USA > New York > Nassau County > Long Island; a history of two great counties, Nassau and Suffolk, Volume I > Part 41
USA > New York > Suffolk County > Long Island; a history of two great counties, Nassau and Suffolk, Volume I > Part 41
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Reverend Samuel Seabury, rector of St. George's Church in Hempstead, organized a group here in 1747, and the following year reported that a "church had been built for the worship of God accord- ing to the Liturgy of the Church of England." It stood on the west side of East Street, on land bought from Captain John Davis for the sum of five pounds. Samuel Seabury, Jr., served as lay reader and catechist, under the supervision of his father until 1752. He became the first American-born Episcopal Bishop. The first resident minister, Reverend James Greaton of Boston, was appointed in 1769 and served until he died in 1773. A new gothic structure, consecrated in 1862, was destroyed by fire in 1905, and the present buildings were com- pleted in 1908.
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Methodism resulted from a series of camp meetings held on East Neck in 1814, early gatherings in Huntington being held in a small building which had been the cabinet shop of Elbert Walters. Among the leaders were Isaac Platt, Gilbert Scudder and Phineas Hill, a stone cutter, whose wife organized the first Sunday school. In 1828, a lot was bought for $95 on Main Street and a church built, much of the woodwork being supplied by the sawmill of Daniel Sammis. The present church was built on the same site in 1863-1864. It is recorded that there were 11 Methodist churches in Huntington Town in 1845.
Roman Catholicism was started in the home of Matthew Hoban and the first church was opened August 15, 1849, on property now the Catholic Cemetery. This building was destroyed by fire in 1866, and the present brick structure was erected in 1869 at a cost of $29,000. Parish buildings and a parochial school have since been added. Since 1860, when Reverend Jeremiah J. Crowley became the first resident pastor, the church has grown and prospered.
A second Presbyterian Church was organized in Huntington in 1864, its building being destroyed in the disastrous fire of 1888, after which the present church now known as the Central Presbyterian Church, was built on the same site.
The Baptist Church was organized in 1868 and a building erected on the west side of Green Street, now the home of the Carpenters' Union. The present brick buildings on High Street, consisting of church, parish house and parsonage were opened in 1929.
The Evergreen Baptist Church was organized in 1914 in build- ings on the east side of Spring Street. In 1945, The Bethel African Methodist Church celebrated its centennial in the building which was erected in the 1920s on the site of its first church. This early build- ing, near the site of the old St. John's on the east side of Park Avenue, was originally used by the Methodist Church of Huntington.
SCHOOLS
The detailed "covenant and agreement" made on February 11, 1657, between "the inhabitants of Huntington" and Jonas Houlds- worth recorded in the Huntington Town Records emphasizes the importance of the event,-"Whereby the said Jonas Holdsworth Doth engage himselfe to the said inhabitants During ye terme of ffoure yeares for to Schoole such persons or Children as shall be put to him for yt end * * In 1660, it was voted that "Thomas Skidmore and Jonas Alldar shall make a rate for the skull house" and we may presume that both these contracts were fulfilled. In 1713, a solemn agreement was made with Robert Macbeth "to teach school in this town of Huntington".
A town record of May 3, 1763, reading: "Chosen to provide a Master and take care of the New School house-Doct. Platt, Israel Wood, Samll Allen, Reuben Brush and Nathll Williams" indicates that a new building had been erected, probably near the East Street. A school at the harbor is mentioned in records dated 1811. The earliest school in western Huntington was originally on High Street,
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later replaced by a two-story building on Green Street. By 1845, 1512 pupils throughout Huntington were attending 24 common schools.
Of the several private schools established in Huntington, the Academy was outstanding. Organized and financed by a group of public-spirited citizens, the building was erected in 1793 "two stories in height, forty feet in length and twenty-four feet wide." One of the subscribers, Nathaniel Potter, son of Dr. Gilbert Potter and Eliza- beth Williams, was also one of Huntington's silversmiths. He estab- lished the "Potter Fund" to assist in education. In the Long Island Journal of Philosophy and Cabinet of Variety, published by Samuel Fleet 1825-1826, while principal of the Academy, the rate of tuition is given as from "two to five dollars." S. O. Lee was the last prin- cipal, his work ending March 26, 1858, the property having been sold to the Union School.
