History of Suffolk county, New York, 1683, Part 87

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 87

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Adjoining the school-house grounds was the former residence of the two Epenetus Smiths, father and son. The father was the host at whose hospitable board the traveler from Brooklyn to Sag Harbor rested on the second of the three days of his journey eastward. Epenetus had a reputation as a bon vivant; his larder was always well supplied with the comforts of life. During the Revolutionary war a widow Blydenburgh kept a house of entertainment on the opposite corner. A company of 30 or more British troopers galloping through the island reined up at the widow's, and com- manded dinner for the party and provender for their The first settled minister of whom we have any ac- count was the Rev. Daniel Taylor, who preached at Nissequogue from 1712 to 1716. In the latter year the proprietors of Smithtown granted him 50 acres of land on the west side of the river, near the present Landing the son, was a man of strong mind, enlarged views and | M. E. church, in consideration of four years' faithful ser- vices to them as a minister. (Book r of town records, page 25.) How long Mr. Taylor preached there is not Reeve, who preach there from twelve to fourteen years previous to 1750. horses. "Lordy me!" exclaimed the widow, "don't come to a poor lone widow; go over to Netus's, yonder; there's plenty there;" and the troopers did go over to Netus's, and made a raid upon his larder. Epenetus, commanding influence in the town. His son Samuel A. Smith was county clerk several years, then for many years justice of the peace. He was admitted to the bar ascertained. He was succeeded by the Rev. Abner in 1859 and practiced law successfully here for a long time. He erected the commodious house, on the south

THE TOWN OF SMITHTOWN.

The church was removed to the Branch in 1750. The | Richard Wheeler, Elijah Brush, George K. Hubbs, paths between the then houses of Epenetus Smith and Samuel Gould and James Darling. The name of the corporation is " The Trustees of the Methodist Episco- pal Church and Congregation of the Branch." This church was then and still is in the Smithtown circuit. Its first minister who officiated in the whole circuit (then composed of this church and the churches at Lake Grove, Hauppauge, Comac and Landing) was Rev. George Hollis, who continued here till 1848. He was succeeded as follows: April 1848, Rev. E. Jagger; May 1850, Rev. E. S. Hibbard; July 7th 1851, Rev. William Gothard; Rev. Mr. Wilde; Rev. Daniel Jones; May 1862, Rev. William Wake. Richard Blydenburgh were altered so as to accommodate the building, and Obadiah Smith, who then owned the triangular piece between the two paths, gave one- quarter of an acre of land for the site. The highway leading from Nissequogue to the Branch then ran west of the present church site. The building was erected on the land then occupied by the highway. It stood about six feet in the rear of the present church. It was a mere shell, simply a covered frame, having no plaster on its walls; the open rafters and the shingles of the roof formed the ceiling. The winds whistling through the crevices in winter, and the twittering of. the swal- lows in the roof in summer, enlivened the labors of the

clergyman. The old building was removed in 1827 and town circuit to the effect that the M. E. parsonage at used as a woolen factory at the New Mills, and the pres- ent substantial edifice was erected.

The first minister at the Branch was Rev. Napthali Dagget, who remained five years; and then came Rev. Thomas Lewis, from 1763 to 1769; . then David Avery, who remained only a short time. Then the Rev. Joshua Hart occupied the place from 1774 to 1787. After some temporary supplies the Rev. Luther Gleason commenced his ministry in 1797. He remained several years, and after him came Rev. Bradford Marcy, from 1811 to 1814; then successively: Henry Fuller, 1816-21; Richard F. Nicoll, 1823-27; Ithamar Pillsbury, 1827-32; James C. Edwards, 1835-52; Rev. Rutgers Van Brunt, until 1856, when he resigned and Rev. E. F. Munday was called. He was succeeded by Rev. S. H. McMul- len in 1861, and he in 1865 by Rev. James Sinclair, the present esteemed incumbent. His long term of service testifies to his worth and his deserved popularity among his people.

The parsonage was erected in the year 1835. The site was given by William Blydenburgh to the church to be used for a parsonage only, the deed only to be valid so long as the ground was used for that purpose. The first parsonage occupied by the Presbyterian minister after the removal of the church to the Branch was the residence formerly of Benjamin Mills, afterward of Samuel A. Smith and of Mr. Campbell, at the crossroads west of the railroad depot. This place was owned and occupied as a parsonage for many years. It was con- veyed by the church in 1801 to Rev. Luther Gleason, then the minister. In January 1823 William Blyden- burgh, who then owned the house and four acres on the west side of the road near the brook, known as the Burnt house property, conveyed it to the church for a parsonage, and it was occupied as such until Rev. Mr. Pillsbury came here. He purchased the parsonage and occupied it during his ministry, and when he left he sold it and the church was without a parsonage until the lot now owned was purchased.

