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A−History
History · Islip

Islip dates to 1683, and 27 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 76% of U.S. towns · #469 of 758 in New York. What drives it

Most of Islip was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1967. 27 places in town are on the National Register, among them 3 National Historic Landmarks and five historic districts with 35 buildings between them. Below: 27 old photos and papers, maps from 1890 on, and the census since 1790.

1683founded
27on the National Register
9%homes built before 1940
27old photos & papers
16famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Islip’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Islip began

When was Islip founded?

1683

Islip dates its founding to 1683 (Wikidata). It appears in the first U.S. census, 1790.

First census: 609 in 17902020 census: 339,938343 years

How historic is Islip?

A−

More historic than 76% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1802.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Islip’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Islip is more historic than 76% of U.S. towns, #469 of 758 in New York. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Islip’s overall grade.
Founding era1683, from Wikidata: founded before 1776, an older era than 96% of U.S. townsA+Homes built before 19408.9% of homes (±0.6) · typical NY town 26.6% · U.S. 8.4%C+National Register27 listings, 73 historic buildings, 2.2 per 10,000 residents · typical NY town 12.3 · U.S. 2.4B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 76%
NewerOlder
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 38%

Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Islip ranks #141 on History.

New York towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical New York town has 12.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Islip’s 2.2 sits below most of its state (26% of New York towns have fewer) while its 73 historic buildings outnumber those of 87% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1683.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A−. The pre-1940 share (±0.6 points) is firm at this size.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Islip’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A National Historic Landmark27 places on the National Register, 3 of them National Historic Landmarks.A town in old photos27 old photos, postcards and papers, 1873–1974.Lost villages5 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Islip, and 34 old place names are still on the map.Older than the countryEstablished in 1683, 93 years before the Declaration of Independence.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

27 historic places in Islip

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. 3 are National Historic Landmarks, the highest tier. Boundary changes and added documentation are counted with their listing.

places listed
27
National Historic Landmarks
3
MODESTY (Sloop)
historic buildings protected
73
each building in a district counts
first listed
1973
Southside Sportsmens Club District
Southside Sportsmens Club DistrictBayard Cutting EstateSagtikos ManorFire Island Light Station, built 1826John Ellis Roosevelt EstateUS Post Office-Bay ShoreJacob Ockers HouseSt. Johns Episcopal Church and CemeteryModern Times SchoolBay Shore Hose Company No. 1 FirehouseBay Shore Methodist Episcopal ChurchFirst Congregational Church of Bay ShoreJoseph Wood HouseSayville Congregational ChurchWereholmeColtrane HouseDavis FieldSaint Ann's Episcopal ChurchWinganhauppaugeEdwards House, TheFire Island Light Station Historic DistrictRafael Jr. Guastavino HouseJohn Mollenhauer HouseSisters of St. Joseph Motherhouse, BrentwoodCerny's BakeryMODESTY (Sloop)★Rudolph Oyster House★Priscilla (Long Island Sound Oyster Sloop)★
BuildingsDistrictsStructures★ landmark

Architectural styles listings

Colonial Revival4
Romanesque2
Queen Anne2
Shingle Style2
Early 20th Century Marine Commercial1
English Jacobean1
★ Landmark
MODESTY (Sloop)Structure
★ Landmark
Rudolph Oyster HouseEarly 20th Century Marine Commercial
★ Landmark
Priscilla (Long Island Sound Oyster Sloop)Structure
Southside Sportsmens Club DistrictDistrict
Bayard Cutting EstateEnglish Jacobean
Sagtikos ManorBuilding
Fire Island Light StationBuilt 1826
John Ellis Roosevelt EstateColonial Revival
All 28 listings
US Post Office-Bay ShoreBuilding · listed 1988Jacob Ockers HouseBuilding · listed 1992St. Johns Episcopal Church and CemeteryBuilding · listed 1994Modern Times SchoolBuilding · listed 1994Bay Shore Hose Company No. 1 FirehouseBuilding · listed 2001Bay Shore Methodist Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 2001First Congregational Church of Bay ShoreBuilding · listed 2002Joseph Wood HouseBuilding · listed 2003Sayville Congregational ChurchBuilding · listed 2005WereholmeBuilding · listed 2007Coltrane HouseBuilding · listed 2007Davis FieldDistrict · listed 2008Saint Ann's Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 2010WinganhauppaugeBuilding · listed 2010Edwards House, TheBuilding · listed 2010Fire Island Light Station Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2010Rafael Jr. Guastavino HouseBuilding · listed 2013John Mollenhauer HouseBuilding · listed 2014Sisters of St. Joseph Motherhouse, BrentwoodDistrict · listed 2018Cerny's BakeryBuilding · listed 2020

