History of Suffolk county, New York, 1683, Part 36

Author: W.W. Munsell & Co., pub; Bayles, Richard M. (Richard Mather); Cooper, James B. (James Brown), 1825-; Pelletreau, William S. (William Smith), 1840-1918; Street, Charles R. (Charles Rufus), 1825-1894; Smith, John Lawrence, 1816-1889
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: New York : W.W. Munsell & co.
Number of Pages: 677

USA > New York > Suffolk County > History of Suffolk county, New York, 1683 > Part 36

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M. E. CHURCH OF CORAM.

When the Methodist Episcopal denomination began its work in this community its meetings were held in the school-house standing under the shadow of the Presby- terian church. As might have been expected there was

a strong popular prejudice against the sect, and this at length became so strong that upon one occasion when the minister, Mr. Martindale, came to fill his appointment he found the door of the house locked against him. Not to be defeated thus he invited the assembled audience to a convenient spot in the public highway, and there, be- neath the stars and in the mild air of a pleasant evening, he conducted the appointed service. A house of wor- ship was soon after built not far from the same spot. This was completed in 1841. The society organized about that time numbered 16 members .. In 1858 the church was taken down and moved to Coram, where it was rebuilt, a little smaller in size, on the site formerly occupied by the Baptist church. Previous to about the year 1850 the church was connected with the Smithtown circuit, and during that time was served more or less regularly by Rev. Messrs. Martindale, J. D. Bouton, Elbert Osborn, Timothy C. Youngs, Hammond, Worth, Nathan Rice, J. N. Robinson, D. Osborn, T. G. Osborn, F. W. Sizer and others. Since 1851 the following minis- ters have been in charge: Latting Carpenter, 1851, 1852; T. Morris Terry, 1853, 1854; S. F. Johnson, 1855; Dan- iel Jones, 1856, 1868; William Trumbull, 1857, 1858; A. C. Eggleston, 1859, 1860; Richard Wake, 1862; Latting Carpenter, 1863, 1864; J. O. Worth, 1865-67; Henry Still, 1869; Stephen Baker, 1870; J. T. Langlois, 1871; A. M. Burns, 1872; F. M. Hallock, 1873, 1874; I. C. Barnhart, 1875; F. C. Overbaugh, 1876; John W. La Cour, 1877; Samuel Thompson, 1878; C. W. Dickenson, 1879-81. A small church of this denomination was built in the southeast part of Middle Island in 1860. This has generally been supplied by the same minister as the other.

" THE RIDGE " AND LONGWOOD.

Eastward from Middle Island a thinly settled region is locally known as " the Ridge. This for the last one hundred and fifty years has been mostly owned and oc- cupied by the members of the Randall family. South- ward from it lies the large tract of land, once a part of St. George's manor, now called Longwood.

YAPHANK.

The southeastern part of what was once the parish of Middletown, locally known as Millville, is now comprised in the village of Yaphank, the name of which is bor- rowed from a little stream that joins the Connecticut River some four miles below. Yaphank is a village of about three hundred inhabitants, and has recently be- come conspicuous on account of the county alms-house located here.

The Yaphank Cemetery Association was organized April Ist 1870. Four acres of land were bought near the village, of John P. Mills, and soon opened as a cem- etery. Forty-three lots have been sold. The first trus- tees were John Hammond, Alfred Ackerly, John P.

THE TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN.

Mills, Samuel Smith, Sylvester Homan and James I. Baker.

MILLS.

