Port Washington Public Library

Port Washington Public Library Something for all ages and interests! Books, classes, events, movies, live music, and more. Visit PWPL.org for ebooks and online resources, available 24/7.

Our latest issue of "Happenings" is available now! Check out our September/October newsletter at PWPL.org/newsletter
08/21/2026

Our latest issue of "Happenings" is available now! Check out our September/October newsletter at PWPL.org/newsletter

The Sands Point Lighthouse was only the fourth lighthouse ever established on Long Island. ⚓ Built on the northern coast...
08/20/2026

The Sands Point Lighthouse was only the fourth lighthouse ever established on Long Island. ⚓ Built on the northern coast of Sands Point to warn passing sailors of the dangerous Ex*****on Rocks 1,500 yards north and to mark the entrance to Manhasset Bay, the 50-foot-tall brownstone lighthouse was erected in 1809. Noah Mason, a stonemason and Revolutionary War veteran, constructed the lighthouse and served as its first keeper. It is rumored that in September 1813, Mason was able to watch a War of 1812 naval battle between the British frigate Acasta and 30 American gunboats from the top of the lighthouse tower.

The Light guided mariners through Long Island Sound for 113 years before being abandoned by the government in 1922. In 1924, the lighthouse was purchased by Mrs. O.H.P. Belmont to grant her more privacy, as her estate Beacon Towers was located adjacent to the property. While Beacon Towers was eventually demolished, the lighthouse remained. Still located on private property, it is not accessible to the public, but it can be seen from the water by passing sailors. The lighthouse serves as the symbol of the Village of Sands Point to this day.

📸: A colorized postcard of the Sands Point Lighthouse and attached keeper's house, c. 1910s.

A huge thank you and congratulations to all of the kids that participated in this year’s summer reading program! Our chi...
08/18/2026

A huge thank you and congratulations to all of the kids that participated in this year’s summer reading program! Our children’s librarians had tons of fun scooping ice cream last week at ! Hope you will join us again next year!

Summer on Manhasset Bay is a time for sailing, swimming, and socializing, and one of the best places to partake in all o...
08/13/2026

Summer on Manhasset Bay is a time for sailing, swimming, and socializing, and one of the best places to partake in all of these activities is at one of our town's three yacht clubs - one of which is celebrating its 135th anniversary this year! ⛵

The origins of the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club (MBYC) can be traced back to the late 1880s, when a group of enthusiastic Long Island sailors created an informal sailing group which would later become the Douglaston Yacht Club. After silting in Little Neck Bay created less than ideal sailing conditions, some members of that group broke away to seek a better location and found one further east in Port Washington. The Club was officially founded in 1891, incorporated in 1892, and was rechristened the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club in 1899.

In 1902, the first dedicated clubhouse - a Colonial-style frame building with a long pier leading out into Manhasset Bay - was constructed. MBYC soon experienced a boom in membership and in 1929, the spacious clubhouse that stands today was erected on the same spot.

Notably, one of MBYC's charter members, Commodore George A. Correy, founded the International Star Class: now one of the largest one-design class of sailboats in the world. Since 1903, the Club has hosted the Manhasset Bay Challenge Cup, which is considered the oldest annual sailing event in the United States. Today, the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club remains a center for yachting and is a testament to Port Washington's nautical traditions.

📸: The original MBYC clubhouse decorated for opening day, May 20, 1905; the front of the present-day MBYC clubhouse c. 1940s.

Stay out of the heat and join us indoors to support our hometown team! There will be a Little League Tournament Game 4 v...
08/10/2026

Stay out of the heat and join us indoors to support our hometown team! There will be a Little League Tournament Game 4 viewing party TODAY (Aug. 10th), at 1pm, in our Hagedorn Room. LET'S GO PORT!

PWPL had a wonderful time at National Night Out again this year! Thanks to everyone who stopped by our table and showed ...
08/06/2026

PWPL had a wonderful time at National Night Out again this year! Thanks to everyone who stopped by our table and showed support for our Library! We hope to see you all again next year!

There's nothing like spending a summer's day out on the waters of Manhasset Bay! 🚤 These two photographs, taken in Augus...
08/06/2026

There's nothing like spending a summer's day out on the waters of Manhasset Bay! 🚤 These two photographs, taken in August 1908, show members of the Leiber family skimming across the bay in the family's motorboat. William and Emma Leiber lived at 44 Second Avenue in Port Washington. An avid yachtsman, William was a member of the Knickerbocker Yacht Club and named his vessel "The Emma" after his beloved wife.

The Monfort Cemetery contains approximately 153 burials of some of Port Washington’s earliest settlers and their descend...
08/04/2026

The Monfort Cemetery contains approximately 153 burials of some of Port Washington’s earliest settlers and their descendants, including several Patriots of the American Revolution. Ross Lumpkin, Town Historian for the Town of North Hempstead, had a lecture and discussion at the Library about the cemetery's recent restoration and the Patriots who are interred in our historic burying grounds over 250 years ago. A special thank you to the Friends of the Library for sponsoring this wonderful event!

Creative Readers had their annual summer performance this past week and it was a blast! Creative Readers Summer Program ...
07/31/2026

Creative Readers had their annual summer performance this past week and it was a blast! Creative Readers Summer Program is an inclusive arts and literacy experience where kids bring books to life with dramatic enactment, art, music, and movement. Thank you to all who joined us for this wonderful event!

🇺🇸 Join us at the library tomorrow for a very special local history presentation! Ross Lumpkin, Town Historian for the T...
07/30/2026

🇺🇸 Join us at the library tomorrow for a very special local history presentation! Ross Lumpkin, Town Historian for the Town of North Hempstead, will discuss the Monfort Cemetery – the final resting place of some of Port Washington’s earliest settlers and several Patriots of the American Revolution – and the major restoration work that is taking place at this historic local burying ground. The markers at Monfort have stories to tell that shed light on what life was like here 250 years ago. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library.
Register here: https://portwashington.librarycalendar.com/event/sandwiched-94092

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1 Library Drive
Port Washington, NY
11050

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Monday 9am - 9pm
Tuesday 9am - 9pm
Wednesday 11am - 9pm
Thursday 9am - 9pm
Friday 9am - 9pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

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