Roslyn Landmark Society

10/30/2026

👻 Not every spooky story is made up. Some are buried in Roslyn’s history.

Tucked away along Northern Boulevard in East Hills is the Townsend Cemetery, a historic burying ground dating back to 1790.

For 136 years, this was the final resting place of 31 early English Quaker settlers from six families: the Townsend, Jackson, Horsfield, Titus, Willis & Boerem families.

The earliest burial was Timothy H. Townsend in 1790. The last was Mary Elizabeth Horsfield in 1926.

Over the years, the cemetery was known by several names, including the Willis Farm Cemetery & Greenvale Cemetery, before becoming known as Townsend Cemetery.

And here’s where the story gets a little mysterious...

For years, the cemetery was abandoned & had no access from its Northern Boulevard right of way. In 2012, its existence was brought back to the attention of local officials, leading to the clearing & restoration of the burying ground.

Today, the Townsend Cemetery stands as a reminder that some of Roslyn’s oldest stories are still waiting to be discovered.

Happy Halloween from one of Roslyn’s oldest historic sites. 🎃

10/20/2026

Built in 1875 for Thomas Clapham’s mother, the small cottage at 60 Glenwood Road was known as the Dower House.

Shortly after completing his magnificent Stone House, Clapham discovered that another heir to his family fortune in England had been located. Under the law of primogeniture, that heir claimed the remainder of the estate, leaving Clapham without the means to suitably occupy & sustain the mansion.

In 1885, after living in the Stone House for less than 15 years, Clapham moved into the much smaller Dower House. It became known as “Comfort Cottage,” perhaps reflecting the solace Clapham found in moving to a more modest home.

Clapham was best known as a designer & builder of small yachts. His boat building sheds stood on Mott’s Cove creek, nearly within view of the Stone House, where he designed boats including the “Roslyn Yawl” & his “Bouncer” shallow draft scow.

The 1,632 square foot Victorian chalet remained at 60 Glenwood Road until 2014, when it was demolished by a developer. The lot remains vacant today.

A small house with a remarkable connection to one of Roslyn Harbor’s most prominent historic estates.

10/18/2026

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10/16/2026

There’s a reason this stretch of Roslyn feels different.

Main Street has been a major thoroughfare since Roslyn’s earliest days, when the settlement was known as Hempstead Harbor. Today, it remains home to an extraordinary collection of historic buildings, many dating back to the 18th & 19th centuries.

Look closely & you’ll find Federal & Greek Revival architecture, historic storefronts, the Van Nostrand Starkins House dating to around 1680 & the Ellen E. Ward Memorial Clock Tower, built in 1895.

What makes Main Street special isn’t just the individual buildings. It’s the way the architecture, Roslyn Pond, steep hillsides & streetscape come together to create a village landscape that has retained much of its historic character despite the growth surrounding it.

So next time you’re walking down Main Street, slow down.

Look up at the details. Notice the doors, windows, rooflines & materials. Think about how many generations have walked the same streets.

Sometimes the best way to experience Roslyn’s history is simply to take a walk through it.

10/13/2026

The Van Nostrand Starkins House has stood at the heart of Roslyn since around 1680, making it one of the oldest surviving structures on Long Island.

This winter, a burst pipe caused significant flooding throughout the building, damaging original flooring that has been in place for centuries & threatening the structure’s integrity.

The house is a rare, largely intact example of seventeenth century domestic life on Long Island. It has survived for generations, but returning it to stable condition will require significant work throughout, with costs beyond what the Roslyn Landmark Society can absorb on its own.

As our country marks its 250th anniversary, the question of what we have managed to hold onto carries particular weight. This house was already nearly a century old when the Revolution began.

Now, preserving it is about more than repairing a building. It is about protecting a piece of Roslyn’s history that belongs to the community & ensuring it remains standing for generations to come.

Every dollar raised goes directly toward the recovery of this important building.

Please consider supporting the restoration of the Van Nostrand Starkins House. Link in bio ☝️

10/09/2026

The first Roslyn Railroad Station was built in 1864, after the Long Island Rail Road was completed as far as Glen Head. The first train stopped in Roslyn on January 25, 1865.

By 1887, the original wooden station was demolished & replaced with a new brick depot that the Roslyn News called “the handsomest on this Branch.”

Built in the High Victorian style, the station served generations of Roslyn commuters, including Clarence Mackay & Benjamin Stern.

Nearly four decades later, the station underwent major changes in 1922, including the addition of lavatories, changes to the ticket office & alterations to its exterior.

Then came another chapter in its preservation story.

By 1980, the north & south train sheds had deteriorated badly. The Long Island Rail Road proposed demolishing them, but the Village Board protested because of their architectural importance. Restoration began in 1981, with the Landmark Society providing replicas of period mouldings & assisting with paint analysis.

In 1988, the Roslyn Railroad Station was moved to the south side of Lincoln Avenue, where the station house was restored to its 19th century origins.

More than a railroad station, it is a record of how Roslyn has grown, changed & worked to preserve the places that connect us to its past.

09/19/2026

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09/13/2026

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