Two valuable mill sites are furnished by the river, which runs through the village. Two other sites, one above and another below the present ones, have been occupied, but they were long since abandoned. Of these four sites the one occupied by Swezey's Mill, now some- times called the " upper mills," was the first to be utilized. This mill was established under a grant from the trustees to Captain Robert Robinson, February 12th 1739. By

this grant the town's right to the full benefit of the river for that use was given for the consideration of six shillings. The site has ever since been occupied. The site and water privilege for the lower mill were granted by the trustees February 4th 1771 to Daniel Homan, who at that time owned a saw-mill that had been set up at the same place. An abandoned site about half a mile north of the upper mills is known as the " old fulling- mill." At what time this was established is not known, but as early as February 20th 1792 the trustees granted to Ebenezer Homan for £3 the "town right and no more " to the stream north of his fulling-mill, or so much of it as should be necessary for the working of the mill. February 15th 1799 a road was laid out from the east end of the "Granny road " to the Yaphank road, across the " old fulling-mill dam;" from which we may suppose that at that early day the dam had been abandoned as a mill site. The road spoken of was closed again in 1823. The fourth site was about half a mile below the lower mill. A saw-mill was established on it, and a grant for the site was given May 4th 1820 by the trustees to Daniel Homan. The site was soon abandoned.

THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH EDIFICE

was built for a branch of the church at Middle Island, in 1851, on land obtained from James H. Weeks. In 1871 a tower was added. October 11th of the same year a church was organized here, composed of members who had withdrawn from the old church. The following min- isters have served the church: Clark Lockwood, 1873- 75; Charles J. Youngs, 1875-78; William B. Lee, August 1879 to the present time. The church now has 71 members.

ST. ANDREW'S PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH, -

a neat building of modest dimensions standing in the eastern part, was built in 1853. Services have generally been conducted in it, though for much of the time it has had no resident clergyman.

THE BAPTIST CHURCH OF BROOKHAVEN

was organized here by Henry Bromly, acting as a mis- sionary, September 29th 1853. It had at first nineteen members, and since then has had some of the time as many as one hundred and twenty-four. Forty-three were dismissed at one time to join in forming the church at Port Jefferson.

A church edifice was dedicated July 4th 1854. It oc- cupied a site on the main street just below the residence of Dr. J. I. Baker. It was sold in 1873, and is now do- ing service as a school-house at Comsewogue, near Port Jefferson. The money received for the building was ap- propriated to the erection of a house of worship at North- port. The church, which has never been formally dis- banded, still owns a small burial ground with land enough fronting on the street to furnish a site for another build- ing should it ever be needed. It has had the following pastors: Henry Bromly, 1853, 1854; William A. Bron- son, 1854-57; Albert F. Skidmore, 1858, 1861, 1862; Thomas M. Grinnell, 1858-60; Benjamin Wheeler, - 1866.

THE SUFFOLK COUNTY ALMS-HOUSE,

looated near the railroad station at this place, was built in 1871. It is located on a farm of 170 acres, the greater part of which is cleared and under cultivation. The farm was purchased in 1870, at a cost of $12,700. Only the smaller part of it was at that time cleared. The work of subduing the wooded portion has been carried forward by the inmates of the institution. Another farm, lying on the east and separated from this by the avenue, was purchased of John Louden in 1879 for $5,000. It contains about 80 acres. The alms-house is three stories high, with wings two stories high, and a basement under the whole. The original building is 35 by 90 feet, with wings 40 by 80 feet on either side. To this was added in 1877 another wing, adjoining the northeastern part, for the accommodation of female lunatics. The house is heated by steam. The boiler and engine were at first placed in the basement, but in order to lessen the danger from an explosion they were in 1879 removed to a sepa- rate building which had been erected for the purpose at the west end of the house. The establishment is sup- plied throughout with all the improved appliances called for in a first-class institution of the kind, and in its equipments and management it ranks among the fore- most of the State. The keepers of the house have been William J. Weeks, from its opening till April 1873; John Louden, 1873-79; Holmes W. Swezey, from April 1879 to the present time. During the five years ending with September 30th 1880 the average number of inmates was 182. During that period there were 98 deaths in the house. The average cost for food and clothing for the town and county paupers during the same period was a trifle less than twelve cents a day. The institution was for several years patronized by the State, but that patron- age was withdrawn by the removal of all the State paupers June 30th 1879. The product of the farm for 1880, the labor being done by the paupers, was 2,000 bushels of ears of corn, 2,100 bushels of potatoes, 1,000 bushels of turnips, 800 bushels of wheat, 420 bushels of oats, 130 tons of hay and several other crops of less ini- portance.

