The Cow
Neck Peninsula Historical Society - The
Sands-Willets House - Port
Washington Nassau County
Long Island New York
The mission of the Cow Neck Peninsula
Historical Society is to engage people of
all ages in programs that highlight the
lifestyles of the people and families
families that lived and worked on the
peninsula throughout the years.
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The Cow Neck
Peninsula Historical Society
The Sands-Willets House
The mission of the Cow Neck Peninsula
Historical Society is to engage people of
all ages in programs that highlight the
lifestyles of the people and families
families that lived and worked on the
peninsula throughout the years. Central to
this mission is the preservation of the
Sands Willets House (circa 1735) and the
Thomas Dodge Homestead (circa 1721), which
the Society operates as house-museums,
serving as resources for the community.
The Society maintains the Sands-Willets
House, part of which dates from the early
1700s, as a museum and educational center.
The House is typical of the Long Island
farmhouses that grew to fit the need of the
families who lived in them.
swh-350
The Sands-Willets House is located in the
Incorporated Village of Flower Hill, in the
Town of North Hempstead, Nassau County, on a
peninsula known in earlier times as 'Cow
Neck'. That area roughly encompasses the
Port Washington School District and parts of
Manhasset and Roslyn.
The Sands-Willets House has 18 rooms, 11 of
which are furnished and open to the public.
The oldest portion of the house, the
Colonial Kitchen, is believed to have been
built by the Sands family around 1735. The
Sands family were among the original
settlers of nearby Sands Point. Seven
members of this family served in the
American Revolution. The property was
purchased by Edmund Willets, a prominent
Quaker and abolitionist, in 1845. He added
the Greek-revival style addition to the
house. The Society bought the Sands-Willets
House from Miss Eliza Willets in 1967 and
has since restored and renovated it.
The Sands-Willets House, which is typical of
the prosperous Long Island farm houses of
the 18th and 19th centuries, is one of the
few buildings of its kind still standing in
Nassau County and the only one open to the
public in the Town of North Hempstead. The
Sands-Willets House is a Village of Flower
Hill Historic Landmark and is also listed on
the State and National Registers of Historic
Places.
The Sands-Willets House is named for two
distinguished Long Island families. The
Sands family, merchants, farmers, and
Patriot leaders, lived in the house from
1715 to 1845. The Willets family, prominent
in Quaker affairs, owned the homestead from
1845 to 1967. Colonel John Sands II, served
with George Washington's army. Edmund
Willets was active in the abolition movement
prior to the Civil War.
The Sands-Willets House has been undergoing
renovation and restoration ever since it was
purchased by the Society. Much work has been
done over the years with the c. 1735
bricked-over Sands kitchen hearth uncovered,
the high-ceiling 1840 wing refurbished and
furnished, the electrical system overhauled,
the exterior painted and repainted. However,
the preservation process is a continuing
one, demanding constant attention if this
historical treasure is to continue to be an
educational resource.
Hours/Tours
Tours of the Sands-Willets House are offered
on the first and third Sunday of every
month, May-October 2:00PM-4:00PM and at
other times by appointment. Tours are led by
docents who are knowledgeable about the
history and architecture of the house and
the collections on display. Group tours by
prior arrangement. Please call or email for
further information. |
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The Cow Neck
Peninsula Historical Society
336 Port Washington Boulevard
Port Washington, NY 11050
516-365-9074
www.cowneck.org
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