SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                         WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549




                           FORM 8-K

                        CURRENT REPORT
                 PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
                     SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934



    Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  July 19, 2001


                  DIME COMMUNITY BANCSHARES, INC.
            (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware                     0-27782                     11-3297463

 (State or other      (Commission File Number)         (IRS Employer
  jurisdiction of                                   Identification No.)
  incorporation)



            209 HAVEMEYER STREET, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK   11211
      (Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

   Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (718) 782-6200



                                  NONE
      (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)



ITEMS 1 THROUGH 4, 6, 8 AND 9.     NOT APPLICABLE.

ITEM 5.   OTHER EVENTS.

     On  July  19,  2001,  the  Board  of  Directors  of  Dime  Community
Bancshares, Inc.  (the "Company") declared a stock split in the form of a
stock  dividend in the amount of three shares of common stock, par  value
$0.01 per  share  (the  "Common  Stock"),  for  every  two  shares of the
Company's outstanding Common Stock.  Shareholders as of record  as of the
close  of business on July 31, 2001, will receive three shares of  Common
Stock for every two shares they own on that date.  The new shares will be
distributed  on  August  21, 2001.  A copy of the news release announcing
such action is filed herewith  as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated herein by
reference.

ITEM 7.   FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, PRO FORMA FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND
EXHIBITS.

     No financial statements are  required  to  be  filed as part of this
report.  The following exhibits are filed as part of this report.




              EXHIBIT NO.               DESCRIPTION

               99.1                Press Release dated July 19, 2001









                                 -2-


                               SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.



                              DIME COMMUNITY BANCSHARES, INC.



                              /s/  KENNETH J. MAHON
                    BY:
                    ___________________________________________
                         Kenneth J. Mahon
                         Executive Vice President and Chief Financial
                         Officer


Dated: July 19, 2001


                                 -3-


                              EXHIBIT INDEX




EXHIBIT                    DESCRIPTION

99.1                    Press release dated  July 19, 2001




                                 -4-


                                                     EXHIBIT 99.1

                     NEWS RELEASE


                               Contact: Kenneth J. Mahon
                                        Exec. VP and Chief Financial Officer
                                        718-782-6200 extension 265

                                        Stephanie Prince/Michael Polyviou
                                        Morgen-Walke Associates
                                        Press: Jon Teall
                                        212-850-5600


      DIME COMMUNITY ANNOUNCES 50 PERCENT STOCK DIVIDEND


Brooklyn, NY - July 19, 2001 - Dime Community Bancshares,  Inc.  (NASDAQ:
DCOM),  the  parent  company  for the Dime Savings Bank of Williamsburgh,
today announced that its Board  of  Directors  has  declared a 50 percent
stock dividend on its common stock, having the effect  of a three-for-two
stock split.  Stockholders of record on July 31, 2001, will  be  entitled
to  one  additional  share  of  common  stock for every two shares of the
Company's common stock held on that date. Cash paid in lieu of fractional
shares will be based on the average of the  high  and  low  bids  on  the
record date, as adjusted for the split.

The  payment  date  for the stock dividend will be August 21, 2001. On or
about that date, certificates  for  the  new  shares  will  be  mailed to
stockholders by the Company's transfer agent, Mellon Investor Services.

The  Company  had  approximately  11,329,000  shares  of its common stock
outstanding as of June 30, 2001. As a result of the stock  dividend,  the
Company  will  have  approximately  16,993,500  shares  of  common  stock
outstanding.

DIME COMMUNITY BANCSHARES, INC., A UNITARY THRIFT HOLDING COMPANY, IS THE
PARENT COMPANY OF DIME SAVINGS BANK OF WILLIAMSBURGH, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK,
FOUNDED IN 1864. THE BANK HAS EIGHTEEN BRANCHES LOCATED THROUGHOUT
BROOKLYN, QUEENS, THE BRONX AND NASSAU COUNTIES, NEW YORK. MORE
INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY AND BANK CAN BE FOUND ON THE BANK'S INTERNET
WEBSITE AT WWW.DSBWDIRECT.COM.