George Bradford Brainerd Street, 1907George Bradford Brainerd Street, ca. 1872–1887
In 1653, three men from Oyster Bay, Richard Holbrook, Robert Williams and Daniel Whitehead, purchased a parcel of land from the Matinecock tribe. This parcel has since come to be known as the "First Purchase" and included land bordered by Cold Spring Harbor on the west, Northport Harbor on the east, what is now known as Old Country Road to the south and Long Island Sound to the north. The three men immediately turned the land over to the settlers who had already been living there.[3]
The origin of the name is unknown but the consensus among historians is it was named for the birthplace of Oliver Cromwell who was Lord Protector of England at the time of the town's establishment.[citation needed]
From that initial settlement, Huntington grew over subsequent years to include all of the land presently comprising the modern Towns of Huntington and Babylon. The southern part of the town was formally separated to create Babylon in 1872.[3]
Because Huntington was populated largely by English settlers, unlike the rest of the New Amsterdam colony, the town voted in 1660 to become part of the Connecticut colony rather than remain under the authority of New Amsterdam. It was not until the British gained control of New Amsterdam in 1664 (renaming it New York) that Huntington was formally restored to the jurisdiction of New York.[3]
The arrival of the Long Island Rail Road in 1867 transformed the economy of Huntington from primarily agriculture and shipping (based on its well protected harbor) to tourism and commuting. Cold Spring Harbor became a popular summer resort.[3]
The end of World War II brought about an explosive growth of population in Huntington amid white flight, as in the rest of the region. Farms and resorts gave way to homes, and Huntington has transformed into a major commuter town for nearby New York City.[3]
In 1988, the Supreme Court ruled that Huntington had violated the Fair Housing Act by preventing apartment construction anywhere except in Black neighborhoods.[4] A developer of an affordable housing project sought to build it in a white neighborhood, but the town restricted the developer to black neighborhoods.[5] The Supreme Court ordered the town to build an affordable housing project in a white neighborhood. Construction on that project began in 2023.[4]
In 2019, Huntington banned the creation of new basement apartments.[4] In 2023, a councilmember proposed legalizing basement apartments to alleviate the housing crisis in Huntington and other communities surrounding New York City.[4] At a July 2023 hearing, in which local residents railed against "migrants, pedophiles, or criminals" moving into Huntington, council members backtracked on their support for the zoning change.[4]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 137.1 square miles (355 km2), of which 94.0 square miles (243 km2) is land and 43.1 square miles (112 km2) (31.44%) is water.[6]
As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 195,289 people, 65,917 households, and 52,338 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,078.4 inhabitants per square mile (802.5/km2). There were 67,708 housing units at an average density of 720.6 per square mile (278.2/km2). The racial makeup of the town in 2000 was 88.31% White, 4.22% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 3.50% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.27% from other races, and 1.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.58% of the population. As of the census of 2010, the racial makeup of the town was 84.15% White, 4.68% Black or African American, 0.20% Native American, 4.96% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.89% from other races, and 2.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.00% of the population.
There were 65,917 households, out of which 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.4% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.6% were non-families. 16.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.26.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the town was $102,865, and the median income for a family was $113,119.[10] Males had a median income of $61,748 versus $40,825 for females. The per capita income for the town was $36,390. About 2.9% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.1% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.
Government and politics
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The town government consists of a town council with four members, all of whom are elected at large. The town supervisor is elected by the entire town. Other elected positions are the Town Clerk, Highway Superintendent, and Receiver of Taxes.[11] A referendum to move to a ward district system on December 22, 2009, failed 81% to 18%.
Until 2017, Huntington was generally controlled by the Democratic Party, having the same Democratic town supervisor, Frank Petrone, for 20 years prior to 2017. The town board followed suit during these years, generally being controlled by the Democratic Party. In 2017, the Republican Party took control of the town supervisor position with the election of Chad Lupinacci.[12] The Republicans have held this position since. In the 2021 general election,[13] the people of Huntington elected Edmund Smyth[14] to the supervisor position. Two Republicans were also elected to the town board: Dr. Dave Bennardo[15] and Salvatore Ferro.[16] In the 2023 general election,[17] Brooke Lupinacci[18] and Theresa Mari[19] were elected, creating a 5–0 super majority for the Republican Party on the town board. The town clerk position is held by Andrew Raia,[20] and the highway superintendent is Andre Sorentino,[21] both Republicans. The lone Democrat in the Huntington town government is Jillian Guthman,[22] who has served as the receiver of taxes since 2017, when she was appointed to the position by the board, and shortly after re-elected to serve a full term in 2018.