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

By decade

Islip, decade by decade

5 decades in the archive, from the 1870s to the 1970s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1870s–1910s12 items
Islip, Suffolk, Co. - Islip, Town of Islip, Suffold Co. - Bay Port, Town of Islip, Suffold Co. - Sayville, Town of Isli…1873Islip, Suffolk, Co. - Islip, Town of Islip, Suffold C…MapSt. Mark's Episcopal Church, 754 Montauk Highway1900St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 754 Montauk HighwaySuffolk County, V. 1, Double Page Plate No. 12 (Map bounded by St. Marks Ave., Bayberry Point, Saxtons Ave.)1902Suffolk County, V. 1, Double Page Plate No. 12 (Map b…MapPaper Mill 20240301 1051391914Paper Mill 20240301 105139Islip1915IslipIslip1915IslipNew York. Long Island. Islip, Collins Pharmacy (interior)1915New York. Long Island. Islip, Collins Pharmacy (inter…Tyler Morse and wife1915Tyler Morse and wifeNew York. Long Island. Islip, Collins Pharmacy (interior)1915New York. Long Island. Islip, Collins Pharmacy (inter…Scene on Westbrook Farm1919Scene on Westbrook FarmScene on Westbrook Farm1919Scene on Westbrook FarmLake scene of J.F. Carlisle's Estate1919Lake scene of J.F. Carlisle's Estate
1930s11 items
Arthur W. Rossiter, Jr., residence on St. Marks Lane, Islip, Long Island. LOC gsc.5a033291939Arthur W. Rossiter, Jr., residence on St. Marks Lane,…Arthur W. Rossiter, Jr., residence on St. Marks Lane, Islip, Long Island. LOC gsc.5a033301939Arthur W. Rossiter, Jr., residence on St. Marks Lane,…Arthur W. Rossiter, Jr., residence on St. Marks Lane, Islip, Long Island. LOC gsc.5a033311939Arthur W. Rossiter, Jr., residence on St. Marks Lane,…Arthur W. Rossiter, Jr., residence on St. Marks Lane, Islip, Long Island. LOC gsc.5a033321939Arthur W. Rossiter, Jr., residence on St. Marks Lane,…Arthur W. Rossiter, Jr., residence on St. Marks Lane, Islip, Long Island. LOC gsc.5a033331939Arthur W. Rossiter, Jr., residence on St. Marks Lane,…Arthur W. Rossiter, Jr., residence on St. Marks Lane, Islip, Long Island. LOC gsc.5a033341939Arthur W. Rossiter, Jr., residence on St. Marks Lane,…Arthur W. Rossiter, Jr., residence on St. Marks Lane, Islip, Long Island. LOC gsc.5a033361939Arthur W. Rossiter, Jr., residence on St. Marks Lane,…Arthur W. Rossiter, Jr., residence on St. Marks Lane, Islip, Long Island. LOC gsc.5a033371939Arthur W. Rossiter, Jr., residence on St. Marks Lane,…Arthur W. Rossiter, Jr., residence on St. Marks Lane, Islip, Long Island. LOC gsc.5a033381939Arthur W. Rossiter, Jr., residence on St. Marks Lane,…Arthur W. Rossiter, Jr., residence on St. Marks Lane, Islip, Long Island. LOC gsc.5a033391939Arthur W. Rossiter, Jr., residence on St. Marks Lane,…Arthur W. Rossiter, Jr., residence on St. Marks Lane, Islip, Long Island. LOC gsc.5a033401939Arthur W. Rossiter, Jr., residence on St. Marks Lane,…
1940s–1960snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
1970s2 items
1972LesterSlone13619721972LesterSlone1361974RichardSimmons77119741974RichardSimmons771
1980s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Date unknown2 to date
BobWaas6Date?BobWaas6M10JohnnyCoyIslipDate?M10JohnnyCoyIslip
Today23 recent
Bayport Homans2022Bayport HomansGate Mask at Islip0032020Gate Mask at Islip003Saint Marks Episcopal Church;2018Saint Marks Episcopal Church;S End NY 111 @ NY 27A;2018S End NY 111 @ NY 27A;IHS-BIRDSEYE2018IHS-BIRDSEYE192 Moffett Boulevard, Islip, NY-32018192 Moffett Boulevard, Islip, NY-3192 Moffett Boulevard, Islip, NY-22018192 Moffett Boulevard, Islip, NY-2192 Moffett Boulevard, Islip, NY-12018192 Moffett Boulevard, Islip, NY-1Long Island, United States (Unsplash)2016Long Island, United States (Unsplash)Mexicoke2015MexicokeUntitled photo2014Untitled photoSuffolk County PD ESU; Ford F-5502012Suffolk County PD ESU; Ford F-550Islip Town Hall2012Islip Town HallIslip Town Hall-Front Door2012Islip Town Hall-Front DoorIslip Town Hall Sign; West View2012Islip Town Hall Sign; West ViewIslip Town Hall Sign; East View2012Islip Town Hall Sign; East ViewGibb Patent Plaque; Westbound2012Gibb Patent Plaque; WestboundGibb Patent Plaque; Eastbound2012Gibb Patent Plaque; EastboundHouse front Winganhauppauge2011House front WinganhauppaugeNY 27A westbound at NY 1112010NY 27A westbound at NY 11177 Saint Marks Lane201077 Saint Marks LaneSecretary Mel Martinez in2002Secretary Mel Martinez inOVERTONFH2001OVERTONFH
Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Islip’s post office has been open since 1802. Five other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Islip
1802–today
Sayville
1837–today
Penataquit
1849–1868
Hauppauge
1856–1959
Holbrook
1862–today
Bay Shore
1868–today
Oakdale Station
1868–1946
Bay Port
1870–today
Brentwood
1870–today
Central Islip
1874–today
18001910today
Hamlets and corners on the map
AtlantiqueBay ShoreBay WoodBayportBohemiaBrentwoodBrightwatersBunker Hill Mobile Home CourtCentral IslipDeer RunEast BrentwoodEast IslipFair HarborGreat RiverIslandiaIslip TerraceKismetLakelandLincoln Mobile Homes CourtLonelyvilleNorth Bay ShoreNorth Great RiverOakdaleOcean Beach
Gone or out of use
Academy of Saint JosephschoolBay Shore Sunrise Drive-InlocaleBayport Post Officepost officeBethel African Methodist Episcopal ChurchchurchBohemia School Number 7schoolBrentwood Sub StationlocaleCentral Islip Psychiatric CenterhospitalFire Island Life Saving StationlocaleFirst Reformed ChurchchurchLaSalle Military AcademyschoolPenataquist Methodist ChurchchurchPineaire StationlocaleUnion Free SchoolschoolWest Oaks Recreation Club CamplocaleWhite House Farmlocale
14cemeteries and burying grounds inside Islip
Bohemia UnionBrentwoodCalvaryFirst Methodist ChurchOakwoodPilgrim State PsychiatricQueen of All SaintsSaint Ann'sSaint John Nepomucene ParishSaint John of GodSaint LawrenceSaint PatricksUnionWillard State Hospital

