Early History[Summarized from “Larchmont the Beautiful” – Illustrated Supplement of The Larchmonter Times (September 28, 1922)]
The earliest known settlers were the Siwanoy Indians, an Algonquin tribe. They harvested the rich marshlands for clams and hunted inland for bear, deer, racoon and muskrat. In 1614, a Dutch sea captain discovered Long Island Sound after passing through Hell’s Gate. He reported seeing campfires in what is now known as Larchmont Manor Park. The indigenous population was not long for the area, once the British and Dutch began buying up the land. By 1720, only a handful of Siwanoys remained in what is now Larchmont.
The next century saw a steady increase in population, beginning in the early 1800s with Quaker refugees from New England. During the late 19th century, Larchmont was known as a summer playground for New York’s elite. Many of the large Victorian “cottages” of that era survive in Larchmont Manor. Larchmont was incorporated as a municipality in 1891.
Larchmont Today