Shelter Island, which is both an island and a town, was settled in as a partnership of wealthy sugar merchants from Barbados. They were going to harvest the white oak to build barrels needed for their business. In 1652, Nathaniel Sylvester settled with his family on the island.
It was as early as 1871 that families made Shelter Island a summer destination. The Prospect, now the Chequit Inn, became a summer resort with a restaurant and hotel.
Today, Shelter Island remains a summer destination with a year round population of approximately 2200, the population more than triples in the summer months.
Spanning 8000 acres, almost one-third of the island is made up of a natural area - Mashomack Preserve - which was purchased by The Nature Conservancy in 1980. The overall area of Shelter Island 27.1 miles, 55% of it water.