The Children's Home, an auxiliary of the alms-house, though distinct from it, occupies the house which stood on the farm purchased of Mr. Louden, near the railroad.

THE TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN.

It was established August 3d 1879, and was then placed ing the pastorate of Mr. Dibble, who was pastor also of in charge of Mrs. Mary Wheeler, who still holds the care of it. The object of this is to provide a cheerful home for children without exposing them to the demoralizing and gloomy associations of pauper society. The enter- prise has met with encouraging success. From fifteen to twenty children are cared for by it, and the average cost for food and clothing for each one is about fifteen cents a day.

MANORVILLE.

Manorville is a farming district of large extent, com- prising about 500 inhabitants, and is situated mainly on the tracts formerly known as Brookfield and Halsey's manor. Though the surface of the country is elevated nearly fifty feet above the sea level it abounds in swamps, and these have been considerably utilized in the cultiva- tion of cranberries. The head waters of Peconic River are in the neighborhood.

BROOKFIELD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

In the latter part of the last century the few hard working pioneers who occupied this section, being several miles distant from any established church, engaged in worship under the leadership of Jonathan Robinson, one of their number. Services were at first held in his own house, then in other dwellings, and afterward in the school-houses. These movements, commencing soon after the Revolution, resulted in the organization of a Presbyterian church April 19th 1796. To the church was given the early name of the locality, Brookfield, which it still holds. The house of worship was erected in 1839. This was enlarged in the summer of 1874, and a belfry and bell were at the same time added. The membership in 1845 was 25. At the present time it is about 40. The church has supported a pastor independ- ently but a small part of the time. After the services of Mr. Robinson, which continued many years, the church was supplied for terms of greater or less duration by the following ministers: Alfred Ketcham, Thomas Owen, Youngs, Moase, Hodge, Lord, Thompson, Agustus Dob- son, Phineas Robinson, William H. Seeley (1873-77), C. J. Youngs, of Yaphank, and William B. Lee, of Yap- hank, who now preaches once in two weeks. A Sunday- school has been maintained about forty years. It now numbers about 40. A burial ground was established on the opposite side of the highway from the church soon after the erection of the building.

METHODIST PROTESTANT CHURCH, MANORVILLE.

Worship was conducted by the Methodist Protestant denomination in connection with the church of that order at Eastport for many years. A society held meet- ings in the east school-house until 1869, when, a church edifice being given to the society here by the church at Moriches, the building was moved to a new site near the railroad station. Services were first held in it here' dur-

the church at Eastport. At its organization it had ten members. Up to 1872 it was connected with the church at Eastport, but from that time to October 1877 it had the following pastors independently: J. C. Berrian, 1872, 1874, 1875; A. A. Marshall, 1873; R. Woodruff, March to July 1874; L. D. Place, 1876, 1877. Since then it has been connected with Eastport, under the pastoral care of A. B. Purdy, until October 1881, from which time its pastor has been Alexander Patton.

BLUE POINT.

Blue Point, celebrated throughout the country for the fine quality of its oysters, lies in the southwest corner of the town. The land was called by the Indians Manow- tasquott. The little creek called by the Indians Namkee forms the western boundary of the village, as well as of the town. The village has been increasing in popula- tion during a few years past with considerable rapidity. The house of worship occupied by the Baptist church of this village was built as a union church in 1865. In 1870, a Baptist church having been organized here, with nine members, the edifice was transferred to that denom- ination. Beginning with that time pastors have served here as follows: James Gregory, Henry Hunter and -- Valentine, each one year; George R. Harding, two years; John L'Hommedieu, three months; C. G. Callen, four years-to the present time. The church, standing in the center of the village, is valued at $1,200. The Sunday-school numbers 80 scholars. Its first superin- tendent was Nelson Danes.

