchase land for a settlement that he and his fellow colonists would call Buckram. The town name lasted for nearly 200 years, when in 1856 the name was changed to Locust Valley based on the number of locust trees located in the area. On April 19, 1869, the Long Island Rail Road opened the extension of the Glen Cove line
Oyster Bay Branch
The Oyster Bay Branch is a rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The branch splits from the Main Line just east of Mineola station, and runs north and east to Oyster Bay.-History:...
, via a single track to Locust Valley, making it the terminus of the line until the railroad was extended to its current terminus in Oyster Bay in 1889.
With the arrival of the Long Island Rail Road
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
, a commercial center developed and thrived around the Locust Valley station
Locust Valley (LIRR station)
Locust Valley is a station along the Oyster Bay Branch of the Long Island Rail Road. It is located at Birch Hill Road and Piping Rock Road, south of Forest Avenue, Locust Valley, New York....
and the nearby intersection of Forest Ave/Buckram Road and Birch Hill Road. As the North Shore of Long Island grew into the Gold Coast
North Shore (Long Island)
The North Shore of Long Island is the area along Long Island's northern coast, bordering Long Island Sound. The region has long been the most affluent on Long Island, as well as the most affluent in the New York metropolitan area, which has earned it the nickname "the Gold Coast." Though some...
in the early 20th century, the commercial center grew to serve the great estates
Gold Coast Mansions
The north shore of Long Island, New York, USA in a sixteen mile stretch from Great Neck to Huntington, was a favorite retreat for the rich and the famous. Many were wealthy industrialists of the Gilded Age who pioneered great industries. These captains of industry spent fortunes on their lavish...
that were being established in the surrounding communities of Bayville, Centre Island, Lattingtown, Mill Neck, Matinecock, Muttontown and The Brookvilles.
In fact, by 1927, the wealthy Harrison Williams had established himself at his 150 acre (0.607029 km²) estate "Oak Point" at Bayville, on nearby Pine Island. Weekend guests ( which several times included the Prince of Wales) arriving at the Locust Valley Station were often fetched in one of his fleet of Rolls Royce Motorcars which would stop in the hamlet for last moment provisions. At that time, Williams was considered the wealthiest American, and John Kenneth Galbraith wrote, in his book about the great depression, of Williams' pyramiding of utilities holding companies. "If there must be madness something must be said for having it on a heroic scale".
In the 1940s and 50's, Locust Valley was the country home of Robert A. Lovett
Robert A. Lovett
Robert Abercrombie Lovett was the fourth United States Secretary of Defense, serving in the cabinet of President Harry S. Truman from 1951 to 1953 and in this capacity, directed the Korean War. Promoted to the position from deputy secretary of defense Domhoff described Lovett as a "Cold War...
, a partner (with Prescott Bush
Prescott Bush
Prescott Sheldon Bush was a Wall Street executive banker and a United States Senator, representing Connecticut from 1952 until January 1963. He was the father of George H. W. Bush and the grandfather of George W...
) in Brown Brothers Harriman Bank on Wall Street and a former United States Secretary of Defense; Elizabeth Shoumatoff
Elizabeth Shoumatoff
Elizabeth Shoumatoff was an American painter who was best known for painting the Unfinished Portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt....
, renowned portrait painter of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and other local luminaries; and finally, Leonard Hall
Leonard W. Hall
Leonard Wood Hall was a United States Representative from New York. Born in Oyster Bay, Nassau County, he attended the public schools and graduated from the law department of Georgetown University in 1920...
, The National Chairman of the Republican Party. The hamlet was also a regular stop for rest and relaxation for the Duke of Windsor
Duke of Windsor
The title Duke of Windsor was created in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1937 for Prince Edward, the former King Edward VIII, following his abdication in December 1936. The dukedom takes its name from the town where Windsor Castle, a residence of English monarchs since the Norman Conquest, is...
and Cole Porter
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...
.
As the commercial center, with the railroad station for the surrounding Gold Coast communities, the geographically small Locust Valley became the name of reference for all surrounding areas between Glen Cove and Oyster Bay. This larger community was associated with the upper-class accent prevalent on the great estates: "Locust Valley Lockjaw
Locust Valley lockjaw
Locust Valley Lockjaw is the colloquial term for a stereotypical upper class American accent associated with elite residents of the New York metropolitan area, particularly those on the North Shore of Long Island...
". While the accent is not heard as much as it once was, Locust Valley remains a social center for upper-class New Yorkers. Many are members of the exclusive clubs in the area: Piping Rock Club
Piping Rock Club
Piping Rock Club is a country club in Locust Valley, New York.-History:The Piping Rock clubhouse was designed by American designer Guy Lowell, and built in 1911. Lowell based his designs on American colonial architecture a desire to link the house with the landscape...
, The Creek, Beaver Dam and the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club
Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club
The Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club is one of the oldest yacht clubs in the Western Hemisphere , located in Oyster Bay, New York, with access to Long Island Sound.-History:...
.
The Cock-Cornelius House
Cock-Cornelius House
Cock-Cornelius House, also known as Wyckoff-Underhill House, is a historic home located at Locust Valley in Nassau County, New York. It is a 1- to -story, "U" shaped wood-frame dwelling sheathed in wood shingles. The main block is stories and five bays wide. The oldest section of the house is...
