Hotel Row

Written By Dino DiPietro

Here’s a detailed history of Hotel Row in what is now East Northport (formerly part of Northport), Suffolk County:

🏨 Historic Marker: Hotel Row

  • A marker titled “Hotel Row” was installed in 1999 by the East Northport Chamber of Commerce along Vernon Valley Road, just north of the railroad tracks

  • It reads:

“In early 1900’s, Leighton’s Hotel was located north of the R.R. tracks. South of the tracks was Larkfield Inn, later known as Mortensen’s Hotel, still later as Powell’s Hotel.”

🌆 Origins & Role in Community Growth

  • Around the turn of the 20th century, East Northport developed around the Long Island Rail Road station (established in 1873), becoming a hub for travelers, salesmen, and visitors

  • Several small hotels sprang up near the tracks:

    • Leighton’s Hotel (north of the tracks)

    • Larkfield Inn, later Mortensen’s Hotel, then Powell’s Hotel (south of the tracks)

🌞 Hotel Row’s Community Significance

  • These hotels served as:

    • Rest stops for visitors and salesmen

    • Summer lodging (e.g., porches with rocking chairs were common at Leighton’s Hotel)

  • The area was also connected by the East Northport trolley (est. 1902), which linked the hamlet with Northport Village, enhancing its accessibility

🗺️ Location & Marker Context

  • The historical marker is located at:

    • 40° 52.86′ N, 73° 19.543′ W, on Vernon Valley Road just north of the LIRR tracks

  • Nearby markers commemorate other early community landmarks like the trolley stop, Larkfield School, pickle works, and farmers’ club

🕰️ Legacy of Hotel Row

  • Though the actual hotels have since disappeared, the marker preserves this slice of early 20th‑century life, capturing how the area transitioned from farmland to a small railroad‑centered community with its own local lodging and transit services.

  • It offers a glimpse into the leisure and commercial travel habits of the era, as well as the growth of East Northport as an independent hamlet.

Dino DiPietro