Adapted from the 1983 House Tour Guide

During the second quarter of the 19th century the Flushing-North Hempstead Toll Road Company was organized to improve the highway which is known today as Northern Boulevard and to keep it passable throughout the year. The Company was free of debt by 1850 and it continued to prosper until the extensive development of the railroads during the 1870's provided a level of speed and dependability with which the Toll Road could not compete. However, during the half century or so of its operation the availability of the Toll Road was a most important link between North Hempstead and New York and was a major factor in the growth and development of North Hempstead. During the period of the operation of the Toll Road, toll-gate houses were erected at suitable intervals to collect the tolls from the wagoners.

Originally there were two toll-gate houses in Roslyn, the West Toll Gate House near the intersection of Old Northern Boulevard and West Shore Road and the East Toll Gate House which still stands in the Roslyn Cemetery just north of Northern Boulevard in Greenvale.

The earliest positive record of its existence is in December of 1860, when "the new toll gate east of the village" was mentioned in a deed (Queens Co., Liber 185 of Deeds, pg. 119). Of all the large number of 19th century Long Island toll-gate houses it is the sole survivor, probably as the result of the relocation of Northern Boulevard some yards to the south and the subsequent inclusion of the East Toil-Gate House within the precincts of the Roslyn Cemetery, where it still stands facing a short strip of the early toll-road. John Radigan, whose reminiscenses cover the last quarter of the 19th century, briefly described its use.

The last toll collector, Mrs. Noon, lived in the building and watched the turnpike from its west windows. A long pole that extended over the roadway was moved up and down to stop vehicles and let them pass after their toll was paid.