M. E. Church at Smithtown Branch .- In 1845 a Methodist Episcopal society was formed and the present church building erected on the lane north of the resi- dence of J. Lawrence Smith. The first trustees were

On the 20th of May 1862 an agreement was entered into between the five churches then forming the Smith-

the Branch was purchased and repaired with their com- mon funds, and that the deed for it should be taken in the name of the Branch church, and held by it for their common benefit and managed as the majority should direct. Under this agreement the parsonage was held and used for the equal benefit of all until the division of the circuit.

The pastors here since Mr. Wake have been as fol- lows; Rev. Edward K. Fanning, 1864-66; Rev. John H. Stansbury; Rev. Daniel Jones, 1869-71; Rev. Charles Stearns, 1871-74; Rev. T. M. Terry, 1874, 1875; Rev. Benjamin Redford, who came in 1875 and died here in his second year; Rev Mr. Lawrence, 1877; Rev. S. Kristellar; Rev. Charles Stearns, 1879, died before the end of his first year, and was succeeded in 1881 by Rev. William A. Layton, the present incumbent.

In the spring of 1879 the circuit was divided, the churches at Comac, the Landing and the Branch forming the Smithtown circuit, and St. James, Lake Grove and Hauppauge forming a new circuit called the Lake Grove circuit.

Schools at Smithtown Branch .- The site of the union school building has been used for similar purposes since the settlement of the village. The old school- house was a private institution, built by subscrip- tion, and a select school was taught there until 1816. In that year the village was organized as school district No. 1, and on the 6th of November the inhabitants voted "that the trustees purchase the school-house from its present owners for the use of the district for $500." Benjamin B. Blydenburgh was the first clerk of the dis- trict. The minutes of the meeting, in the clear, round, bold hand written by him, indicate the intelligence and business capacity of the man. He died in 1816, but the organization has continued, and from the school many well educated men have gone out.

In 1867 Captain Jonas Smith, of Stony Brook, a na- tive of St. James, devised to J. Lawrence Smith, Joel L. G. Smith and Lyman B. Smith in trust $8,000, to be ap- propriated to the cause of education in this district. The formation of a corporation under the union free school law was deemed the most satisfactory method of applying the bounty of the donor. Accordingly such a

THE TOWN OF SMITHTOWN.

corporation was formed, the school-house lot was en- larged, and the present commodious and convenient building was erected in 1868. The school has since maintained a high standard. On the front of the build- ing, under the roof of the porch, is a marble tablet, the inscription of which is as follows:

"To the memory of JONAS SMITH, the founder, and to his esteemed widow, NANCY SMITH, the patron, these halls are respectfully dedicated. Without opportunity for education, or assistance from friends in youth, he was the architect of his own fortune. Far seeing, clearly discerning, soundly judging, and promptly deciding, he marked whatever he touched. A pattern of sobriety, integrity and industry, he wanted only the polish of edu- cation to make him the perfect man. He leaves this legacy to you pupils that you may here enjoy in early life the privileges which were denied to him."

THE LANDING,

or, as it is sometimes called, " Blydenburgh's Landing," on the Nissequogue River, is a public landing and water- ing place laid out by the town authorities. Here Rich- ard Blydenburgh and Henry Conkling kept a country store. In 1806 they erected a dock along the river for the convenience of scows and lighters going up and down. Hence it is called Blydenburgh's Landing. Sev- eral other docks have been erected along the river in that vicinity by the farmers, for convenience in shipping their cordwood and receiving fertilizers from the city. The first bridge across the river here was built about the year 1806 or 1807. In 1869 the more commodious and substantial structure was erected which now spans the river.

Beyond the bridge is the residence of Ebenezer Jayne, an industrious and prosperous farmer, and a short dis- tance beyond is the Landing Methodist Episcopal church, which he was chiefly instrumental in constructing. A half acre of land was conveyed to the society by Adam Darling July 11th 1834. The society was incorporated April 26th 1834, under the name of "The Methodist Episcopal Church and Congregation of Smithtown Land- ing." The first trustees were Joseph B. Jayne, Fletcher E. Wheeler, John A. Darling, George K. Hubbs and Elkanah Wheeler. This church is a part of the Smith- town circuit, and services are held every Sunday.

DARLINGTOWN.

