History of the name Mecox Gardens

For those familiar with the east end of Long Island, the natural beauty of the coastal plain is enhanced by the many villages and hamlets that date back to the founding, in 1640, of the first settlement called Southampton. One of the original eight settlers was Edward Howell who came from Boston to Long Island. It was Howell who came in 1640 upon the tiny Indian settlement called “Mecox”, a name taken from the Shinnecock Indians meaning “flat or plain country”. He announced he would build a mill for grinding grain, rye, and wheat into flour. The colonists expected him to construct a “windmill”, but he had a different idea. The land he selected would include a stream that emptied into Mecox Bay. There, as settlers watched, Howell built his mill. Hundreds of years later, the mill still stands as a historic landmark in Water Mill, New York. Its surrounding waters are called Mecox Bay which is where our name, Mecox Gardens is derived.

History of Our Stores

Mac Hoak moved to New York City in 1984 after growing up in North Carolina. With an undergraduate degree in economics from The University of North Carolina and an MBA from The University of Virginia, the obvious path was a career in banking. After ten years in finance, Mr. Hoak decided to follow his passion for antiques, design and fine furniture. He opened the first flagship Mecox Gardens in 1996 in Southampton, New York (moved to Water Mill in 2022). Slowly, over several years, Mecox expanded, reaching out to new customers in Palm Beach, New York City, East Hampton (closed 2017), Chicago (closed 2015), Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Napa and Pittsburgh (closed 2021).

Each Mecox location is stylistically united by a foundational “Mecox look”. However, every local store team adds their own personal design style and local flavor.