A Methodist Episcopal church was built here in 1866. In ministerial supply it was associated with Sayville from the latter date till 1878; with Patchogue from 1878 till 1880; and with Bayport in 1881.

A division of the Sons of Temperance was organized here October 10th 1867, with 23 members. It official number was 243. In 1870 it had 47 members. Its charter was surrendered October 5th 1876.

PATCHOGUE.

Patchogue, the largest and most flourishing village in Brookhaven, lies on the bay, two miles east of Blue Point. The site of the village, from Patchogue Creek on the west to Swan River on the east, containing some three hundred acres, was lot No. 3 in the sale by lottery made by Humphrey Avery in 1758. It was sold to Leofford Leoffords, the instrument of sale being ac- knowledged March 15th 1759. The village site is level and sandy. The people derive a very important part of their support from the neighboring oyster beds and the other bay fisheries. Considerable ship-building is car- ried on upon the shore of the bay. This is mainly con- fined to the construction of the smaller class of vessels, such as are used in oystering and the other business of the bay.

THE TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN.

Patchogue was made a port of entry in 1875. Since April Ist of that year E. T. Moore has been surveyor. The gross tonnage of the port has been as follows for the respective years, ending June 30th: 1875, 934; 1876, 2,521; 1877, 2,717; 1878, 2,766; 1879, 2,925; 1880, 2,730; 188r, 2,486. The number of vessels belonging to the port has been: 1875, 57; 1876, 134; 1877, 161; 1878, 179; 1879, 209; 1880, 207; 1881, 201.

The union school of this village is one of the largest in the county. The building is three stories in height, of handsome proportions, and was erected in the spring of 1870, at a cost of $10,700. The school, numbering about five hundred pupils, is under excellent management, and employs nine teachers.

Cedar Grove cemetery, located on the east side of the Patchogue River mill pond, contains about 13 acres. The association was organized May 3d 1875, and the land was purchased of Sarah H. Jayne. The cemetery was formally opened by a dedication service, conducted by Rev. B. F. Reeve, October 24th 1875. Sixty-four lots have been sold. The first trustees were George F. Car- man, E. T. Moore, O. P. Smith, William S. Preston, An- drew Fishell, J. R. Smith, George M. Ackerly, Brewster Terry and Charles E. Rose.

BUSINESS ENTERPRISES AT PATCHOGUE.

The oyster business which is carried on from this vil- lage is estimated to give employment to about four hun- dred men, and its annual proceeds probably reach nearly a quarter of a million dollars.

Several streams in the vicinity of the village afford considerable water power. This has been for many years utilized in driving various mills and factories. A paper-mill has been for many years established upon the stream called Patchogne River, a mile and a half back of the village. Grist-mills are located on . this stream and Swan River in the eastern part of the village. The manufacture of twine was commenced here by parties from Massachusetts during the latter part of the last cen- tury. It was continued by Justice Roe, and about the year 1800 enlarged and carried on by George Fair, of New York. He was succeeded by John Roe, who owned two factories, one on either stream. These mills were the third cotton-mills established in the United States, and the first to manufacture carpet warp from cotton. The factory on Swan River was burned in 1854, but was soon after rebuilt. The two mills-that on the west

called the " Eagle " and that on the east the "Swan, was organized in the early part of the present century.

River," the former occupying the original site-were in 1873 using about 200,000 pounds of raw material annu- ally. They were then in the possession of John E. Roe, successor to his father. They then used 1,600 spindles, but they have now been for several years idle.

A short distance west of the village is a small stream called Little Patchogue. Upon this a woolen factory containing about 500 spindles was formerly located. In April 1832 a grant was issued by the commissioners of highways to Nathaniel Smith and Daniel G. Gillette to raise a dam where the south Country road crosses this

stream, for milling or manufacturing purposes. The building was removed several years since ..

