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Moses' Bridge Idea Met Troubled Waters
Beginnings: In 1658 Daniel Whitehead of Oyster Bay purchased land from the Matinecock Indians. At the time, the eastern
section of the peninsula was known as the Pines and the western section as Oak Neck. In 1674 the land was divided among
23 men who used it for pasture. Initial development centered near the western end of the village, the area now known as
Friendly Corner.
Bridge to the Future:
In 1859 the name was changed to Bayville. Because of its isolated location, some people traveled by water taxi from Oyster
Bay or a ferry that ran from Stamford, Conn., until 1937. To improve access, a bridge across Mill Neck Creek was completed
in 1898 with donated funds. The current bridge on the site is the fourth, built in 1938.
Turning Points:
The earliest businesses were farming, converting oyster and clam shells left by the Indians into lime, and harvesting salt
hay. By the late 1800s, much of the land in the village was used for growing asparagus. Farming died out after the turn of
the century as the community became a summer resort with small cottages, several estates and an entertainment complex called
the Bayville Casino, built in 1913. The biggest estate was owned by stock market speculator Harrison Williams, who later
donated his stables to the village for use as a village hall and library, and an adjacent 28-acre wooded tract as a preserve.
Bayville became an incorporated village in 1919.
Clam to Fame:
Besides its popular beaches, Bayville is known for the firm of Frank M. Flower & Sons, founded in 1887. The company is the
last remaining Long Island oyster and clam dredging company. It also cultivates oysters at its hatchery.
Run-in With The Master Builder:
A large chunk of the business district and many homes would have disappeared if Robert Moses' 1965 proposal to build a
bridge across Long Island Sound to Rye had not been killed in the early 1970s after wetlands were donated to the federal
government for a wildlife preserve.
The Pineview Convalescent Center, formerly a grand hotel in Bayville