History

Village Historian answering resident questions about the history of Muttontown.

The Village of Muttontown was incorporated on August 31, 1931. It is a village of majestic hills and estates. Two former estates of New York City families are now known as The Muttontown Golf and Country Club and The Woodcrest Acres. The third estate (mostly intact), the former Brewster Estate, now Hoffman Center, is a 155-acre nature preserve and Chelsea Mansion located on the Muttontown Preserve, former home of the Village’s first Mayor Benjamin Moore.

The name “Muttontown” derives from early use of the land for sheep grazing. It is formerly a “great sheep district.” In the 1600s the early English and Dutch settlers found the rolling hills ideal for the thousands of sheep that grazed here, providing mutton and wool.

 


Historical Maps of Muttontown and Surrounding Areas

 


Muttontown History Facts

William Willock, Jr. and the Land Where Village Hall Sits

May 1, 1963 William Willock, Jr. transferred a land title to the Village of Muttontown, effectively allowing for 2.15 acres from his 200-acre Gladwood estate to be used as Muttontown Village Hall.  Willock’s father had been a successful railroad executive, serving as vice president of the Monongahela Connecting Railroad. Following this, Willock, Sr. helmed what was at one point the second-largest steel business in the country (behind Carnegie Steel), Jones and Laughlin Steel. Upon Willock, Sr.’s death, Willock Jr. inherited the entirety of his father’s $120 million estate.

The Willocks also notably maintained a full-scale locomotive on their estate at Gladwood.  The train was eventually moved to another of the family’s residences in Maryland.  

Many of the photos below come directly from the Willock family collection. Our historian Stanley Jackson traveled to meet with the eldest living Willock in Maryland in July 2014 to scan these images from their albums.


 

Established in 1931

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Upcoming Events

Thu, Apr 6, 2023
Tax Sale
Muttontown Village Hall, Muttontown NY
Tue, Apr 11, 2023
Planning Board Meeting
Muttontown Village Hall, Muttontown NY
Wed, Apr 12, 2023
Trustee Meeting
Muttontown Village Hall, Muttontown NY

Important Messages

February 15, 2023 - Message from Mayor Liguori - February 13, 2023 Dear Residents, As you may have heard Governor Hochul, in her recent State of the State message, indicated that she is once again putting forth a plan in her Executive Budget to create 800,000 units of new housing across the state; included in this plan are unprecedented statutory mandates that diminish the […]


September 8, 2022 - Police Announcement - Police Burglary Tips


March 2, 2021 - COVID-19 Village Court Information - COVID-19 Village Court Information