Other manufacturing enterprises which have been in operation here in the past are an iron forge, several tan- neries and a machine shop employed in the manufacture of machines for making envelopes.

The Patchogue and Suffolk County Bank was estab- lished October roth 1881, by Edward S. Peck, formerly a prominent business man of Brooklyn. Mr. Peck also built a residence in Patchogue during the same year.

PATCHOGUE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.

The first house of worship in this village was erected in 1794, by a union of the Congregationalists, Methodists, Baptists and Presbyterians. Each sect was allowed to occupy it a portion of the time. About the year 1822 the building was replaced by a new one on the same site. This is in the western part of the village. Its use has for many years been changed from religious to secular purposes. In 1831 the Methodists, having erected a church of their own, withdrew from the union, and, the Baptist and Presbyterian societies being extinct, the building fell into the full possession of the Congregation- alists, who occupied it until the building of their new church. The old parish burying ground lies near this old church. It contains about two acres, well filled with graves.

The Congregational church was organized January 4th 1793, by Rev. Noah Hallock, with eight members. It had no regular minister until 1822. From that time for- ward its ministers have been: Noah H. Gillette to 1833; Smith P. Gammage 1834, 1835; Mr. Moase, 1836; Par- shall Terry, 1837; Mr. Baty, 1838; B. Matthias, 1839-43; James H. Thomas, 1844-49; H. W. Hunt, 1849-58; Mr. Bachelor, 1859, 1860; Charles Hoover, 1861-64; Samuel Orcott, .1865-69; Frederick Munson, 1870-74; S. S. Hughson, 1874-77; T. C. Jerome, 1877-80; S. F. Palmer, 1880 to the present time. In 1858 the handsome and commodious edifice on Pine street, which is now occu- pied, was erected. A parsonage was added to the church property about the year 1862, and this during the past year has been repaired at an expense of about $1,000. The church has 205 members. The church of this de- nomination at Sayville was formed in 1858, by the with- drawal of 40 members from this.

THE PATCHOGUE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH

A class may have been formed during the last years of the last century. It occupied the union meeting-house until 1831, when a church was built for its exclusive accommodation. This was afterward sold to the Roman Catholics and the present church was built in 1853. It has been ascertained that the following ministers served this church during the periods indicated: N. Mead, 1835; Zechariah Davenport, 1837, 1838; J. B. Merwin, 1839, 1840; J. Sanford, 1841; J. Henson, 1842; David Osborn, 1843-45; David Holmes, 1846; Laban Cheeney, 1847; T. G. Osborn, 1848, 1849; F. W. Sizer, 1850, 1851; J.

THE TOWN OF BROOKHAVEN.

D. Bouton, 1852, 1853; Ira Abbott, 1854; William H.

Davis, D. W. Case, Z. D. Fanning, Charles Price, Gils- Bangs, 1855, 1856; Charles Gorse, 1857; C. Stearns, ton Gillette, William C. Smith, John R. Swezey, Brewster 1858, 1859; R. Codling, 1860, 1861; Nicholas Orchard, 1862, 1863; William H. Russell, 1864, 1865; E. Sands, 1866, 1867; Charles Pike, 1868; J. H. Stansbury, 1869- 71; William Lawrence, 1872, 1873; B. F. Reeve, 1874- 76; W. W. M'Guire, 1877; Henry Aston, 1878-80; George Taylor, 1881.

ST. PAUL'S EPISCOPAL CHAPEL

was built about 1843. Ministerially it is connected with St. Ann's at Sayville. Religious services according to the Episcopal form of worship are regularly conducted by Rev. John H. Prescott, who has officiated here during the past nine years. The chapel enjoys the honor of having the only pipe organ in the village, and of being entirely out of debt. The society has 50 members. A Sunday-school of 68 scholars is connected with it.

A BAPTIST MEETING-HOUSE

was built on Ocean avenue in 1876, and was dedicated August 9th of that year. July 8th 1877 a church was organized with five members. Rev. George R. Harding preached for the church one year, since which it has had no regular preacher.

