Hempstead Harbor facts for kids
Hempstead Harbor (also known as Hempstead Bay) is a bay on the northern coast of Long Island, New York. It's like a big arm of the Long Island Sound reaching inland. This bay helps form the border between two towns in Nassau County: Oyster Bay on the east and North Hempstead on the west. It also borders the city of Glen Cove to the west. Sometimes, people also call it Roslyn Harbor.
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A Look Back in Time
For a long time, people have enjoyed Hempstead Harbor. Before the 1900s, small cabins were built in the marshy areas. These were used by people who loved to hunt ducks, fish, or just camp out on weekends. Over the years, some of these cabins became family cottages. Even the famous folk singer Burl Ives used to spend summer weekends in a cottage here until 1970. Eventually, the town stopped allowing new leases for these cabins in 1964.
From the early days of settlers until the 1900s, many farms were located near the harbor. Farmers would bring their crops and goods to the docks in Roslyn. From there, ships would carry them to New York City and other places.
People have also been worried about pollution in the harbor for many years. One big problem was sewage being released directly into the water from an old treatment plant in Roslyn. Because of this, a group called the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor was formed in 1986. Later, in the 1990s, local leaders helped create the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee in 1995. This group works to keep the harbor clean and healthy.
Digging for Sand
From 1865 to 1989, a lot of sand mining happened on the western side of Hempstead Harbor. This means huge amounts of sand were dug up from the ground. This sand was very important for building many parts of New York City's roads, bridges, and buildings. The mined sand was brought to Hempstead Harbor and then shipped away.
By the time sand mining stopped in 1989, about 140,000,000 cubic yards of sand had been removed from the area around Hempstead Harbor. That's a lot of sand!
Fun Places to Visit
There are many great parks and places to relax along Hempstead Harbor:
- Bar Beach & Hempstead Harbor Parks - This is a fun beach park owned by the Town of North Hempstead. It's located in Port Washington. It's also known as North Hempstead Beach Park. Every Memorial Day, there's a special fireworks show here!
- Cedarmere - This beautiful preserve is in Roslyn Harbor. It used to be the home of a famous writer named William Cullen Bryant.
- Tappen Beach - This beach is owned by the Town of Oyster Bay. You can find it off Shore Road in Glenwood Landing.
Getting Around
The William Cullen Bryant Viaduct (also called the Roslyn Viaduct) is a large bridge that crosses the southern part of Hempstead Harbor. It carries Northern Boulevard (NY 25A) over the water. This bridge helps cars bypass the busy town of Roslyn.
The first version of this bridge opened in 1949. But over time, it got old and needed repairs. So, between 2005 and 2012, a brand new bridge was built to replace it. This big project cost $127 million!
In Popular Culture
- A proposed United States Navy seaplane tender ship, the USS Hempstead (AVP-43), was named after Hempstead Bay. However, the plan to build this ship was canceled in 1943.
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