Pergolas in East Hills, NY

In 1643, John Carman and Robert Fordham sailed across the Long Island Sound from Stamford, Connecticut and purchased the land that is now occupied by the Towns of Hempstead and North Hempstead from the Marsappeaque, Matinecock, Mericock, and Rockoway Native Americans. This land included what is now East Hills.

For a long time, much of what now is East Hills was home to a few wealthy families. In 1898, Clarence and Katherine Mackay settled in present-day East Hills and would eventually commission Stanford White to design their mansion, Harbor Hill. In 1924, the Prince of Wales, who later abdicated the throne of England to marry Mrs. Simpson, was entertained at the Mackay estate. Aviation pioneer Charles A. Lindbergh even rested at the Mackay estate in 1927 after returning to the United States following his historic solo flight to Paris, France.

The Village of East Hills was incorporated on June 24, 1931, and its first election was held a couple weeks later on July 8 in barns at the Mackay estate. Reasons for incorporating included the desire by many locals to be excluded from paying taxes for sanitary sewer systems, highways, etc., the desire to not be part of the Roslyn Sewer District and to keep businesses out, and to maintain local control through municipal home rule powers. Many of the proposals opposed by the locals were proposed when Roslyn first wanted to incorporate, as early plans called for that village’s proposed boundaries to include what would become East Hills. As such, the residents decided to incorporate East Hills as a separate village.