Manorville

Located at the western edge of Long Island’s pine barrens, the hamlet of Manorville includes significant acreage in the Pine Barrens Core Preservation Area, where the land cannot be developed. Manorville is quiet and secluded, with historic homes as well as woodlands and wetlands. In its early days Manorville was part of a huge land grant called Manor St. George, which was awarded to a colonel who had served as a governor in Morocco. In 1844 the Long Island Railroad built a station in the area called St. George’s Manor. The patriotic station agent thought it sounded British and painted over the sign, leaving only Manor. When the post office opened in 1907 the hamlet became Manorville.
A landmark known to locals is a large depression in the ground known as Captain Punk’s Hole. During the Revolutionary War Captain Punk and his small contingent of local troops evaded a large British force marching through the area by hiding amid the vegetation in the bottom of the depression.
Today Manorville is a destination for lovers of the outdoors who enjoy hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding on trails in Manorville Hills County Park. Robert Cushman Murphy County Park is a favorite place for birdwatching and hiking, as well as boating. Manorville offers hunting and fishing, too. There are golf courses, country clubs and horse farms here. The Long Island Game Farm, a combination children’s zoo and wildlife park, is popular among families with kids. A landmark on Route 111 is a large sculpture called Stargazer Deer, which stands alongside the highway.