Sayville, New York
Encyclopedia
Sayville is a hamlet and CDP
in Suffolk County, New York
, (USA
). Located on the south shore of Long Island
in the Town of Islip
, the population of the CDP was 16,735 at the time of the 2000 census.
tribe, of the Algonquian peoples
.
Sayville was founded by John Edwards (b. 1738, East Hampton, New York
). He built his home, the first in Sayville, in 1761, located at what is now the northwest corner of Foster Ave. and Edwards St. The house was destroyed by fire in March, 1913. Another man, John Greene
, settled what's now known as West Sayville in 1767.
The community had no formal name until 1838 when residents gathered to choose a formal name for their post office, which had opened on March 22, 1837.
Until that time, Sayville was known informally as "over south". The townspeople held a meeting to decide on a name, and after Edwardsville and Greensville tied in a vote, one resident suggested "Seaville". According to historical accounts, the clerk at that particular meeting did not know how to spell and had to go home and look in an old Bible he had brought from England years before. In the Bible, the word "sea" was spelled "s-a-y", and "Sayville" became the name he sent to Washington. After the error was discovered, the town sent a letter of protest to Washington D.C.; however, the Postmaster General responded that the name should stay "Sayville", as there were many "Seaville"s in the world but no "Sayville"s. As a result, the name stuck. Incidentally, in some very old Bibles, the town name is also spelled "S-a-v-i-l-l-e".
Sayville became important mainly for its timber
and oysters. Beginning in 1868, when the South Side Rail Road arrived, the hamlet became a summer tourist destination. Over 30 hotels were built in the area, which hosts a ferry to Fire Island. Between 1880 and 1930, many grand homes and estates were built in Sayville, including Meadow Croft
, the home of John Ellis Roosevelt, a cousin of Theodore Roosevelt
. Meadow Croft still stands and is part of Suffolk County's San Souci Lakes Nature Preserve.
In 1912 a German
Telefunken
wireless transmitter was built in Sayville to broadcast to Germany. In 1915 the transmitter allegedly relayed a message from the German Embassy to "get Lucy" referring to the RMS Lusitania
which was sunk on May 15. Whether the signals coming from the transmitter in Sayville authorized the attack or not, they caused concern for the US government, which dispatched Marines
to ensure that encrypted messages were not sent. The station was seized by the government outright after war was declared in 1917. President
Woodrow Wilson
sent a contingent of Marines to seize the wireless station; the first hostile action taken by the United States against Germany during World War I
.
From 1919 to 1932 Sayville was home to Father Divine
, a controversial African-American religious leader who claimed to be God
. His religious movement, which came to be called the International Peace Mission movement
, managed a commune
-like house on 72 Macon Street, which was the first black-owned residence in Sayville. At that time Sayville was predominantly a seasonal resort, and Father Divine's followers made good livings as native house sitter
s. Because followers turned over all of their profits to Father Divine, he was able to build several expansions on the house. He even bought an expensive Cadillac automobile when neighbors complained about his noisy Hudson.
Father Divine's ostentation annoyed the middle class
town. Excess traffic that Father Divine attracted made him unpopular even to businesses he patronized with large cash purchases. Following a June, 1932 trial and prison sentence for disturbing the peace, Father Divine moved to Harlem
, New York, claiming that Sayville was racist
. However, the commune remained on Macon Street for many years. Father Divine occasionally preached in Sayville afterward, but the home was only an outpost of his movement, not its headquarters.
In 1994, the California State University
at Fresno
designated Sayville the "friendliest town in America."
Sayville is the embarkation point for ferries
to the Fire Island
communities of Cherry Grove
, Fire Island Pines, both popular vacation
communities
for LGBT
New Yorkers
, as well as Sailors Haven, which includes the Sunken Forest. The Sayville Train Station
has connections to the ferries via taxi and van services.
consists of 1 high school
, 1 middle school
, and 3 elementary schools. The high school is located in West Sayville, NY on Brook Street. The middle school is located on Johnson Avenue. The elementary schools are on Sunrise Drive, Lincoln Avenue, and Cherry Avenue, named after their respective streets. Lincoln and Sunrise Elementary Schools are both located in Sayville. Cherry Avenue Elementary School is located in West Sayville.
. Sayville is located at 40°44′47"N 73°4′52"W (40.746282, -73.081112).
The hamlet is bordered by the bay to the south, Sunrise Highway to the north, Brown Creek to the east, and Greene's Creek to the west.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, Sayville CDP has a total area of 5.6 mi² (14.5 km²). 5.5 mi² (14.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 mi² (0.2 km²) of it (1.07%) is water.
of 2000, there were 16,735 people, 5,603 households, and 4,353 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 3,028.4/mi² (1,168.4/km²). There were 5,721 housing units at an average density of 1,035.3/mi² (399.4/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.81% White, 0.72% African American, 0.04% Native American, 2.03% Asian, 0.48% from other races
, and 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.02% of the population.
