A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

Rolling hills that form the North Shore of Long Island have long been celebrated for their scenic splendor. Ideally situated in the heart of these famous hills is Roslyn Estates.

— From a 1906 sales prospectus for Roslyn Estates

 

In 1900, the area that became Roslyn Estates was part of two large farms, bordered by highways essentially the same as at present, with only a dirt road meandering through. An 1897 map shows three buildings within current Village boundaries -- two homes on Warner Avenue, and the Strathmore Hotel (now Classic Kitchen & Bath) on Old Northern Boulevard. The hotel was a regular stop for a stage coach line which made the four-hour trip to New York City daily. Behind the hotel was a large barn, used as a carriage house and stables, and eventually as a garage.

As the 1926 brochure states, “the Dean Alvord Company, one of the earliest large-scale home developers in the United States, began selling homes and sites in the area under the name of Roslyn Estates, Inc.” in 1906. Around 1912, the real estate sales office at 1 Intervale was given by the developers to the Association of Roslyn Estates, which was established in 1911, and is one of the oldest existing residents’ civic associations in the area. The building was “subsequently leased as a tea room and restaurant to a succession of lessees,” and the income that is generated supports the activities of the (Civic) Association without charge to all Village property owners, who are automatically members. Home to the Wee Tappee Inn in one of its longest incarnations, the building now houses the lovely Lisenda Restaurant.

In 1931, the Village of Roslyn Estates was incorporated to allow residents to have zoning and other controls over the community. At that time the current structure of government (Mayor, Board of Trustees, Zoning Board, Architectural Review Board, and Planning Board) was established.