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

The story

How Islip came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Islip.

Read it all →

Matthias Nicoll relocated to New York from Islip, Northamptonshire, England, in 1664.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Islip, 1882–1928

Passages that mention Islip, cut from the printed page as they were published.

Long Island Railroad, and running thence easterly and parallel with said Long Island Railroad until it reaches a point on the boundary line between the towns of Huntington and Islip one mile north of the Long Island Railroad; on the east by the town of Islip; on the south by the Atlantic Ocean, and…
...History of Suffolk county, New York1882Read the page →
Read the text

Long Island Railroad, and running thence easterly and parallel with said Long Island Railroad until it reaches a point on the boundary line between the towns of Huntington and Islip one mile north of the Long Island Railroad; on the east by the town of Islip; on the south by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the west by the town of Oyster Bay; the eastern and western boundaries being the lines now established and recognized as the town

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Colonel Benajah Strong was a resident of Islip in 1772, owning nearly all the land on which the present village of Islip is located. He was chosen captain of the Islip Company, but, owing to the disastrous result, to the American side, of the battle of Long Island, August 27th 1776, he with others …
...History of Suffolk county, New York1882 · page 15Read the page →
Read the text

Colonel Benajah Strong was a resident of Islip in 1772, owning nearly all the land on which the present village of Islip is located. He was chosen captain of the Islip Company, but, owing to the disastrous result, to the American side, of the battle of Long Island, August 27th 1776, he with others escaped to Connecticut. During the war he, together with Major Tallmadge, was engaged in many daring operations

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
There are two villages in England bearing the name of Islip. One of them is in the vicinity of Oxford; the other is in Northamptonshire. It is from this northern village that our own Islip takes its origin, for it was from Islip in Northamptonshire that the Nicoll family came, bringing the name of …
Historical sketch of St. Mark's, Islip, Long Island1928 · page 3Read the page →
Read the text