Darlingtown, a small settlement on the west side of the Nissequogue River, north of the Landing church, was settled-early in the last century by John Darling and his three sons, Adam, John and Hamilton, who came here from Nantucket and purchased a tract of land on the west side of the river, then called Darling's Hollow, and were the progenitors of a large family of that name, many of whom have been noted as ship- builders and commanders of vessels in the coasting trade. Captain James Darling, of Smithtown Branch, and Jeremiah Darling, surveyor of the Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company of New York, are representative men of that class.

SMITHTOWN DOCK, ETC.

Beyond Darlingtown and near Smithtown Dock was the residence of Aaron Smith, the father of Platt and Jerry, two eccentric brothers of the last century, of whom many amusing anecdotes are related by men of the olden time. On. the shore below the house was "Aaron's Landing." In 1793 the town granted to Adam Darling, Mills Phillips and William Blydenburgh "the right to construct a dock at a place by the name of Aaron's Landing," the grantees to allow the town one- eighth of the profits, free of any expense to the town. Aaron Smith's heirs claimed the shore, and in 1795 a special town meeting was called to consider the pro- priety of the claim of the administrators of Aaron Smith to this land. (Town records, page 84.) No conclusion was arrived at, but dock masters were appointed to look after the town revenue. In 1796 the town meeting voted that Hamilton Darling should have the privilege of building a wharf at least 40 feet northward of the wharf built on Aaron Smith's landing, he to pay the town one-eighth of the profits. In 1815 it was voted that Benjamin Darling have the privilege of rebuilding the dock formerly built by his father, he complying with the same conditions and yielding one eighth of the profits. At a town meeting in 1816 it was voted that the com- missioners of highways leave out the dock at Aaron Smith's Landing, on the west side of the river, at their discretion, for the benefit of the town. The conmis- sioners left ont the dock, and it was allowed to fall to decay; and Elias Smith, the owner of the adjoining up- land, about the year 1800 built the dock at the north side of Aaron's dock, known as Elias's dock. A dispute arose between the town and Elias as to the extent of the public landing, and in 1817 Thomas Hallock, John Hammond and Nathaniel Smith were appointed arbi- trators to settle it. Their award is at page 13 of the second book of town records. The boundaries, being a walnut bush and a heap of stones, are not very intelli- gible now, but it must be assumed that it was settled as it is now occupied. Elias Smith built a store and dwell- ing house there, which were occupied for a long time by Daniel Seacord. The " going over " or public highway across the river, from the island on Caleb T. Smith's place at Nissequogue, met the channel opposite the south end of Elias's dock. While Seacord lived there he constructed the dock at Swax's Hollow, outside. the beach, just below the harbor's mouth. There was then a dock, probably the first in the town, on the inside of the little beach opposite Horse Island. The highway from Nissequogue through James Neck terminates there.

On May Ist 1821 the commissioners of highways of the town leased to Henry Conkling and Richard Bly- denburgh 3d a strip of land at Aaron's Landing, 160 feet along the river and extending back to the highway, for twenty-one years at a rent of $8 per year, for the purpose of constructing a dock; they built a dock, which is now owned by James Darling and Elijah Brush, and that and Elias's dock form what is now known as "Smithtown Dock."

THE TOWN OF SMITHTOWN.

This is now the head of sloop navigation. Formerly its construction. After its erection the old dock at Swax's Hollow was allowed to go to decay, and it has now entirely disappeared. a few flat-bottomed vessels navigated the river as far as Blydenburgh's landing; but the river as it comes down through the hills is so serpentine that the use of it for Just beyond this is the property of large vessels was long since abandoned. Naviga- ST. JOHNLAND, tion from above is mostly by scows of twenty to thirty tons burden, which carry down the cordwood and bring the sainted Dr. William A. Muhlenberg's legacy to pos- up merchandise and fertilizers. Formerly a very active terity. The following succinct account, prepared by the very able and energetic superintendent, Sister Anne Ayres, fully explains its scope and object:

trade in cordwood was carried on from this dock, which supported from ten to fifteen vessels, sloops and schooners. Now there are only two or three vessels regularly engaged in the trade.

Vessels of large size were also formerly constructed here. About the year 1835 Moses B. Hart had a ship- yard and built several large vessels on the north side of Elias's dock.

The society of St. Johnland owns for its corporate purposes an estate of 565 acres, picturesquely situated on the north shore of the island, midway between the villages of Northport and Smithtown Branch. About one-third of the land is under cultivation; the remainder consists of woodland and salt meadow. A bold ridge, finely wooded with oak, chestnut and cedar, forms the northern boundary, and on a gentle slope southward from this lie the buildings of the settlement.

