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C+History
History · Williston Park

Williston Park dates to 1926, and 54% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 37% of U.S. towns · #711 of 758 in New York. What drives it

Below: maps from 1897 on and the census since 1930.

1926founded
0on the National Register
54%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Williston Park began, and where its name came from

When was Williston Park founded?

1926

Williston Park dates its founding to 1926 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1930.

First census: 4,427 in 19302020 census: 7,591100 years

How did Williston Park get its name?

Williston Park is named for Samuel Willis, a settler who came to the area in the late 17th century – along with the Williston Park housing development constructed in what would become the village during the early 20th century.

How historic is Williston Park?

C+

More historic than 37% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1958. Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Williston Park’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Williston Park is more historic than 37% of U.S. towns, #711 of 758 in New York. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.

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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Williston Park’s overall grade.
Founding era1926, from Wikidata: founded 1900–1944, an older era than 9% of U.S. townsDHomes built before 194054.3% of homes (±7.1) · typical NY town 26.6% · U.S. 8.4%A+National RegisterNo listings counted · typical NY town 12.3 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 37%
NewerOlder
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 6%

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 Williston Park’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (10% of New York towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1926.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to B. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.1 points).

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 Williston Park’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Williston Park are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18976 editions of the USGS map, 1897 to 1979. Watch Williston Park change.Old housesHalf of Williston Park’s homes were built before 1938.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Williston Park’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Williston Park’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Williston Park on the map, 1897 to 1979

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

Williston Park on the 1897 USGS mapWilliston Park on the 1900 USGS mapWilliston Park on the 1947 USGS mapWilliston Park on the 1954 USGS mapWilliston Park on the 1968 USGS mapWilliston Park on the 1979 USGS map1897Oyster Bay 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 Williston Park.

The story

How Williston Park came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Williston Park.

Read it all →

Williston Park was founded in the early 20th century after 195 acres (0.79 km2) of land were purchased by New York City developer William Chatlos, who had been seeking to create an affordable, planned community for New York City residents wishing to move to the suburbs. Later that year, residents of the village voted to break with the residents of East Williston and formally incorporate the village; that community also incorporated as its own village thats same year. In light of the successful referendum to incorporate, the Village of Williston Park officially incorporated on September 8, 1926.

ChaptersEtymology

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Williston Park, 1897 to 1943

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

  1. 19th century
  2. 1897On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  3. 20th century
  4. 1926
    FoundingWilliston Park is established
  5. 1940Born hereBill Fiore is born here
  6. 1943Born hereKaren Hitchcock is born here
By decade

Williston Park, decade by decade

Today6 recent
NCPD 3d Pct sunny jeh2012NCPD 3d Pct sunny jehLIMP Williston Pk jeh2012LIMP Williston Pk jehAmer Legion P144 Williston Pk jeh2012Amer Legion P144 Williston Pk jehAidan RCC Williston Pk jeh2012Aidan RCC Williston Pk jehWillis Avenue - Long Island, New York2008Willis Avenue - Long Island, New YorkKarenHitcock'Props'ToStudentQueensHomecoming05.SN2005KarenHitcock'Props'ToStudentQueensHomecoming05.SN
People over time

Williston Park, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00019401960198020002020Peak: 9,154

Between 4,427 and 9,154 people in every census since 1930.

10 censuses, 1930–2020.

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

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Williston Park

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

See all →
B
Bill FioreAmerican actor · b. 1940
Karen HitchcockAmerican biologist and university administrator · b. 1943
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Mineola3 historic placesBHerricksIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townAlbertsonIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townEast Williston1 historic placeA−

Questions about Williston Park’s history

What year was Williston Park founded?

In 1926, according to Wikidata. Williston Park’s post office opened in 1958, and the census of 1930 counted 4,427 people here.

How does Williston Park rank for history?

Williston Park is more historic than 37% of U.S. towns, #711 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.

How old are the homes in Williston Park?

54% of Williston Park’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.1 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1938.

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 (6), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.