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Community History Archives

Community History Archive Partner

Port Washington Public Library

Port Washington, New York

Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Port Washington.

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7Titles

Explore publications and collections from the past.

1903 to 1996Dates represented

See individual titles for available dates.

260,530Archive pages

Historical pages reported for this collection.

Explore local history

Discover the people, places, and stories of Port Washington, New York.

Explore the past of Port Washington, New York through newspapers and directories in the Port Washington Public Library's digital archive. Its seven titles include material from 1903 to 1996.

You can open the archive using the link below.
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  • Selected titles

    Port Washington Public Library shares titles including “Long Island Telephone Directory” as well as “Port Washington News And Times Post”.

  • Free and open access

    No subscription or payment required.

  • Different views of the past

    Directory entries place recorded names, addresses and occupations in a particular year, connecting a familiar person or street with the community around them. An earlier generation comes into view through the stories its newspapers chose to report, placing familiar names and events within the concerns of their time.

Reporting from the time can reveal how people described the events, work and concerns of their day, placing a local story within the history unfolding around it. Whether you are tracing a family connection, exploring a local event or sharing history with a class, there is more to discover than names and dates alone. Explore the archive online for free, without a subscription.

Explore the collection

Titles in this collection

Browse seven titles and 260,530 digitized pages, with material from 1903 to 1996. This collection is shared through Port Washington Public Library's partnership with Advantage Archives. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.

A familiar name or place can be the beginning of a story. Explore the titles below to see where that connection leads.

Long Island Telephone Directory

1,960 pages from 1924 to 1937

Nassau Telephone Directory

8,200 pages from 1925 to 1947

Nassau-Suffolk Telephone Directory

3,568 pages from 1928 to 1929

Port Washington High School Yearbooks

12,694 pages from 1916 to 1970

Port Washington News

230,352 pages from 1903 to 1996

Port Washington News And Times Post

Page count not currently available dates not yet available

Port Washington Telephone Directory

3,756 pages from 1931 to 1958

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Directories

  • Nassau Telephone Directory (1925-1947)
  • Port Washington Telephone Directory (1931-1958)
  • Nassau-Suffolk Telephone Directory (1928-1929)
  • Long Island Telephone Directory (1924-1937)

About the Library

About The Port Washington Public Library

The Port Washington Public Library was established in 1892. Today, it is a modern, service-oriented institution, serving the Port Washington School District and funded primarily by local real estate taxes. There is no charge for school district residents to join, and a library card entitles members to borrow materials from any public library in Nassau County, with the convenience of returning materials at any location.

Port Washington Public Library photo 1

Library History

The History Of The Port Washington Public Library

The Port Washington Public Library got its start in 1892, when a local Women’s Club initially met to establish the Port Washington Circulating Library. Wilhelmina Mitchell, the first librarian and director, ran the library first out of the front hall of the Mitchell home on the corner of Shore Road and Pleasant Avenue, and later in the front parlor of the Baxter House on the corner of Shore Road and Central Drive. In 1903, the library moved to the ground floor of the John Burtis home. In 1926, the first dedicated library building was constructed on Belleview Avenue. The library’s modern building at 1 Library Drive was erected in 1970 and enlarged in 2001. Over the years, the library has continually expanded its services and resources, adapting to the changing needs of its patrons. Today, it offers a wide range of programs and services, including access to extensive historical archives, making it a cornerstone of the Port Washington community.

About the Community

About The Port Washington Area

Port Washington, located in Nassau County, New York , is a vibrant community with a rich history. Known for its picturesque waterfront and thriving local businesses, the area has a deep connection to its maritime heritage. The community has grown and developed over the years, maintaining a balance between preserving its historical charm and embracing modern advancements. Port Washington is not only a place of historical significance but also a dynamic and engaging place to live and visit.

Local History

Did You Know?

Did you know that the Port Washington Public Library started in a local family's front parlor in 1892? Over the years, it has transformed into a modern institution, serving the Port Washington School District with a wide array of resources and programs. Additionally, the library's Reading Room offers a stunning view of lower Main Street, captured beautifully in Peter Spier's 1973 book, "The Star-Spangled Banner."

More ways to explore and share local history

Research Guidance

Follow an address through time

A family name, street, or local business in Port Washington can lead to questions about who lived or worked there. Compare dated entries in the directories shared by the Port Washington Public Library across the years shown. A shift in address or occupation may suggest another lead, while a similar name alone does not establish identity. A directory records selected names and details for a particular year, not the complete story of every household or business.

Where the available dates overlap, use a directory entry to frame a newspaper search around an address or occupation. Treat matching names as clues, not proof that two records describe the same person. Check the surrounding details before connecting them.

Keep the title, date, page or item reference with each useful finding. Separate the words in a historical account from your interpretation, and note conflicting perspectives rather than choosing one too quickly. These notes help you connect a local story to its evidence and explain what remains uncertain.

Review collection titles

Community Partnership

Keeping local history a community resource

This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Port Washington Public Library, its community, and Advantage Archives. Together, these partnerships preserve local sources and give people a way to explore, learn from, and share the history around them.

Advantage Archives covers ongoing archive hosting, storage, development, and maintenance. The institution and its community do not pay a subscription, seat license, annual support contract, or other recurring archive-service charge. Local history remains a community resource, not a subscription to maintain.

Would you like to see more of your community's history preserved and accessible? Start a conversation with your library, newspaper publisher, historical or genealogical society, museum, or school about the materials they would like to share and a possible partnership with Advantage Archives.

Learn about partnerships
Read All About It

Stories, research tips, and archive news

Read All About It connects archive research with the people and institutions preserving local history. Explore partner and community stories, project updates, research ideas, and perspectives on digitization, education, and working with primary sources. Use the articles as a starting point for your next question or a new way to share a discovery.

Newest published articles

March 18, 2025

It’s Your Community’s History, So Why Rent Something You Own?

We believe that history belongs to the communities where it was made - not locked behind paywalls or inaccessible due to budget restrictions. Subscription-based services and large content aggregators are generally more concerned with "content" and less concerned with the history that content contains. Their models typically involve a reoccurring charge for a plan that renews annually or licensing agreements with the library based on population served or circulation numbers. You are essentially Renting Access To YOUR History.
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