Huntington Union School District was established April 13, 1857- the first in New York State-and a school was built in 1858 on the site of the old Academy, at a cost of $6000. George A. Scudder, Brewster Conklin, Brewster Skidmore, Richard B. Post, George Wood- hull Conklin and Smith Conklin constituted the first Board of Educa- tion. Its first principal was Samuel A. Higgins, who had taught in the Green Street school since 1854. A group of six pupils graduated in 1862, one of whom, James Thompson McKay, became a writer and poet of note.
In 1895, when compulsory education was accepted, there were 565 pupils, maintenance costing about $10,000. The enrollment for 1945- 46 was 2635 with a faculty of 127 teachers, 33 of whom have Master of Arts or Science Degrees. 1583 former high school students and graduates, and 18 teachers served in the armed forces in World War II, while all teachers and pupils contributed in time and money. The famous airplane manufacturer, LeRoy R. Grumman, graduated from this High School.
NEWSPAPERS
From Sag Harbor, in the cradle of journalism on Long Island, Samuel Seabury, in 1821, brought The American Eagle to Hunting- ton. He was succeeded by Hiram Herskell, who in turn sold to Samuel Fleet, who renamed it The Portico. It soon died and Hunt- ington was without a newspaper until 1838, when Walt Whitman founded the Long Islander whose succeeding publishers were Edward O. Crowell, Bradford R. Platt, Francis A. Teale, George H. Shepard and his son Charles E. Shepard. In 1894, the Long Islander Publish- ing Company was organized and Hiram A. Baylis became publisher on the death of Mr. Shepard in 1927. In 1944, Mr. Baylis sold the paper to Clarence H. MacLachlan and Charles J. McDermott.
The Suffolk Democrat began life in 1847 with Daniel Austin editor, after whom came David C. Brush. For a time it was pub- lished in Babylon by John R. Reed, and on its return to Huntington became the Suffolk Bulletin. In 1865, it was published and edited by Charles R. Street, who also edited and published the Huntington Town Records. After several other ownerships William B. Trainer
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sold the paper to the Lee Publishing Company. In 1928, the Hunt- ington Times made its appearance, and after sixteen years merged with the Bulletin. The Suffolk County Watchman was founded in 1936.
LIBRARY
As early as June 29, 1759, a library existed in Huntington, with the Reverend Ebenezer Prime recorded as clerk, the record ending 1768. On February 23, 1875, the Huntington Library Association was formed, and in 1895, the library was housed in the building erected by the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Association. In 1929, money was appropriated from the school taxes for its support, and the organization became known as the Huntington Public Library. On January 3, 1946, the library building was partially destroyed by fire, and approximately 53,000 volumes were removed to a temporary home in the old Odd Fellows' Hall on Wall Street.
PUBLIC SERVICE
Huntington's first post office was at Dix Hills in 1798, with Moses Blachley as postmaster. In the 1820s, Samuel Fleet conducted a post office in the store adjoining his home on the "Town Spot". The post office finally found permanent quarters in the Government building on Carver Place erected in 1937, at an approximate cost of $130,000.
Horse and stagecoach were the accepted means of travel through two centuries, the Huntington and Cold Spring Stage Coach lines providing transportation to Brooklyn for many years. In the Long Islander for 1846, the following appears:
"HUNTINGTON STAGE LINE
On and after Monday, September 15, the proprietors of the above line will run until further notice, stopping at Sea- man's Hotel, Cold Spring-
Leave Huntington (Scudder's and Brush and Rogers Hotel) every day, Sundays excepted, at 10 o'clock A. M. Returning leaving Hicksville immediately after the arrival of the cars which leave Brooklyn at 91/2 o'clock.
S. S. SCUDDER & Co."
By 1867, the railroad reached Huntington, and a stage met trains until replaced by a horsecar line. In 1909, came the Cross Island Trolley which was abandoned in 1919. A local trolley served until 1927 when bus service was introduced.
