Information on Rye's History taken from
"A Brief History Of Rye" - by the Rye Historical Society
Rye, N.Y. was first inhabited by the Siwanoy Indians. In 1660, some
colonists from Greenwich, Ct. landed and purchased Manursing Island
from the Siwanoy Indians. With in four years the settlement grew
and the colonists started coming to the mainland. A farm early owned
by Thomas Studwell was sold to Timothy Knapp and in about 1670,
he built his house there, which is today considered the oldest remaining
dwelling in Westchester County. This new settlement was known as
"Rye". In 1674 travel from N.Y. to Boston became possible
with the construction of the Boston Post Road and with this Rye
became a spot for many travelers. Rye built several taverns, one
of them being the Square House which is now the home of the Rye
Historical Society. Then in 1847, when the railroad came, commuters
from New York could now live in the "country" and work
in the city. Rye was also becoming popular as a summer vacation
spot offering all kinds of recreation - one of which is Playland.
First opened in 1928, Playland was the first planned amusement park
in the world.
