▁d ating ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Revolution . ▁ ▁This ▁area , ▁like ▁H ew lett ▁is ▁unique ▁because ▁its ▁rural ▁aff lu ence ▁is ▁similar ▁in ▁character ▁to ▁the ▁more ▁well ▁known ▁Gold ▁Coast ▁of ▁the ▁North ▁Sh ore ▁instead ▁of ▁being ▁more ▁urban ized ▁like ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁South ▁Sh ore ▁of ▁N ass au ▁County . ▁An ▁interesting ▁pre - Re volution ary ▁home ▁on ▁Long ▁Island , ▁Rock ▁Hall , ▁was ▁home ▁to ▁two ▁prominent ▁families , ▁the ▁Mart ins ▁and ▁H ew lett s , ▁and ▁is ▁now ▁an ▁active ▁museum . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁main ▁vac ation ▁spot ▁for ▁the ▁rich ▁families ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 0 s . ▁A ▁series ▁of ▁h urr ican es ▁and ▁nor ' e aster s ▁alter ed ▁the ▁coast line ▁consider ably ▁and ▁destroyed ▁a ▁large ▁beach front ▁hotel . ▁Lawrence ▁could ▁no ▁longer ▁bo ast ▁direct ▁access ▁to ▁the ▁s ands ▁along ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁Ocean . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁Lawrence ▁began ▁to ▁become ▁more ▁like ▁a ▁modern ▁sub urb , ▁a ▁village ▁with ▁schools , ▁public ▁facilities , ▁better ▁roads ▁and ▁a ▁large ▁town ▁area ▁that ▁expanded ▁into ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁today . ▁ ▁Lawrence , ▁or ▁most ▁not ably ▁Old ▁Lawrence , ▁was ▁formerly ▁home ▁to ▁a ▁large ▁upper ▁class ▁of ▁White ▁Ang lo - S ax on ▁Protest ant ▁families ▁that ▁lived ▁there ▁since ▁the ▁time