At first, kerosene lamps provided light for the main street, but with the introduction of gas in 1889, the lamplighter became a familiar figure. The gas works at the harbor was in operation until 1919. Electricity had been introduced by the Huntington Light and Power Company Inc. in 1902 and all these properties were acquired by the Long Island Lighting Company in 1919.
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THE TOWN OF HUNTINGTON
The Huntington Water Works Company was incorporated Octo- ber 16, 1890. Its first pumping station was built on Spring Street. In 1920-21, the present property on Mill Dam Lane was acquired and the new plant, operated by a Diesel engine, was built. On July 9, 1927, the property was taken over by the New York Water Service Corporation.
Excellent service is performed by the Volunteer Fire Department. A meeting was held January 28, 1846, to provide for a fire engine, but not until 1869 was a real headquarters erected on Wall Street near Main. In 1895, the Hook and Ladder Company voted to dis- band and bring all its business to a close, and a new company was formed-14 members being enrolled. The present building erected on Main Street provides accommodation for 9 pieces of up-to-date apparatus manned by 92 volunteers. Expenses are met by taxation in Huntington Fire District.
The Huntington Chamber of Commerce, whose chief function is to promote general progress in the town, was organized in 1925, and for some years maintained quarters in the Huntington Hotel which was built in 1929.
The Huntington Historical Society was organized as the outcome of the 250th anniversary of the Town in 1903. The present prop- erty became its home June 7, 1911, through the generosity of Nellie Conklin Hurd, a direct descendant of the original owner. Here it maintains a museum and library.
COLD SPRING HARBOR
The "river flowing into Cold Spring Harbor" of the First Pur- chase is the western boundary of the Huntington portion of Cold Spring Harbor village. Both river and harbor in early years were used for power to operate mills.
John Adams in 1682, was granted the "town rights of the stream commonly cited and known by the name of Cold Spring to set up a good sufficient grist-mill and saw-mill upon it * *", and in 1687, agreed to "resign up my Right" of the saw mill to Jonathan Rogers, who later operated the grist mill also. Records show that land was granted to Jonathan Rogers in this vicinity, while other Rogers lands lay on both sides of Rogers Road-Turkey Lane- leading from Woodbury Avenue to the valley in Cold Spring, known as Wigwam Swamp-Main Street of today. On the west side of this road stood the log house of the Rogers family until 1820, when the present house, now owned by Archibald Roosevelt, was built in its stead.
A woolen mill was operated here by Major Timothy Carll before 1800. It was later used by George Earle, organ builder, who sup -. plied the organ for the second St. John's Church of Huntington, built in 1862. In 1782, the paper mill of Richard Conklin stood on the site of the present library, which was erected in 1912, by the Village Improvement Society and on October 23, 1913, became part of the public library system of the State of New York.
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Cold Spring Harbor was created a "Port of Delivery" in the Customs Collection Delivery District of the City of New York, by Act of Congress, March 2, 1799, which service was abolished in 1913.
In the later 1800s a tanner carried on his business in the Lewis house on the west side of the road to Woodbury, and members of the family-Dowden brothers-later built the brick tannery, so familiar to passengers on the Long Island Rail Road, where drum- heads were manufactured until recent years.
Jones and Hewlett are names long identified with Cold Spring Harbor. The old Jones homestead stood on the site of the present State Fish Hatchery and was occupied by the Hatchery's first director, Frederick Mather, who was appointed in 1882. Later it was occupied by Dr. Charles B. Davenport of the Department of Genetics, of the Carnegie Institute of Washington. In 1890, the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences organized a school of biology near Bungtown road. In 1906, the "Department of Experi- mental Evolution" came into being. The Eugenics Records Office was established in 1910, by Mrs. E. A. Harriman and in 1921 the two organizations became the "Department of Genetics."
The Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Company was incorporated March 24, 1838, with a stock of $100,000 for a term of twenty years "for the purpose of engaging in the whale fisheries in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and elsewhere, and in the manufacture of oil and spermaceti candles, and erecting dock accommodations at Cold Spring Harbor." The names of William Jones, John H. Jones, Richard M. Conklin, Abner Chichester, Zophar B. Oakley, Henry Willis, Samuel J. Underwood, Daniel Rogers and Walter R. Jones appeared in the charter. Its headquarters were in the Jones store on the east side of the harbor, with supply and repairing facilities on the west side of Bungtown Road. This industry ended April 2, 1860, when the ship "Splendid" brought in its last cargo. As a tribute to this colorful period in the life of the village, a group of interested citizens in 1943 established the "Whaling Museum".
