Baxter Estates

History

What is now Baxter Estates was originally inhabited by the Matinecock Native Americans, and there is evidence that a Matinecock wigwam village within its territory once existed in the vicinity of Baxter Pond. Hessian troops were quartered on this property – also known as the Baxter Homestead – during the American Revolutionary War. In 1895, Port Washington's first public library was established in the Baxter Homestead. The Port Washington Public Library would eventually move to what is now the Polish American Museum in unincorporated Port Washington, before moving to its current location along the north side of Main Street; this facility is located within Baxter Estates. In 1931, Baxter Estates incorporated as a village in order to retain home rule, after Port Washington proposed incorporating as a city and absorbing the territory – about the same time as nearby Flower Hill, which similarly wished to remain independent from the then-proposed City of Port Washington. In 2010, the Village of Baxter Estates opened the present Baxter Estates Village Hall on Main Street, replacing the former facility – originally built in the 1950s – at the corner of Shore Road and Harbor Road. This new facility, which overlooks Manhasset Bay, is located adjacent to Sunset Park and consists of multiple floors; the village occupies the lower level and leases the space above it to businesses. On February 5, 2017, the Baxter Homestead was destroyed in a major fire while its owner, Sabrina Wu, was in the process of submitting plans to demolish it. This raised suspicion that the blaze was intentionally set, and an investigation was executed. In 2024, the village secured a $7.7 million grant from New York state for repairs to the seawall along Shore Road, adjacent to the Baxter Estates…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land. Additionally, Baxter Estates is located on the western portion of the Cow Neck Peninsula, roughly midway between its southern base and northern tip. This moraine was formed by glaciers during the Wisconsin Glacial Episode, and is named for Harbor Hill in Roslyn; Harbor Hill is the highest geographic point in Nassau County. Baxter Estates is located within the Manhasset Bay Watershed, which, in turn, is located within the larger Long Island Sound/Atlantic Ocean Watershed. Baxter Estates has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa), bordering on a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa). Average monthly temperatures in the village range from 33.0 °F in January to 75.9 °F in July. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the village is located within hardiness zone 7b.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  65,115
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  59,263
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  59,102
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  58,763
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  57,288
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  52,070
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  48,476
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  44,532

Largest nearby schools

• ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL
  Other · HEMPSTEAD · 1,880 students · 17.1:1 ratio
• NEW HYDE PARK MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL
  High · NEW HYDE PARK · 1,727 students · 13.7:1 ratio
• NASSAU BOCES
  Other · GARDEN CITY · 1,712 students · 4.4:1 ratio
• SEWANHAKA HIGH SCHOOL
  High · FLORAL PARK · 1,637 students · 11.8:1 ratio
• PAUL D SCHREIBER SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
  High · PORT WASHINGTON · 1,613 students · 12.8:1 ratio
• H FRANK CAREY HIGH SCHOOL
  High · FRANKLIN SQUARE · 1,596 students · 13.9:1 ratio
• WESTBURY HIGH SCHOOL
  High · OLD WESTBURY · 1,541 students · 13.6:1 ratio
• ELMONT MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL
  High · ELMONT · 1,501 students · 12.7:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.8 — 2025-08-05
  1 km N of Hillsdale, New Jersey
• M 3 — 2025-08-03
  0 km W of Little Ferry, New Jersey
• M 2.9 — 2024-05-24
  6 km E of Califon, New Jersey
• M 2.6 — 2024-05-01
  1 km NW of Gladstone, New Jersey
• M 2.9 — 2024-04-27
  7 km WSW of Gladstone, New Jersey
• M 2.6 — 2024-04-10
  5 km WSW of Gladstone, New Jersey