There were 5,603 households out of which 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.2% were married couples
living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were non-families. 17.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.34.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $75,236, and the median income for a family was $85,229. Males had a median income of $57,055 versus $35,091 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $28,723. About 2.5% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.
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...
in Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...
, (USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
). Located on the south shore of Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
in the Town of Islip
Islip (town), New York
The Town of Islip is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York . Located on the south shore of Long Island, the town population was 322,612 at the 2000 census. The smaller, unincorporated hamlet of Islip lies within the town.-Demographics:...
, the population of the CDP was 16,735 at the time of the 2000 census.
History
The earliest known inhabitants of Sayville were the SecatogueMohegan-Montauk-Narragansett language
Mohegan-Pequot is an extinct Algonquian language formerly spoken in parts of present-day New England and Long Island.As of 2010, the Shinnecock and Unkechaug nations of Long Island, New York, had begun work...
tribe, of the Algonquian peoples
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...
.
Sayville was founded by John Edwards (b. 1738, East Hampton, New York
East Hampton (town), New York
The Town of East Hampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, at the eastern end of the South Shore of Long Island. It is the easternmost town in the state of New York...
). He built his home, the first in Sayville, in 1761, located at what is now the northwest corner of Foster Ave. and Edwards St. The house was destroyed by fire in March, 1913. Another man, John Greene
John Greene
John Greene may refer to:* John Greene , early settler and co-founder of Warwick, Rhode Island* John Greene, Jr. Deputy Governor of Rhode Island...
, settled what's now known as West Sayville in 1767.
The community had no formal name until 1838 when residents gathered to choose a formal name for their post office, which had opened on March 22, 1837.
Until that time, Sayville was known informally as "over south". The townspeople held a meeting to decide on a name, and after Edwardsville and Greensville tied in a vote, one resident suggested "Seaville". According to historical accounts, the clerk at that particular meeting did not know how to spell and had to go home and look in an old Bible he had brought from England years before. In the Bible, the word "sea" was spelled "s-a-y", and "Sayville" became the name he sent to Washington. After the error was discovered, the town sent a letter of protest to Washington D.C.; however, the Postmaster General responded that the name should stay "Sayville", as there were many "Seaville"s in the world but no "Sayville"s. As a result, the name stuck. Incidentally, in some very old Bibles, the town name is also spelled "S-a-v-i-l-l-e".
Sayville became important mainly for its timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
and oysters. Beginning in 1868, when the South Side Rail Road arrived, the hamlet became a summer tourist destination. Over 30 hotels were built in the area, which hosts a ferry to Fire Island. Between 1880 and 1930, many grand homes and estates were built in Sayville, including Meadow Croft
John Ellis Roosevelt Estate
John Ellis Roosevelt Estate, also known as Meadowcroft, is a historic estate located at Sayville in Suffolk County, New York. The main house, roughly "L" shaped, is composed of two distinct parts: the original farmhouse, built about 1850, and now the rear of the house; and the larger, more formal...
, the home of John Ellis Roosevelt, a cousin of Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
. Meadow Croft still stands and is part of Suffolk County's San Souci Lakes Nature Preserve.
In 1912 a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Telefunken
Telefunken
Telefunken is a German radio and television apparatus company, founded in Berlin in 1903, as a joint venture of Siemens & Halske and the Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft...
wireless transmitter was built in Sayville to broadcast to Germany. In 1915 the transmitter allegedly relayed a message from the German Embassy to "get Lucy" referring to the RMS Lusitania
RMS Lusitania
RMS Lusitania was a British ocean liner designed by Leonard Peskett and built by John Brown and Company of Clydebank, Scotland. The ship entered passenger service with the Cunard Line on 26 August 1907 and continued on the line's heavily-traveled passenger service between Liverpool, England and New...
which was sunk on May 15. Whether the signals coming from the transmitter in Sayville authorized the attack or not, they caused concern for the US government, which dispatched Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
to ensure that encrypted messages were not sent. The station was seized by the government outright after war was declared in 1917. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
sent a contingent of Marines to seize the wireless station; the first hostile action taken by the United States against Germany during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
From 1919 to 1932 Sayville was home to Father Divine
Father Divine
Father Divine , also known as Reverend M. J. Divine, was an African American spiritual leader from about 1907 until his death. His full self-given name was Reverend Major Jealous Divine, and he was also known as "the Messenger" early in his life...
, a controversial African-American religious leader who claimed to be God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. His religious movement, which came to be called the International Peace Mission movement
International Peace Mission movement
The International Peace Mission movement was the religious movement started by Father Divine, an African-American who claimed to be God.-History:...
, managed a commune
Commune (intentional community)
A commune is an intentional community of people living together, sharing common interests, property, possessions, resources, and, in some communes, work and income. In addition to the communal economy, consensus decision-making, non-hierarchical structures and ecological living have become...
