Glen Cove Glen Cove was deeded in due form by Suscaemon and Werah, indian chiefs of the Matinecock tribe, to Joseph Carpenter, the first white settler, on May 24, 1688. Carpenter was the son of William Carpenter of Amesbury, Wiltshire, England, who settled in Rhode Island with Roger Williams. Carpenter purchased the lands from the Indian owners for the purpose of erecting a sawmill and house, the latter standing near the present Dickson estate near Garvey's Point. A few years later Carpenter, ancestor of the Carpenters of the United States, became associated with Daniel Coles, Robert Coles, Nicholas Simpkins and Nathaniel Coles. In 1677 Governor Andros granted letters of patent to Carpenter and his associates, the patent line extending from the old village of Littleworth Lane in Sea Cliff, to Cedar Swamp Road, to the Friends Meeting House, Locust Valley, to Skunk's Misery Road, to the brook near the present William H. Porter estate. It comprised about 1,700 acres, and in consideration Carpenter was to make improvements and give yearly to the King "one bushel of good winter wheat as quit rent.." Carpenter's mills were erected on a dam half way between the upper and lower ponds, and tradition says that in those days vessels could run up the creek to the dam and load at the lowest tide. The sawmill did a thriving business, and on many occasions was used by Colonial officers in the construction and repairs to the old forts. The original Andros patent, presented to Glen Cove a few years ago by Charles T. Vincent, now hangs in the City Hall.In 1834, a meeting of citizens had decided that the original name, variously spelled "Musceta Cove," "Musceta Coufe" and "Musketa Cove," led people to believe that it was a mosquito cove. Nothing could be more untrue. It was the first name for the section, given to it by the Indian proprietors. "Musketa Cove" meant "the cove of the grassy flats," given because of the conformation of land and water near by.
Located at the mouth of Hempstead Harbor, where it joins Long Island Sound, this city shares with Sea Cliff the grandeur of an exceptional situation. It is protected from the north-west winds by a breakwater built by the United States government, and is thus a haven for all kinds of water craft.
The Pavilion Hotel was a favorite summer resort in the 1840-50 period. The Pavilion Hotel was a long, two-story building, with piazza overlooking the Sound. It stood at the foot of the road near the steamboat landing. The proprietor was W. M. Weeks, who was very popular with the summer guests. The village consisted of a single street hedged in on both side by impassable hills on the north, and by the stream and mill pond on the south. The guests at the Pavilion hailed the arrival and departure of the steamboat, which were the incidents of the day, husbands, wives or sweethearts being waved a farewell or welcome. In 1880, the Pavilion was burned to the ground, after an existence of forty years.
Glen Cove in 1918 reached the distinction of an incorporated city governed by a Mayor and City Council. Dr. James E. Burns has been Mayor of the city since its beginning. It is today a city of more than 11,000 inhabitants, with an assessed property valuation of more than $10,000,000 and one of the richest municipalities for its size in the United States.
There are three splendid school buildings, with a valuation of $200,000 and a parochial school; nine churches, all with flourishing memberships. Large financial institutions and scores upon scores of business houses, make it possible for one to purchase anything in the city from the proverb ial automobile to a carpet tack without making a trip to New York. There are the New York yacht Club, the Nassau Country Club, notable for its sport and social activities; street lights, water plant, gas plant, a modern sewer system, modern motorized Fire Department, two railroad stations, free mail delivery and two manufacturing industries.
There are two settlement houses, Lincoln House for negroes, and Orchard House for Italian residents, sponsored by men and women of prominence.
Attractions of seashore, woodland and country, combined with city facilities, have been responsible for the creation of one of the finest collections of country homes on Long Island. Some of the most magnificent country estates in America are in Glen Cove, in its Red Spring, Dosoris, North Country, Fresh Pond and Lattingtown colonies.
Much of the social life centers about the two exclusive clubs--the Nassau Country Club and the Piping Rock Club, a few miles away in Locust Valley. Glen Cove's beautiful harbor and adjacent Long Island Sound provide havens for the fleet of palatial yachts of the New York yacht Club fleet, many of which are used as express "ferries' between the country homes and Wall Street.
The principal industry is the manufacture of leather belts and belting, this plant employing almost a thousand persons when in full operation. The fraternal organizations include the F. and A.M., Eastern Star, Knights of Columbus, Loyal Order of Moose, Royal Arcanum, Elks, Odd Fellows, and Catholic Daughters of America, as well as Rebakah Lodge.
Glen Cove Lodge, No. 580, F & A. M.-The first meeting of Glen Cove Lodge, working U. D., was held in the Odd Fellows' Lodge Room in the Wilcockson Building, now 39 Glen Street, Glen Cove, N.Y., on March 16, 1865, with J. L. Babbitt acting as Master, and Edgar E. Duryea acting as Senior Warden.
The Grand Lodge of the State of New York, Most Worshipful R. D. Holmes, Grand master, and Most Worshipful James M. Austin, Grand Secretary, having granted the charter, the first meeting of Glen Cove Lodge, No. 580, was held June 11, 1866, in the Odd Fellows' lodge room. Worshipful Joseph S. Armstrong being elected the first Master of the Lodge. Subsequently the lodge moved to the Bowne Building, now 10 Glen Street; then to the Kirk Building, now 48 Glen Street; then to the Mutual Insurance Company's Building, where it remained until it moved into its own and present Temple, 29 Continental Place, on February 5, 1913.
The following are the Past Masters: J. S. Armstrong, 1866; John R. Fairchild, 1867-69-70-72; William Riley, 1871-79-80-81-83; J. Wesley Lane, 1873-76; George Duryea, 1874-75-78; Fred A. Wright, 1877-86-87; Paul H. Grimm, 1882-88-89-95; Charles J. Baldwin, 1884-85, (J.); Jere W. Seaman, 1890; Townsend Scudder, 1891-92; William H. Eastment, 1893; E. D. Skinner, Jr., 1894; Fred A. Crandell, 1896-97; Frank W. Seaman, 1898-99; F. Frank Bowne, 1900-01; G. Arthur R. Dalton, 1902; Joseph D. Sayre, 1903-04; William H. Weeks, 1905-06; Harry L. Hedger, 1907-08; Herbert K. Dodge, 1909; James W. Townsend, 1910; W. Fred Startks, 1911; William H. Lang, 1912-13; (L); John D. Montfort, 1914; Samuel E. Mott, 1915; Charles H. Heckler, 1916-17; Rufus E. Taylor, 1918; Geo. E. Raynor, 1919-20; Karl E. Greene, 1921-22; O. Edward Payne, 1923.
Of the above, one served with great distinction in the Civil War, namely, George Duryea, Colonel of the 5th New York Heavy Artillery.
Glen Cove Lodge has supplied a Grand Master of the State of New York, namely, Townsend Scudder; two District Grand Masters, Paul H. Grimm and Harry L. Hedger; the following Grand Lodge officers, J. Wesley Lane, William Riley, J. Avery Norris, J. D. Sayre, R. Frank Bowne, and William H. Weeks.
Glen Cove Lodge has helped to establish the following lodges: Matinecock, Oyster Bay; Bethpage, Farmingdale; Meadow Brook, Westbury; Paumanok, Great Neck; Port Washington; Manetto, Hicksville; Mineola, Mineola.
~Links~ Glen Cove- Government
City of Glen Cove-History & Facts-Newsday
BACK NASSAU COUNTY TOWNS
BACK NASSAU COUNTY HISTORY
Edited and transcribed© by Linda Pearsall Harvey