Back along the shore as the road turns westward was the residence of Leonard W. Lawrence, now occupied by his granddaughter and her husband Charles H. Brown. Up the hill toward the Northside road was the residence The late Rev. Dr. Muhlenberg, the founder, assisted by several prominent citizens of New York, purchased the original farm (to which additions have been made) in the year 1865. The society was incorporated in 1870. Its objects, as declared in the certificate of incorporation, are as follows: To hold the estate known as St. John- land; to have the supervision of its affairs, and to see that it is rightly used for the purposes for which it has been created, which purposes, in the main, are as follows: of Aaron Smith, afterward that of John Vail, now occu- pied by Leonard W. Lawrence, a very aged citizen, and his grandson Louis J. Smith. Farther up on the crown of the hill lived Samel Smith, formerly sheriff of Suffolk county. It was afterward owned by Edwin A. Smith, then by Henry R. Dunham, the wealthy New York steam boiler maker, and it is now owned by his son-in- law William H. Mills. A little farther on, at the foot of the hill, was the residence of Elias Smith, a very large landholder. It was afterward occupied by his son-in- law Dr. Bowers, and is now by his grandson William C. Lawrence. Adjoining are the farm and pond of James B. Harned. He has a small bone-mill there, but the on their work at St. Johnland; but this provision shall pond is chiefly noted for its beautiful trout.

Still a little further north is the residence of the late Noel J. Becar. Here is Jones Point, where vessels were formerly constructed by Thomas Hallock, then an ex- tensive landholder. Daniel Lawrence, the grandson of the patentee and the son of Deborah, to whom she con- veyed her share of the Smithtown lands, had a house in this immediate vicinity, on the highway from Jones Point to Hog Pond, now Indian Head. It must have been the house afterward owned and occupied by Jeffry Smith, on the north side of the highway to St. Johnland. Many of the fields in that vicinity are now called Law- rence's lots. Mr. Becar was an extensive stock-breeder. His particular fancy was shorthorn cattle. He in com- pany with Lewis G. Morris, of Westchester, imported some of the best animals to be found in the English herds, and for many years their shorthorns were the finest and commanded the very highest prices.

A short distance below this is the present lower land- ing or Cornish's dock, just inside the harbor's mouth. Lastly, and as embracing the whole, to give form and practical application to the principles of brotherhood in Christ, in an organized congregation or parish, con- stituted by settled residents of St. Johnland. This dock was built in 1840, by Francis B. Olmstead, now of Northport, and Thomas Cornish, who also own- ed and carried on a country store, now occupied by Maurice A. Burr. The dock affords safe mooring, in all The conception of St. Johnland therefore is that of an industrial rural parish, with various educational and weather, for vessels of large draft. Some of the timbers of the old dock on the point of the beach were used in charitable works attached to it; and that the trust thus

First, to provide cheap and confortable homes, together with the means of social and moral improvement, for deserving families from among the working classes, par- ticularly of the city of New York, and such as can carry never be used for pecuniary emolument, either to the society or to any of the agents in its employ.

Second, to maintain a home for aged men in destitute circumstances, especially communicants who are deemed entitled to it by the churches to which they belong; to care for friendless children and youth, especially crip- ples, by giving them home, schooling and Christian train- ing and some trade or occupation by which they can earn their future livelihood; and generally to do such other Christian offices as shall from time to time be re- quired, and are practicable by the society consistently with its benevolent designs.

Third, to assist indigent boys and young men who de- sire literary education with a view to the gospel ministry, by affording them the opportunity for such education and at the same time means of self-support by some useful employment. An evangelical school or college, chiefly for training for the ministry, would come within the scope of the society.

WILLIAM AUGUSTUS MUHLENBERG, D. D.

THE TOWN OF SMITHTOWN.

bequeathed by Dr. Muhlenberg to the church does not languish is seen in the present scope of the work, stated as follows in the " Year Book " for 1882 of the charita- ble institutions under the care of the Protestant Episco- pal Church: "This church colony provides comfortable homes, at low rents, for decent working families from among the tenement house population; cares for worthy old men in destitute circumstances; shelters and edu- cates helpless and unprotected children, more especially cripples; instructs poor boys in the art of type-setting and other trades, and trains orphan girls in the various branches of domestic service."

