William Wainwright (land developer)

William Wainwright (1836 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – ?) was a real-estate developer who was largely responsible in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for the transformation of Rockaway Beach, New York into a major resort and amusement area.

Wainwright began his association with Rockaway in 1875 by leasing the Sea Side House hotel from James Remsen, who took him as a partner in 1876. He continued to manage and expand the hotel after Remsen's death in 1887. After Wainwright took another partner, the name "Wainwright & Smith" became ubiquitous on different amusement pavilions in Rockaway Beach.

Sources

• Vincent F. Seyfried, The Long Island Rail Road: A Comprehensive History, Part Five, published by the author, Garden City, Long Island, 1966.
• Vincent F. Seyfried and William Asadorian, Old Rockaway, New York, in Early Photographs, Dover Publications, 2000.