Adapted from the 2005 House Tour Guide

Sections of the area that would become known as Roslyn Heights were platted as early as 1888 by developers who were also contractors and builders. Most of the land, however, appears to have been developed by Henry Western Eastman, one of Roslyn's most prominent citizens and the man who constructed the cottage at 55 Main Street. Eastman founded the Roslyn Land Improvement Company and it appears that he developed the property along Warner Avenue. In 1907, for example, he was selling lots on Warner Avenue for $600.

The Roslyn Heights Historic District clearly illustrates the development of the area during the late 19th and early 20th century after the Long Island Rail Road improved service through Roslyn in 1887. The construction of the Roslyn Heights School, in 1912, reflects the popularity of the neighborhood. By 1914, insurance maps of Roslyn Heights reveal that approximately thirty homes had been constructed in the area. The residents of the neighborhood included middle-class professionals such as builders and shopkeepers. The developers sold the land only, however, leaving individual owners or speculators to build houses to their own tastes and specifications. This created a patchwork development pattern and while houses vary greatly in age and style, they seem to conform to a uniform setback that lends cohesiveness to the streetscape.

Today, Roslyn Heights features a mix of Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Arts-and-Crafts and Tudor Revival styles as well as American foursquares and bungalows.

The house on 150 Willow Avenue a classic example of an early Colonial Revival dwelling. While the form of the house almost appears Victorian with its front-facing gable roof, the is in the details, such as the wraparound porch supported by classical columns.