How East Hills Became A Village
By Howard Kroplick
The first reference to the area now called East Hills, then called Harbor Hill, can be found in 1661 town records giving permission for some New Englanders to settle on land adjacent to Hempstead Harbor: “and on ye south side by ye harboure hill, and so by the East line to run as far as their bounds goe, and so downe to ye North Sea.” “Harboure Hill” is the approximate center of the area that became East Hills and the “North Sea” was the Long Island Sound.
In the early 1900s, the East Hills area consisted of the huge 648-acre country estate of financier Clarence Mackay, four farms owned by the Willets, Hennessy, Taber and Schumacher families, and the residential area of Red Ground. In 1931, the land area was 98% farm and estate holdings with only 2% of the land occupied by 65 homes. One-quarter of the 276 residents (70 people) lived on Clarence Mackay’s Harbor Hill Estate. Until 1931, the area had no formal identity but was considered another locality on the official map of North Hempstead. It was under the jurisdiction of the Town Board of North Hempstead and often referred to as being in the Roslyn.
In early 1931, residents of Roslyn developed plans to incorporate a village to include the present-day East Hills and other adjacent areas. The Roslyn incorporation plans included an ambitious program of extensive public works, highways, a sewer system and other improvements. The residents of the East Hills area, believing that such a plan would result in higher taxes for municipal services for which they would not need for many years, banded together and decided to incorporate their own village.
A hearing for area residents to consider incorporation took place on April 14, 1931 at the “Old Brick” home of Robert H. Willets. The motion was approved and East Hills was incorporated on June 24, 1931. The Village of Roslyn would incorporate one year later in 1932.
The name of East Hills was suggested by H. Stewart McKnight, then County Attorney of Nassau County. McKnight had previously led the incorporation of North Hills in 1929. When McKnight drew up the incorporation for the new village, he noted to the Mackays, Hennesseys and Charles Heckler, superintendent of the Harbor Hill Estate, that the area was east of North Hills and suggested East Hills would be a logical name for the village. They agreed and proposed it as part of the incorporation.
In July 1931, the first East Hills election was held. Robert H. Willetts was elected Mayor with four Trustees: John Mackay III (the son of Clarence Mackay), Ellen Hennessy, Stephen T. Willets and Catherine Heckler (the wife of Charles Heckler). H. Stewart McKnight was retained as Village Attorney and Charles Heckler was designated as Village Clerk. The first meeting took place that night in the Heckler home on the Harbor Hill Estate. It would be East Hill’s village hall until 1932.
East Hills is now 98% occupied with homes (approximately 2,300 homes) and only 2% undeveloped. A total of 7,189 people enjoy this wonderful, vibrant village.
The East Hill area in 1873.
Roslyn News announcing the incorporation of East Hills and Roslyn Estates (July 2, 1931).
The home of Charles Heckler on the Mackay Harbor Hill Estate which served as the first East Hills village hall until 1932.
A view of the Willets Farm looking east towards Glen Cove Road (circa 1930).
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