In 1906, former New York State Senator William H. Reynolds founded the Laurelton Land Company and purchased a 300-acre tract located east of the Atlantic and Montauk division junction of the Long Island Railroad. In 1917 Reynolds moved the Laurelton Land Company to begin development in Long Beach, Long Island. In order to ensure transportation for the development, the company purchased the 224th Street Long Island Railroad station for $8,000. Although disputed, many historians believe that the company derived its name from the many laurels that grew near the original railroad station. The area now known as Laurelton is bounded by Springfield Boulevard, 147th Avenue, Laurelton Parkway, and Francis Lewis Boulevard.