9. Vinegar Hill was developed as a summer place for New Yorkers in the late 18th century
Before becoming Irishtown, Vinegar Hill was developed as a summer destination for New Yorkers following the Revolutionary War. The land, which was bought by Joris Jansen Rapalje and owned by his family, was sold to Comfort and Joshua Sands in 1784, specifically around Gold Street. The Sands family was one of the original three families to settle in Sands Point, north of Port Washington. Both were merchants, and Joshua served as a U.S. Representative from New York.
The Sands family built many blocks for a community they named Olympia in 1787. Olympia was envisioned to be a summer retreat close to the river. However, as New England families moved in, manufacturing facilities were constructed, shifting the ideal destination to an industrial village. Workers and families moved into multi-story brick and wood buildings.