, Matinecock Friends Meetinghouse
Matinecock Friends Meetinghouse
Matinecock Friends Meetinghouse is a historic Quaker meeting house located at Piping Rock and Duck Pond Roads in Locust Valley, Nassau County, New York. It was built in 1725 and is a two story, rectangular building topped by a steeply pitched gable roof. It is two bays wide and four bays long,...
, and George Underhill House
George Underhill House
George Underhill House, also known as Wayside, is a historic home located at Locust Valley in Nassau County, New York. It is a rambling U-shaped wood-frame house with 1-, - and 2-story sections dated to about 1790. The original section is a -story timber-frame structure with a moderately pitched...
are listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Geography
Locust Valley is located at 40°52′38"N 73°35′41"W (40.877127, -73.594782) on the North Shore of Long Island.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²), of which, 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (2.13%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 3,521 people, 1,279 households, and 915 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,832.0 per square mile (1,477.7/km²). There were 1,324 housing units at an average density of 1,441.0/sq mi (555.7/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 86.51% White, 3.89% African American, 0.03% Native American, 1.99% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 5.68% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.54% of the population.
There were 1,279 households out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $57,418, and the median income for a family was $70,592. Males had a median income of $51,115 versus $37,868 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $40,141. About 3.0% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The Locust Valley Central School System is a K-12 public system which serves a large geographic area covering the Incorporated Villages of BrookvilleBrookville, New York
The Village of Brookville is a village located within the town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York. As of the 2010 United States Census, the village population was 3,465....
, Lattingtown, Matinecock, Bayville
Bayville, New York
The Village of Bayville, often referred to as Pine Island, is a village located on Long Island Sound facing Greenwich, Connecticut, and within the town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 6,669 at the 2010 census...
, portions of Mill Neck, Muttontown
Muttontown, New York
The Village of Muttontown is a village located within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 3,497 at the 2010 census...
, Old Brookville and unincorporated Locust Valley. There are five school campuses which include Ann MacArthur Primary, Locust Valley Intermediate, Bayville Primary, Bayville Intermediate and a shared Middle School-High School. The 2010-2011 annual budget with 2.84% budget to budget increase (smallest in 30 years) was approved by voters on May 18, 2010.
In 2004, LVCSD began offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB). In 2006, it had the first graduating class with IB Diploma recipients. The district appointed Dr. Anna Hunderfund to the position of Superintendent beginning July 1, 2008. In 2010, Locust Valley High School was ranked 136 out of 27,000 high schools (top 0.5%) in the U.S. by Newsweek Magazine, and its facts in brief brochure is entitled "A Very Private Public Education".
The high school newspaper The Spectrum has won the Columbia Scholastic Press Association's and the Empire State Scholastic Press Association's Gold Award for excellence in student journalism. Each year the school awards the Patrick J. Goostrey Award to the graduating senior most outstanding in American History and Student Leadership.
The schools colours are Hunter Green and White. The school crest includes a falcon, as the athletic teams are known as: The Falcons.
Cemetery
Locust Valley Cemetery is a private, non-denominational memorial that began with a unique plan more than 100 years ago. Rather than the usual rows of marble and granite, the Cemetery's 19th-century founders conceived of a sanctuary akin to a woodland garden. To realize that vision, they commissioned the Olmsted BrothersOlmsted Brothers
The Olmsted Brothers company was an influential landscape design firm in the United States, formed in 1898 by stepbrothers John Charles Olmsted and Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. .-History:...
to design its grounds. They were the sons of Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted was an American journalist, social critic, public administrator, and landscape designer. He is popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture, although many scholars have bestowed that title upon Andrew Jackson Downing...
, renowned architect of Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
.
In 1917, Locust Valley Cemetery was incorporated. A perpetual care fund was established to preserve its natural beauty. Today, that fund is supported by proceeds from every sale, ensuring the care of the woodland haven.
Notable natives
- Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J., President of Fairfield UniversityFairfield UniversityFairfield University is a private, co-educational undergraduate and master's level teaching-oriented university located in Fairfield, Connecticut, in the New England region of the United States. It was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1942, and today is one of 28 member institutions of the...
- Harrison Williams (entrepreneur)
- Naushad R. Shahzad (politician, Democratic Party zone leader)
- Ryan Lesko, All-Around nice fella, moonlights as a close friend to Murphy Sayre at Sewanee: The University of the South
Points of interest
- John P. Humes Japanese Stroll GardenJohn P. Humes Japanese Stroll GardenThe John P. Humes Japanese Stroll Garden is a Japanese garden in Mill Neck, New York, providing a retreat for passive recreation and contemplation....
- Planting Fields Arboretum, a 400 acres (1.6 km²) arboretumArboretumAn arboretum in a narrow sense is a collection of trees only. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly, today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study...
and botanical gardenBotanical gardenA botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
near Locust Valley. - Friends AcademyFriends AcademyFriends Academy is a Quaker, coeducational, independent, college preparatory school serving students from nursery school through the twelfth grade, located in Locust Valley, New York, United States. The school was founded in 1876 by 78-year-old Gideon Frost for "The children of Friends and those...
- Portledge SchoolPortledge SchoolPortledge School is an independent college-preparatory day school located in Locust Valley, New York with 414 students in Pre-nursery through 12th grade .-History:...
- Grenville Baker Boys & Girls Club