Sbarro's headquarters were located in Melville in the Town of Huntington until 2015.[24]
Around 2002, Swiss International Air Lines's North American headquarters moved from Melville to Uniondale, Town of Hempstead. The facility, the former Swissair North American headquarter site, was completed in 1995. Swissair intended to own, instead of lease, its headquarters site. It enlisted architect Richard Meier to design the Melville facility.[25][26]
In 1997, Aer Lingus announced that it was moving its North American headquarters from Manhattan to Melville; James Lyndon, a spokesperson for the airline, said that the company moved to Long Island in an effort to reduce costs, as leasing costs are lower on Long Island than in Manhattan. The move would transfer 75 employees, including administrative personnel, marketing personnel, sales personnel, and telephone reservation agents. The airline planned to move on June 15, 1997. The airline had also considered sites in Boston and in Westchester, New York.[27]
Top employers
According to Huntington's 2016 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[28] the top employers in the town are:
Several weekly newspapers cover local news exclusively, including The Long-Islander, since 1838 as well as The Times of Huntington by TBR News Media. The Village Connection Magazine, published by Jim Savalli, is a lifestyle and entertainment magazine dedicated to the town of Huntington. Additionally, Patch, an online-only news website formerly owned by AOL; and the Huntington Buzz, an online-only news website that is independently owned; cover hyper-local news on issues, people and events in Huntington.
In popular culture
Huntington is the setting of the long-running comic strip The Lockhorns.
Huntington is the basis for the television series The Wonder Years.
Huntington is the town in which the American sitcom Growing Pains supposedly takes place.[29] However, Robin Hood Lane, the street address of the Seaver family's home, is fictional.[30] The show's creator, Neal Marlens, grew up in Huntington.[31]
The Village of Northport was mentioned in episode 6 of the 2012 NBC drama series Smash.[32]
Carey Lowell, actor; James Bond film Licence to Kill; Law & Order character Jamie Ross, 1996–2001
Charles Ludlam, actor, playwright and founder of the Theater of the Ridiculous in New York City, grew up in Greenlawn and graduated from Harborfields High School.
Meg Whitman, CEO of eBay and 2010 California gubernatorial candidate; grew up in Lloyd Harbor, adjacent to Cold Spring Harbor, and attended Cold Spring Harbor High School, graduating in 1973
Interstate 495 is the Long Island Expressway, and the sole interstate highway in the Town of Huntington, with interchanges from part of Exit 48 in West Hills on the Nassau-Suffolk County Line to Exit 52 in Commack.
Northern State Parkway was the sole limited-access highway in the Town of Huntington until the construction of the Long Island Expressway. It has interchanges from Exit 39 in West Hills east of the Nassau-Suffolk County Line to Exit 43 in Commack on the Huntington-Smithtown Town Line.
New York State Route 25A, the northernmost west–east state highway on Long Island including the Town of Huntington. It enters the town from Laurel Hollow in Nassau County, running through historic Cold Spring Harbor, then downtown Huntington, later Centerport, Northport, and Fort Salonga where it crosses the Huntington-Smithtown Town Line.
New York State Route 25, the parent route of NY 25A, which also runs west to east along Jericho Turnpike. It enters the town at West Hills from Woodbury, passes through South Huntington, Elwood, and Commack, where it crosses the Huntington-Smithtown Town Line.
Old Country Road, an extension of a principal west–east thoroughfare in Central Nassau County. It enters Suffolk County in a hidden overlap with Round Swamp Road at Exit 48 on I-495, then branches off to the northeast as it passes through West Hills, Melville, Dix Hills and South Huntington. Unlike in Nassau County, the road has no designation.
New York State Route 108, is the westernmost south–north state route in Suffolk County. It runs from Suffolk CR 11 at Cold Spring Harbor's LIRR station to NY 25A running along the edge of the Nassau County Line.
New York State Route 110, is a major south–north highway in Suffolk County. It enters the town from East Farmingdale near the State University of New York at Farmingdale, and runs through Melville, then South Huntington, Huntington Station, Downtown Huntington, and serves as the main road in Halesite, before finally terminating at Youngs Hill Road, where it becomes the undesignated East Shore Road.
New York State Route 231, has been entirely a four-lane divided highway throughout its existence. It enters the town from Deer Park in the Town of Babylon between Rutland and Kenmore Streets and runs through Dix Hills, where it has interchanges with I-495 and the Northern State Parkway. Immediately after the parkway, the route terminates at a fork in the road for Suffolk CRs 35 to the northwest and 66 to the northeast.
County Route 2 is Straight Path, a southwest to northeast county road running from the Babylon Town Line through Wyandanch as the main road, ending at NY 231 in Dix Hills.
County Route 3 is a south to north county route known as Wellwood Avenue from north of East Farmingdale at the Babylon Town Line to Ruland Road (CR 5) where it becomes Pinelawn Road until it reaches NY 110 in Melville.
County Route 11, includes Woodbury Road in Cold Spring Harbor, and Pulaski Road from Cold Spring Harbor through Fort Salonga.
County Route 92 is the south-to-north route from Oakwood Road from NY 25 in West Hills, Huntington Manor, and Huntington, then turns east onto High Street to end at NY 110.
Self-serve gas
Huntington is the only township in the United States to ban self-service gas stations at the township level and among the few places in the U.S. where full-service gas stations are compulsory and no self-service is allowed;[66] the entire state of New Jersey and the western-Mid Valley portion of Oregon are the only other places in the country with similar laws.
^Auletta, Ken (April 30, 2012). "Get Rich U."The New Yorker. Archived from the original on March 25, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2013. Hennessy grew up in Huntington, Long Island.
United States
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