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

Get Involved

Calendar of Events

Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
27
28
29
30
31
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
13
7:00 PM - Trustee Meeting
15
16
17
18
19
20
22
23
24
25
26
27
7:00 PM - SARB Meeting
29
30
04 Sep
09/04/2023    
All Day
13 Sep
09/13/2023    
7:00 pm
Documents Agenda Documents
21 Sep
09/21/2023    
7:00 pm
Documents Public Notice Agenda
27 Sep
09/27/2023    
7:00 pm
Documents Agenda
Events on 09/04/2023
04 Sep
Events on 09/12/2023
12 Sep
12 Sep 23
Muttontown
Events on 09/13/2023
13 Sep
13 Sep 23
Muttontown
Events on 09/14/2023
14 Sep
14 Sep 23
Muttontown
Events on 09/21/2023
21 Sep
21 Sep 23
Muttontown
Events on 09/27/2023
27 Sep
27 Sep 23
Muttontown
Events on 09/28/2023
28 Sep
28 Sep 23
Muttontown

Upcoming Events

Wed, Sep 27, 2023
SARB Meeting
Muttontown Village Hall, Muttontown NY
Thu, Sep 28, 2023
Court ARR./Conferences/Trials
Muttontown Village Hall, Muttontown NY
Thu, Oct 5, 2023
Court ARR./Conferences/Trials
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