The work is maintained by charitable contributions so

The principal buildings are the church, the school- house, the printing office, stereotype foundry and gymna- sium, village hall and library, St. John's Inn or the old man's home. the Spencer and Wolfe home for girls, "Johnny's Memorial " or the boys' house, the Fabbri home for apprentices, "Sunbeam Cottage," or the train- ing school for orphan girls, and fourteen other residences. All these buildings have been special gifts from friends have long since disappeared, and the head has not re- and patrons, taking nothing from the general fund in turned. their erection.

Here was settled David Smith, son of Obadiah, and here lived his son David Willis Smith, a well preserved far as its dependent members are concerned. The cot-,centenarian. The old family mansion is at present occu- tage tenantry is expected to be self-supporting. The pied by his grandson Theodore W. Smith, one of the property is unencumbered by debt, but the society needs justices of the peace of the town; near him lives William money for carrying on its various charities. The annual expenses are about $25,000.

The officers of the society are: Adam Norrie, presi- dent; Howard Potter, treasurer; Anson W. Hard, secre- tary; all of the city of New York.

The domain of the Society of St. Johnland, or St. Johnland proper, is to be distinguished from a settlement which is growing up near the railroad station and post- office, and from these deriving the name of St. John- land.

BEYOND ST. JOHNLAND,

on the Sunken Meadow Creek, is the old Platt mansion. Here lived Zephaniah Platt, who was imprisoned during the Revolution. It is now owned and occupied by his great-grandson, Elias S. Platt. Near this was the resi- dence of William P. Buffett, a lawyer noted for his clear head, honest heart and modest deportment. He was the second county judge and surrogate under the constitu- tion of 1846, a sound and judicious counsellor and a worthy citizen. Near him was the residence of Jeremiah P. Brush, the son of Jesse Brush (the Revolutionary prisoner) and his wife Dorothy Platt, whose persuasive powers in behalf of her father overcame the stern but courteons Clinton. The farm is now occupied by his sons Jeremiah, Charles H. and James M., all reputable and useful citizens. Here too was the residence of Ebenezer Bryant, now occupied by his two grandsons Ebenezer and David G. Bryant, each of whom has filled important offices in the town, the former having been for many years its collector of taxes. Beyond this is Fresh Pond, the former residence of Moses Ackerly, afterward successively of Elias Mulford and his son Albert G., and now of Scudder Smith.

Fresh Pond, from which the locality derives its name, is no longer a pond. It has all grown up to meadow. The Ackerly house is on the road which runs through Bread-and-Cheese Hollow, the dividing line between Huntington and Smithtown, and which is referred to in Onderdonk's "Revolutionary Incidents," Nos. 681 and 743. This locality is also the scene of other Revolu- tionary incidents cited in Onderdonk, No. 719.

THE INDIAN HEAD NEIGHBORHOOD.

About three miles southeast of Fresh Pond is Indian Head, a small village so called from the head of an Indian carved in stone, which was placed on a rock on the west side of the pond there. A large Indian settle- ment was around the pond. The Indians revered this head, and believed that if removed from the rock by any sacrilegious hand it would surely return and resume its place. David W. Smith, an aged citizen, remembers having seen it in his youth, but it and its worshipers

H. Smith, one of the sons of Paul Smith, so often re- ferred to in the town records. A little east of this, and

NEAR TO WILLOW POND,

was the residence of Eliphalet Whitman, who about the beginning of the present century was the proprietor of a large tannery and shoe factory. He not only made all the leather used in the shoe factory, but sent large quan- tities annually to New York market. The pits still mark the spot occupied by the vats, but the vats and their owner long since disappeared.

Very near this and in front of Willow Pond was the residence of Paul Smith, more recently occupied by his son Theodorus. Paul raised the dam and built first the saw-mill and then the grist-mill about the year 1795. The grist-mill was burned in 1823 and the present mill erected in its place. It has been called successively Seacord's, Oakley's, Horton's and Davis's mills. Lewis S. Davis is the present owner. On one of the ponds belong- ing to this mill and adjoining the turnpike was the resi- dence of Aaron S. Vail, who kept a house of entertainment for trout fishermer. His house was always homelike, and many noted men frequented it in the trouting season. He always knew some quiet nook from which the wary fish could be decoyed when the wind or the weather was unfavorable for fishing in the open pond. Rarely did a sportsman who entered his hospitable mansion leave it without having enjoyed a good day's sport and carrying with him a well filled basket of the speckled beauties. The highway from Vail's ran south through the patent of Winnecomac, which was for the most part an unreclaimed forest. The Wicks family have made inroads upon the forest and possess good farms there. Eugene J. Platt

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