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DENOMINATION

owns and occupies the building formerly occupied by the Methodists. It is a neat little church, standing in the western part of the village. Occasional services are con- ducted by a priest from some other place. .

SECRET SOCIETIES AT PATCHOGUE-FIRE COMPANY.

South Side Lodge, No. 493, F. & A. M. was instituted in June 1860, with seven charter members. The officers for that year were: W. S. Preston, W. M .; S. W. Chapell, S. W .; W. J. Horton, J. W .; A. C. Mott, secretary; D. J. Wheeler, treasurer; George F. Carman, S. D .; Charles W. Miller, J. D .; Henry Parks, tyler. February 22nd 1862 the building in which its meetings were held was burned, and the lodge lost all its regalia, furniture and records. It was reorganized in the following June. The masters of the lodge have been: W. S. Preston, 1860; S. W. Chapell, 1861; George F. Carman, 1862, 1863; Daniel J. Wheeler, 1864, 1865, 1867; Alfred C. Mott, 1866; John S. Havens, 1868; John Furguson, 1869, 1870; Alfred Price, 1871; John M. Price, 1872, 1873, 1877; Robert Mills, 1874; Edwin Bailey, 1875, 1876; John Roe Smith, 1878; E. G. Terrill, 1879, 1880. The lodge meets every Monday evening during the year, except through June, July and August, when it meets only on the first Monday of each month. The number of mem- bers June Ist 1881 was 121.

Brookhaven Lodge, No. 80, I. O. O. F. was organized here August 6th 1846, with five charter members. The first officers were: Nathaniel Conklin, N. G .; William S. Preston, V. G .; Henry Ketcham, secretary; Lewis G. Davis, treasurer. The presiding officers have been as follows: William S. Preston, Henry Ketcham, Lewis G.

Terry, John Woodhull, Samuel Ackerly, John S. Havens, Jonathan T. Baker, William P. Wicks, Israel Green, Rumsey Rose, George Jennings, E. T. Moore, John B. Wiggins, Edwin Bailey, John Bransford, N. O. Smith, John Baker, Samuel W. Overton, Edwin Bailey, George M. Webb, John Furguson, Robert Mills, William H. Hait, Charles H. Smith, N. M. Preston, Gilbert H. Car- ter, Carman Smith and Elias Hawkins,

Patchogue Division, No. 240, Sons of Temperance was instituted October 9th 1867. It had 50 charter mem- bers. In 1870 its membership was 211. It was dis- banded in 1877.

William J. Clark Post, No. 210, Grand Army of the Republic was chartered April 22nd 1881, and on that day the following officers were mustered in: John Fur guson, commander; William H. Parks, Sen. Vice-com .; Sylvester Rowland, Jr. Vice-com .; William C. Gray, adjutant; Fran- cis Nugent, quartermaster; Lewis Homan, surgeon; Charles Satterley, chaplain; Edward A. Coles, officer of the day; William W. Homan, sergeant major; Jacob Bumpstead, officer of the guard. The post meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month.

Patchogue Volunteer Fire Company, No. 1, was incor- porated by the board of town auditors March 30th 1880, according to a general act of the Legislature.

JOURNALISM AT PATCHOGUE.

A weekly newspaper called the Suffolk Herald was started here by one Van Zandt. It was afterward edited by A. D. Hawkins. In the winter of 1864-5 it was sold to Harrison Douglass, who after a few months abandon- ed it and it was for a time edited by A. V. Davis, M. C. Swezey and others. Not long afterward its publication was suspended. In the summer of 1870 the Long Island Star was moved here from Port Jefferson, and after a few issues it was abandoned. The office materials were sold, and with them The Advance was started by Timo- thy J. Dyson, September Ist 1871. It was purchased by Thomas S. Heatley in September 1876, and by him it has since been continued. It has gained the position of a prosperous village weekly.

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