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==History== Mount Sinai was founded in the 1664 as an early European settlement.[https://mpmshistoricalsociety.org/our-history/] ===Origins=== The area now known as Mount Sinai was originally called ''Nonowatuck'', or "stream that dries up", by the Seatocot family of Native Americans who lived here. The first European settlers were Colonial settlers living in what is now [[Setauket, New York|Setauket]], who obtained a deed from these local Native Americans in 1664. The origin of the town's initial European name, "Old Mans", is not known. The most prominent telling concerns Major John Gotherson, an elderly Englishman who was supposedly swindled into incorrectly believing he'd bought land in the New World by [[Captain John Scott]], an important leader in Long Island's early history. After Gotherson sent representatives who were quickly turned away, local residents started to jokingly refer to the land as "the Old Mans". [[File:Cedar Beach from Miller Place.png|thumb|left|View of [[Cedar Beach (Brookhaven, New York)|Cedar Beach]] from neighboring [[Miller Place, New York]]]] During the [[American Revolution]], the area and Old Mans Harbor were under British control. However, because of its remote location the British did not have troops stationed here. Many citizens moved their families to [[Connecticut]] during British occupation. During the course of the war, American agents visited local patriots and received information, clothing, supplies and money to support the cause. In 1780, American Major [[Benjamin Tallmadge]] and a detachment of [[Continental Army]] [[dragoons]] landed at [[Cedar Beach (Brookhaven, New York)|Cedar Beach]] and traveled south to successfully attack the British at [[Manor St. George]].<ref>[[Alexander Rose (author)|Rose, Alexander]]. ''Washington's Spies: The Story of America's First Spy Ring''. New York: Bantam Dell, a division of Random House, 2007. First published in hardcover in 2006. {{ISBN|978-0-553-38329-4}}. pp. 238–241.</ref> The route he and his men took is now marked as an historic trail, called the Tallmadge Trail that runs from Mt. Sinai, to Mastic Beach, NY. [http://btdistrict.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Benjamin_Tallmadge_Historic_Trail_Walking_Guide.pdf] ===Development as agricultural hamlet=== Building of houses occurred in spurts. Initially most building occurred within a mile (2 km) of the harbor. Few houses were built south of North Country Road until the late 19th century. Much of the land south of North Country Road was owned and cultivated by farmers. [[File:Davis homestead in Mount Sinai, NY.jpeg|thumb|right|The Davis homestead on North Country Road]] There is no known 17th-century structure still standing. The 18th century is represented by six buildings dating from 1705 to 1790. Certain of these homes have structural elements which date from the early period. The 19th century has the largest number of surviving historical structures. These can be divided into two periods, 1800-1840s and 1880-1890s. Again, some of these buildings incorporated structural elements of earlier periods. In 1840 the people of Old Mans applied for a post office. Evidently Old Mans was not considered a proper name for the area. The name was changed to Mount Vernon. This name was used for only a year as there already was a [[Mount Vernon, New York|Mount Vernon]] in New York. Old Mans was used once again, but for unknown reason another name change occurred. The name ''Mount Sinai'', after the [[Mount Sinai (Bible)|biblical mountain]], was chosen by the first postmaster, Charles Phillips. Local legend says that he chose the name arbitrarily by pointing with a knitting needle at random into his [[Bible]]. Mount Sinai is the name residents have used since 1841/1842.<ref>{{Cite web |last=District |first=Mount Sinai School |title=Mount Sinai School District |url=https://www.mtsinai.k12.ny.us/43349_3 |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=www.mtsinai.k12.ny.us |language=English}}</ref> In addition to the farmland that populated Old Mans, the town's trees provided much of the wood for the shipbuilding trade centered in neighboring Port Jefferson. A shipyard existed in Old Mans for a time, but this was moved to the naturally deeper harbor of Port Jefferson. Riggers, sail-makers, ship carpenters and others lived in Mount Sinai and commuted to Port Jefferson. Grist mills were located somewhere along Pipe Stave Hollow and Crystal Brook Hollow roads. Records indicate that a number of [[windmill]]s were located on the hills overlooking the harbor. As the population expanded, a number of businesses were established along Route 25A. A commercial center did not develop in Mount Sinai and residents depended on businesses in the neighboring village of [[Port Jefferson, New York|Port Jefferson]]. [[File:Little Portion friary.jpg|thumb|left|Little Portion Friary, an affiliate of the [[Society of