Valley Road Historic District
Why it's listed
Along Community Drive, once called Valley Road, near Manhasset, a five-acre wooded strip preserves the last traces of Success, a community founded in 1829 by free Blacks, former slaves and Matinecock Indians. Success once had more than thirty buildings stretching nearly a mile; road widening, hospital growth, urban renewal and suburban development removed most of them. What remains is the 1833 Lakeville A.M.E. Zion Church and its cemetery, two nineteenth-century frame houses, three later buildings, and the sites of a vanished house and of "Institution U.S.A.," the first free Black public school in present Nassau County, built in 1867. The cemetery holds the graves of Matinecock Indians, African slaves and freedmen, and founding families. Residents worked as farmers, stock breeders, baymen and tradesmen, and later on nearby estates. The district is recognized for its link to Black and Indian culture on Long Island and for its archaeological potential.
Significance in brief: The district is all that remains of Success, a community of free Blacks, former slaves and Matinecock Indians established along Valley Road in 1829. It illustrates the blending of Black and Indian cultures and their role in the social development of Long Island in the nineteenth century. The sites may also yield further information about community life.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 77000953, listed April 8, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | S of Manhasset on Community Dr., Manhasset |
|---|---|
| County | Nassau County |
| Listed | April 8, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77000953 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Areas of significance | Historic - Aboriginal, Religion, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Mostly occupied; the church remains in use as a house of worship, the cemetery is neglected, one early house is in poor repair, and the 1920s parsonage is unoccupied. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 40.77423, -73.70347 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 77000953.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q130749368
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.