MANORHAVEN

A short history of Manorhaven

Manorhaven was incorporated as a village in 1930, after news was spread that Port Washington was planning on incorporating itself as a city. The majority of residents in what would ultimately become the Village of Manorhaven wished to retain home rule, leading to a push to incorporate and a referendum on the matter being held that year. This referendum was held that September 11, with residents voting 34-to-0 in favor of incorporation, and subsequently, on October 1, 1930, Manorhaven was officially established as an incorporated village, with the signing of its certificate of incorporation; its population, at the time, was 376. Later that month, residents elected Charles Wesley Copp as the Village's first Mayor.

1930 also saw the establishment of a ferry between Bowman's Point Road in modern-day Manorhaven to New Rochelle in Westchester County via (and across) the Long Island Sound, after the courts ruled in favor of its establishment in a legal dispute over the proposal; the service was established a few months prior to the village's incorporation. This ferry – operated by the Port Washington–New Rochelle Ferry Co., Inc. – would run until 1939, when the Bronx–Whitestone Bridge opened further to the west.

In 1931 – one year after Manorhaven incorporated, the village proposed annexing a large amount of territory to its east – including much of what would eventually become the Village of Port Washington North. Manorhaven's annexation bid was unsuccessful due to the residents in what would ultimately become Port Washington North preferring to incorporate as a separate village; Port Washington North ultimately incorporated as its own village one year later, in May 1932.

The Town of North Hempstead-owned Manorhaven Beach Park opened within the village circa 1936, revitalizing a major portion of Manorhaven's waterfront along Manhasset Bay.

Between 1939 and 1940, Manhasset Bay was used as the New York base of Pan American World Airways' transatlantic Boeing 314 flights, prior to the opening of LaGuardia Airport's Marine Air Terminal, with the airport's hangars and terminal located within Manorhaven – at Toms Point on Manhasset Isle, near the southern edge of the village; the facility was subsequently used by Grumman, following the Marine Air Terminal's opening. Although the seaplane hangars at Toms Point were eventually demolished, the seaplane base is still in use, with the airport's current iteration being activated in 1948.

In 1944, Nassau County announced that it would reconstruct Shore Road through the village, widening it to 70 feet (21 m) and eliminating dangerous curves.

In 1948, Manorhaven residents and officials debated whether to join the Port Washington Police District, and for the Port Washington Police to subsequently take over police operations in the village from the Nassau County Police Department. The proposal was rejected by residents, with the majority of village voters opting for the village remain under the Nassau County Police Department's jurisdiction.

On November 7, 1954, Manorhaven Village Hall opened to the public. The construction and completion of this municipal building came after village officials the proposal was raised by village officials – a proposal which dated back to the village's formative years, in the early 1930s. The building – designed by architect Edwin Kline – was constructed at a cost of $50,000 (1954 USD), and its erection provided the village's government with a permanent, dedicated home, where all village business could be conducted.

In the mid-1960s, the $2.8 million, 128-unit Manhasset House garden apartment complex was constructed on Toms Point, along the Manhasset Bay waterfront, adjacent to the former Pan Am seaplane hangars and apron; plans were unveiled for the complex in 1965. The six-acre (2.4 ha) complex – consisting of eight buildings and a swimming pool – was developed by the Syosset-based firm of Sokolov Associates, and designed by East Meadow-based architect Siegmund Spiegel.

In 1982, the Village of Manorhaven annexed approximately 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) of territory from unincorporated Port Washington.

In 1984, Manorhaven residents and officials again debated whether the village should join the Port Washington Police District. If approved, the PWPD would have taken over the police services within the village from the Nassau County Police Department. Proponents felt that the Port Washington Police District would be able to better serve the needs of the village, while opponents expressed concerns over potential tax increases. Ultimately, the residents of the village – just as they did roughly 36 years prior – voted to remain under the jurisdiction of the NCPD, as opposed to joining the PWPD.

In 2022, Manorhaven Boulevard (CR D44) underwent a major, $6 million rehabilitation and beautification project, carried out by Nassau County – which owns and maintains the road – in collaboration with the Village of Manorhaven. Among other things, the project included a roadway reconfiguration with traffic calming elements, beautified and upgraded sidewalks and associated infrastructure, drainage improvements to rectify longstanding defects that caused flooding in heavy rainstorms, landscaping improvements, new street furniture and bus shelters, accessibility improvements, and public artwork.

on June 20, 2023, the village's former Deputy Mayor Vincent Costa was defeated by one vote, after being accused of official misconduct.

In the summer of 2025, Manorhaven Village Hall underwent a renovation project, modernizing interior spaces and lighting through a Justice Court Access Program grant.

Adapted (trimmed) from the Wikipedia article Manorhaven, New York, revision 1380041713 by its contributors, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.