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East Norwich

Highways Ran Over Many Older Homes

Beginnings: The Matinecock Indians were the first on the scene, about 8,000 or 9,000 years ago. The first white settlers to remain in the Oyster Bay area arrived in 1644. After the land in Oyster Bay hamlet was all taken, later arrivals moved south, congregating around the intersection of two roads that are now Routes 106 and 25A. As early as 1680, James and George Townsend owned land in what became known as Norwich after the family's ancestral home in England.

Revolution: Oyster Bay was held by the British but Patriots held meetings in Norwich. In December, 1778, Hessian mercenaries marched into Norwich and remained for two years. After the war, Norwich grew slowly, not getting its own post office until 1846. Because of the confusion with another Norwich upstate, postal authorities changed the name to East Norwich in 1862. By the turn of the century, many of the old family farms were bought up and converted into estates.

Turning Point: The highways that led to the creation of East Norwich eventually began to eat away at it. In 1928, Nassau County proposed widening Route 25A from two tree-lined lanes to four. Community opposition killed the plan but only after the trees had been cut down. But it failed to block a 1961 plan to widen both Routes 25A and 106. Work began in 1963, sparing only a few old houses along Route 25A. The John Layton store was relocated to Old Bethpage Village Restoration.

Triumph and Tragedy: William K. Vanderbilt II put East Norwich on the map when he routed his second Vanderbilt Cup Race through the hamlet in 1905. During the 1906 race, a car failed to negotiate the 90-degree turn, killing two spectators and injuring a third.

Famous Sons: The most famous East Norwich family name is Pynchon. William Pynchon, a surveyor and civil engineer who came to Long Island to find work in the late 1800s, surveyed the site of what would become Jones Beach. His son, Thomas R., served as Oyster Bay Town supervisor and his grandson, Thomas R. Jr., is the novelist who wrote ``Vineland'' and more recently ``Mason and Dixon.''

Where to Find More: ``Crossroads - A History of East Norwich'' by John E. Hammond, available at local libraries.