There are two villages in England bearing the name of Islip. One of them is in the vicinity of Oxford; the other is in Northamptonshire. It is from this northern village that our own Islip takes its origin, for it was from Islip in Northamptonshire that the Nicoll family came, bringing the name of their English home community.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Of the “Town of Islip” we hear nothing until 1710, when an act was passed by the colonial legislature au¬ thorizing its organization. As the inhabitants, how¬ ever, were few, and more than half the territory in the hands of a single individual, these residents did not immediately avail themselves o…
Historical sketch of St. Mark's, Islip, Long Island1928 · page 16Read the page →
Read the text

Of the “Town of Islip” we hear nothing until 1710, when an act was passed by the colonial legislature au¬ thorizing its organization. As the inhabitants, how¬ ever, were few, and more than half the territory in the hands of a single individual, these residents did not immediately avail themselves of the provisions of this charter. The first town meeting, of which there is any record, was held on the first Tuesday in April, 1720.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Timeline

Islip, 1683 to 2001

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 17th century
  2. 1683
    FoundingIslip is established
  3. 19th century
  4. 1802Post officeThe Islip post office opens
  5. 1826BuiltFire Island Light Station is built
  6. 1837Post officeThe Sayville post office opens
  7. 1849Post officeThe Penataquit post office opens
  8. 1868Post officeThe Penataquit post office closes
  9. 1873In the archiveIslip, Suffolk, Co. - Islip, Town of Islip, Suffold Co. - Bay Port, Town of Islip, Suffol…
  10. 20th century
  11. 1900In the archiveSt. Mark's Episcopal Church, 754 Montauk Highway
  12. 1902On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  13. 1914In the archivePaper Mill 20240301 105139
  14. 1939In the archiveArthur W. Rossiter, Jr., residence on St. Marks Lane, Islip, Long Island. LOC gsc.5a03329
  15. 1940Born hereMichael Plumb is born here
  16. 1945Born herePatti Wicks is born here
  17. 1972In the archive1972LesterSlone136
  18. 1992Born hereTobias Harris is born here
  19. 1999Born hereZillaKami is born here
  20. 21st century
  21. 2001LandmarkMODESTY (Sloop) named a National Historic Landmark
  22. 2001LandmarkRudolph Oyster House named a National Historic Landmark
On the map

Islip on the map, 1902 to 1979

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Islip. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Islip on the 1902 USGS mapIslip on the 1944 USGS mapIslip on the 1955 USGS mapIslip on the 1967 USGS mapIslip on the 1979 USGS map1902Fire Island sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Islip.

Every building

Islip, building by building, 1890–1916

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Islip fire insurance map, 1890, sheet 11890Sheet 1 of 5
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 754 Montauk Highway
Retake this viewSt. Mark's Episcopal Church, 754 Montauk Highway, 1900

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Islip’s page.

Retake this view · +15
People over time

Islip, census by census

020,00040,00060,00080,000100,000120,000140,000160,000180,000200,000220,000240,000260,000280,000300,000320,000340,000360,000380,00018001850190019502000339,938

Grew from 609 people in 1790 to 339,938 in 2020, more than tenfold.

24 censuses, 1790–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Islip’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

16 famous people were born in Islip

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Tobias HarrisAmerican basketball player · b. 1992
M
Michael PlumbAmerican equestrian · b. 1940
ZillaKamiAmerican rapper · b. 1999
P
Patti WicksAmerican musician and pianist · b. 1945
A
Alan MayerAmerican soccer player · b. 1952
L
Larry SapersteinAmerican actor · b. 1998
Help out

Finish Islip’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
4 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo2 archive items have no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewSt. Mark's Episcopal Church, 754 Montau…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Brookhaven52 historic placesA−Babylon6 historic placesBWest IslipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townBabylon3 historic placesA−Smithtown27 historic placesB−Bayport1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townGreat River1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townWest Sayville4 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townRonkonkomaIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townLake RonkonkomaIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Islip’s history

What year was Islip founded?

In 1683, according to Wikidata. Islip’s post office opened in 1802, and the first U.S. census counted 609 people here in 1790.

How does Islip rank for history?

Islip is more historic than 76% of U.S. towns, #469 of 758 in New York. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Islip?

27 listings, 3 of them National Historic Landmarks: 20 buildings, 5 historic districts with 35 contributing buildings, and 3 structures. 73 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Islip?

9% of Islip’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1967.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (45), the Library of Congress (5), Wikidata (4), the National Register of Historic Places (28), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.