MOUNT SINAI, LONG ISLAND

Mount Sinai, Long Island

Mount Sinai is a hamlet and census-designated place located in Suffolk County, on the North Shore of Long Island, New York. It is bounded by the Village of Port Jefferson to the west and the Long Island Sound to the north. Farming was the main source of living for residents in Mount Sinai during the 17th century which shifted from hunting and fishing when the area bought from Native Americans and divided it up by colonialists. As of the 2000 census, there were 8,734 people, 2,671 households, and 2,283 families residing in the CDP. The median income for a household in the CDP was $85,605, and the median income for a family was $89,636. Males had a median income of $62,093 and only $36,415 for females. The latitude of Mount Sinai is 40.946N. The longitude is -73.03W. It is in the Eastern Standard time zone. Elevation is 33 feet.

Colonial settlers who lived in Setauket were the ones who negotiated with the local Native Americans to buy the lands east of Setauket. At that time, the former and merged name of the area was called Old Man's Harbor. The origin of the name Old Man's is not known although several legends exist as to the source of the name. In 1664, the settlers were successful in obtaining a deed to this land from the Indians which is in the records of the Town of Brookhaven. In later years, the name Old Man's was changed into Mt. Vernon. This name was used for only a year since it was discovered there already was a Mt. Vernon in New York State. The name Mount Sinai was chosen by the first postmaster, Charles Phillips which replaced Old Man's and is the name residents have used since 1841. Housing developments began to occur in the 1960s as the residents were attracted to the area for the same reasons that the first Native Americans settled in Nonowatuck.

The racial-makeup of Mt. Sinai comprises of 95.19% White, 1.28% African American, 0.08% Native American, 1.49% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.94% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. Education has been important to the community since the early years in Mount Sinai. The Mount Sinai School District has a current student population estimated at 2,500 located in a six square mile area. The district has only one elementary school, one middle school, and a high school. It provides good educational programs to prepare students to meet challenges of the future. Religion has also been an important part of community life. A Presbyterian Church was built and a Methodist-Episcopal Church on Shore Road. There are also other several houses of worship in Mount Sinai which includes a Reform Judaism congregation on Mount Sinai Avenue and a Jehovah's Witness congregation on North Country Road. The Mount Sinai’s harbor is one of the historical spots in town that provides a pleasant place for vacation. Vacationers love to stay in Mount Sinai mostly in the summer months for the hamlet has an abundance of activities including baseball, croquet, card games, dancing, theatrical productions, social events, swimming, boating, and fishing.