Bay Shore

Bay Shore and the surrounding area, were called Penataquit, meaning "crooked creek," by the Secatogue Indians. In 1708, Queen Anne of England validated John Mowbray's purchase of the area from the Secatogues. Mowbray, a tailor and teacher from Southampton, is said to have paid for the land with "several eel spears." Early colonists earned their living harvesting fish, oysters, and salt hay. By 1776, area artisans had earned a reputation for building fine, small boats, many of which were used against the British in the Revolutionary War.

In 1862, regular Bay Shore to Fire Island ferry service began. During the 1880s, Bay Shore became known as the "Garden Spot of Long Island" with the start of rail service carrying throngs of tourists to this seaside community of hotels, horse-drawn carriages, gas-lit streets, summer estates and sailing boats. Briefly, from 1915 to 1916, Bay Shore was a silent film industry center. After World War II, Bay Shore's summer tourists were replaced with permanent residents, as families fled the crowded city for the suburbs.

Today, Bay Shore is enjoying a renaissance, with Touro College's new campus, an expanded YMCA, and the revitalization of its down-town. Watchogue Creek Park is a new community gathering place for concerts and events. Three centuries after its founding, this hamlet, located on the widest part of the Great South Bay, maintains its rich maritime heritage and architectural charm. It's a place where residents and visitors can enjoy a stroll, savor the catch of the day at a local restaurant, take a boat ride or simply gaze across the bay at the historic Fire Island Lighthouse.