What is a Hamlet?

A hamlet is a community. The Town of Babylon is comprised of ten hamlets and three incorporated villages.  The hamlets are: Copiague Ÿ Deer Park Ÿ East Farmingdale Ÿ North Amityville Ÿ North Babylon Ÿ North Lindenhurst Ÿ West Babylon Ÿ Wheatley Heights Ÿ Wyandanch Ÿ And, the barrier beach communities of Captree Island, Gilgo Beach, Oak Beach, Oak Island and West Gilgo Beach.

Local governments in the state of New York include counties, cities, towns and villages. The communities within Town governments are known as “hamlets.” 

The term “hamlet” does not have a legal definition under NYS law, but is used to identify communities within Towns (such as the Town of Babylon) that are not part of incorporated villages, sometimes referred to as “unincorporated communities.” 

A hamlet does not have its own government and is under the jurisdiction of its Town for municipal services (e.g. garbage pick-up, building codes). Causing great confusion … hamlets have no official boundaries. (Outside of the state of New York, the term “hamlet” is rarely used.)

Generally, the hamlet of East Farmingdale is bounded on the Nassau County border and the Village of Farmingdale on the west, and by Melville and the Town of Huntington on the north. On the east, East Farmingdale is bounded by Wellwood Avenue and on the south by the Southern State Parkway and Route 109. 

This 1915 maps shows much of the area that became known as East Farmingdale, before the Southern State Parkway, the airport and manufacturing centers. The circular designs for Pinelawn Cemetery are displayed on both sides of Wellwood Avenue.   

Atlas of Part of Suffolk County, Long Island, New York, South Side – Ocean Shore, Volume One; Published by E. Belcher Hyde, 1915.