Bay Crest Historic District

Bay Crest is a compact group of twelve large summer-style residences and nine outbuildings in Huntington Bay, Suffolk County, New York. Built between about 1890 and 1905, the houses sit on generous landscaped lots along narrow winding private lanes, entered through granite markers reading "Bay Crest." No two houses are alike, but they share towers, wraparound porches, porte-cochères, varied windows, shingle or clapboard siding and decorative woodwork. Examples include the Colonial Revival John Smithers House of 1905 and Queen Anne and Shingle style homes such as the Horwitt, Grant Baldwin and W. M. Baylis houses. The enclave was laid out by unknown developers between 1887 and 1910 and originally held fourteen properties. It reflects the area's late nineteenth-century development, when wealthy buyers sought scenic bay views and easy rail access to New York City. It is one of only two surviving planned communities of its kind in Huntington Bay, and many carriage houses and views remain intact.