Saint Francis]]]][[File:Historic photo of Mount Sinai Congregational Church.jpg|thumb|right|Mount Sinai Congregational Church]] ===Houses of worship=== Prior to 1740, Mount Sinai residents had to travel to [[Setauket, New York|Setauket]] for services. In the 1740s a no-longer-standing [[Protestant]] church was built. The local [[Congregational church|Congregational]] group was established in 1789 and in 1807 this group erected the still-active Mount Sinai Congregational Church. In the early 19th century, a [[Methodist Episcopal Church|Methodist]] church was built on Shore Road, but this was later sold when the congregation joined with that of Port Jefferson. ===Resort town=== Once the [[Long Island Rail Road]] reached adjacent [[Port Jefferson station (LIRR)|Port Jefferson]] in 1879, and temporarily continued east through Mount Sinai to Wading River from 1895 to 1938, new visitors and residents began appearing from [[New York City]] and from elsewhere on Long Island in order to enjoy the hamlet's beaches and bucolic setting. The development of Mount Sinai for its natural and recreational qualities had begun with the 1841 establishment of a special care facility for sick and disabled children on the southwestern side of Mount Sinai Harbor.[[File:MSsunset.JPG|thumb|left|View of Mount Sinai Harbor from the Chandler Estate]] This consisted of housing and volunteer workers on a {{convert|130|acre|adj=on}} plot, with the location being chosen due to its close proximity to St. Charles Hospital in adjacent [[Port Jefferson, New York|Port Jefferson]].[[File:Cedar Beach in Mount Sinai, New York.png|thumb|200px|right|Sunbathers at Cedar Beach]] On April 2, 1892, this parcel was sold to Dr. Jerome Walker, who established the Crystal Brook Park Association which is still owned and occupied today by Mount Sinai's oldest private community known as ''Crystal Brook Park''. Seasonal vacation houses were erected along Mount Sinai Harbor. [[Cedar Beach (Brookhaven, New York)|Cedar Beach]], which is located on a peninsula that divides the harbor from the [[Long Island Sound]], became a popular recreational destination. The Chandler Estate, on Mount Sinai Harbor's southern side, was repurposed as vacation cottages and housed [[Marilyn Monroe]] and [[Arthur Miller]] during their holidays in the 1950s. The property was bought by Suffolk County and preserved as a park in 2001.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chandler Estate County Park |url=https://liparks.com/park/chandler-estate/ |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=liparks.com |language=en-US}}</ref> ===Suburban growth=== [[File:MSpark.JPG|thumb|right|Mount Sinai Heritage Park]]In the first half of the 20th century the pace of building slowed. Although large tracts of farmland persisted, there were small pockets of development around the hamlet. Examples of these are the "colony" of homes built off Pipe Stave Hollow Road, both north and south of Route 25A, and the scattered development on Mount Sinai and Chestnut avenues. During this time a community was mapped but never developed just south of Route 25A and east of Crystal Brook Hollow Road. It was not until the 1960s that housing developments began to occur as [[suburbanization]] spread eastward. Lands once farmed were now sold and developed into homes for new residents of Mount Sinai. This included the sale and development of the 404-acre Davis Peach Farm in the first years of the 2000s. === Parks === There are several community parks in Mt. Sinai including Suffolk County Chandler Estate Park,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chandler Estate County Park |url=https://liparks.com/park/chandler-estate/ |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=liparks.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Little Portion Friary Preserve<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-28 |title=Little Portion Friary {{!}} TBR News Media |url=https://tbrnewsmedia.com/tag/little-portion-friary/ |access-date=2025-04-26 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Town and County Complete Open Space Acquisition of 15 Acres Near Mt. Sinai Harbor |url=https://www.brookhavenny.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2563 |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=Brookhaven, NY |language=en}}</ref> and the North Shore Heritage Park (aka Mt. Sinai Heritage Park).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Heritage Park |url=https://www.heritagecenternsyc.com/heritage-park.html |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=THE HERITAGE CENTER |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Barr |first=Kyle |date=2019-08-30 |title=Heritage Trust looks back on nearly 20 years of park stewardship {{!}} TBR News Media |url=https://tbrnewsmedia.com/the-heritage-park-trust-looks-back-on-nearly-20-years/ |access-date=2025-04-26 |language=en-US}}</ref>
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