Village of Amityville, NY

First settled in the 1600's, it was not until March 3rd, 1894 that it became the Incorporated Village of Amityville. In its infancy, the "friendly bay village", as it has come to be known, was primarily a farming community that had strong ties to the fishing and boating industries. Salt hay was an important agri-product that was grown to feed livestock. But the farms and marine industries slowly gave way to the needs of summer visitors in search of comforts afforded by the cool breezes and beaches of the Great South Bay. Hotels, long since gone, supplanted the farms and marine industries that were located along the waterfront. The hordes of summer visitors that discovered early Amityville included stage and theater personalities, prominent members of society including businessmen, artists, writers and the so-called "rich and famous" Manhattanites.