-like house on 72 Macon Street, which was the first black-owned residence in Sayville. At that time Sayville was predominantly a seasonal resort, and Father Divine's followers made good livings as native house sitter
House sitting
House sitting is the practice whereby a landlord , leaving their house for a period of time, entrusts it to one or more "house sitters", who by a mutual agreement are entitled to live there rent-free in exchange for assuming responsibilities such as taking care of the homeowner's pets, performing...
s. Because followers turned over all of their profits to Father Divine, he was able to build several expansions on the house. He even bought an expensive Cadillac automobile when neighbors complained about his noisy Hudson.
Father Divine's ostentation annoyed the middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
town. Excess traffic that Father Divine attracted made him unpopular even to businesses he patronized with large cash purchases. Following a June, 1932 trial and prison sentence for disturbing the peace, Father Divine moved to Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
, New York, claiming that Sayville was racist
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
. However, the commune remained on Macon Street for many years. Father Divine occasionally preached in Sayville afterward, but the home was only an outpost of his movement, not its headquarters.
In 1994, the California State University
California State University
The California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...
at Fresno
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
designated Sayville the "friendliest town in America."
Sayville is the embarkation point for ferries
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
to the Fire Island
Fire Island, New York
Fire Island is one of the outer barrier islands adjacent to the south shore of Long Island, New York. It is approximately long and varies between broad. Fire Island is part of Suffolk County. It comprises a number of hamlets, census-designated places , and villages, all of which lie within the...
communities of Cherry Grove
Cherry Grove
Cherry Grove may refer to:in the United States*Cherry Grove-Shannon Township, Carroll County, Illinois*Cherry Grove, Indiana*Cherry Grove, HO-1, listed on the NRHP in Maryland*Cherry Grove Township, Michigan...
, Fire Island Pines, both popular vacation
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
communities
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
for LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
New Yorkers
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, as well as Sailors Haven, which includes the Sunken Forest. The Sayville Train Station
Sayville (LIRR station)
Sayville is a station on the Montauk Branch of the Long Island Rail Road in the village of Sayville, New York, on Depot Street between Greeley Avenue and Railroad Avenue....
has connections to the ferries via taxi and van services.
Famous residents
- Marlon BrandoMarlon BrandoMarlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
, actor - Mike Buck, NFL quarterback
- Melissa Joan HartMelissa Joan HartMelissa Joan Catherine Hart is an American actress, writer, television director, television producer, singer and businesswoman...
, actress - Tom WestmanTom WestmanTom Westman is the $1,000,000 winner of the tenth season of the reality show Survivor, Survivor: Palau. Westman is a husband, father of three, and former firefighter. Westman has a deaf daughter. He announced his retirement from the department effective August 8, 2005...
, Winner of Survivor: PalauSurvivor: PalauSurvivor: Palau is the tenth season of the United States reality show Survivor. Its preview appeared during the final episode of Survivor: Vanuatu. Survivor: Palau premiered on February 17, 2005. The complete season, including the Live Reunion Show, was released on DVD by CBS Home Video on August...
Education
Sayville Public SchoolsSayville School District
Sayville School District is a public school district generally encompassing the hamlets of Sayville and West Sayville, in the Town of Islip, Suffolk County, New York, United States.The superintendent is Walter F...
consists of 1 high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, 1 middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
, and 3 elementary schools. The high school is located in West Sayville, NY on Brook Street. The middle school is located on Johnson Avenue. The elementary schools are on Sunrise Drive, Lincoln Avenue, and Cherry Avenue, named after their respective streets. Lincoln and Sunrise Elementary Schools are both located in Sayville. Cherry Avenue Elementary School is located in West Sayville.
Postal Services
The area is served by the Sayville Post Office, at 130 Greene Avenue, Sayville, NY 11782-2723.Geography
The community borders the Great South BayGreat South Bay
Great South Bay is a lagoon situated between Long Island and Fire Island, in the State of New York. It is approximately long. It's protected from the Atlantic Ocean by Fire Island, a barrier island, as well as the eastern end of Jones Beach Island and Captree Island.Robert Moses Causeway adjoins...
. Sayville is located at 40°44′47"N 73°4′52"W (40.746282, -73.081112).
The hamlet is bordered by the bay to the south, Sunrise Highway to the north, Brown Creek to the east, and Greene's Creek to the west.
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...
, Sayville CDP has a total area of 5.6 mi² (14.5 km²). 5.5 mi² (14.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 mi² (0.2 km²) of it (1.07%) 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 16,735 people, 5,603 households, and 4,353 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 3,028.4/mi² (1,168.4/km²). There were 5,721 housing units at an average density of 1,035.3/mi² (399.4/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.81% White, 0.72% African American, 0.04% Native American, 2.03% Asian, 0.48% 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 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.02% of the population.
There were 5,603 households out of which 40.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.2% 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, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were non-families. 17.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.34.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $75,236, and the median income for a family was $85,229. Males had a median income of $57,055 versus $35,091 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 $28,723. About 2.5% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.
External links
- Official Sayville community Site
- Sayville Post Office History
- Official Sayville Fire Department Site