Cold Spring Harbor's early school stood on the north side of Main Street, nearly opposite the present school. It was succeeded in 1870 by a new structure, which was replaced in 1925 by the present modern building.
Three churches have served this community. St. John's Episco- pal Church was organized February 16, 1835. Its building, erected on the present site, was dedicated April 5, 1837, by Bishop Onderdonk. On October 17, 1842, an organized body of Methodists met in a newly completed building which still stands on Main Street. Those of the Baptist faith for years journeyed to the Oyster Bay church, whose pastor was Rev. Marmaduke Earle. His son, Samuel H. Earle, later came to Cold Spring to minister as well as to teach school, and finally organized a group which built the present church in 1847.
On the Stillwell-Van Velsor Road, to the south of the lakes, once stood the homestead of Cornelius and Naomi Van Velsor, parents of Louisa who married Walter Whitman, and became the mother of Walt the poet. Among several old homes still standing are those of the Titus and Valentine families on the road to West Neck.
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During the late 1800s and early 1900s the Glenada Hotel accom- modated summer visitors who were brought to Cold Spring Harbor by water; today automobile-borne visitors find recreation along the shores, while many prominent families have settled in this pic- turesque village, including De Forest, Jennings, John Foster Dulles and, at nearby West Neck, the latter's brother Allan.
WEST NECK
John Sammis owned land at West Neck as early as 1663, approached by Mutton Hollow Road which originally led to Lefferts Mill and Lloyd Harbor. These lands are now in Van Schaick, Gwynne and Millbank ownership, the latter property including the former estate of Rear Admiral Hiram Paulding, U. S. N.
Other names identified with this district were Conklin, Brush and Rogers. The estate of Roland Conklin was purchased for the Roman Catholic Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, which was opened in September, 1930.
Quantities of excellent clay were found here, and in 1676 it was agreed "yt garrat Cloud shall have a lot near ye brickill in ye west neck", and in September 2, 1680 "it was granted that John Davis brickmaker of Setaket * *
* should have the lot that was formerly given to garret gould on Condition that John Davis doe supply the town with good bricks as long he liveth." In the 1800s, these brick- yards were owned by Jones and Crossman and many men were employed in making brick for the New York market.
Two small schools served the population-one near the "Brick- yards" and one opposite the estate of the late Timothy Williams. A large modern building erected on Brush Lane replaced these in 1935.
The natural beauty of this district has attracted many home- makers, one of whom, George McKessen Brown, built a spacious dwelling overlooking Huntington Harbor. In recent years it was enlarged and taken over for use as a residental Roman Catholic school for boys, now known as Coindre Hall, Mr. Brown occupying a smaller home on the estate.
LLOYD'S NECK
This peculiarly shaped neck of land, projecting into Long Island Sound, according to the Indian deed of 1654, "makes the east side of Oyster Bay and the west side of Cow Harbor." It was referred to by the Indians as Caumsett, and in early records as Horse Neck. Names appearing in the above deed are, Samuel Mayo, Daniel White- head and Peter Wright. They sold out to Samuel Andrews, May 6, 1658, after whose death the neck was conveyed to Johin Richbill, September 5, 1660. Richbill sold to Nathaniel Sylvester, Thomas Hart and Latimer Sampson, October 18, 1666. James Lloyd of Boston bought out Hart, and having married Grizzel Sylvester, wlio had become heiress of Sampson, became sole owner of Lloyd's Neck, which by manorial grant of March 18, 1685, became the Lordship and Manor of Queens Village. In 1711, Henry Lloyd purchased the
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interests of his brothers and became its sole owner, and settled here. The house at the main gate of Marshall Field's estate is supposed to be the first manor house, while the house to the west was the second, built about 1764. Of Henry Lloyd's four sons, John, who married Amelia, daughter of Rev. Ebenezer White of Danbury, lived at the Neck. Amelia also lived in the house at the junction of Park and New York Avenues-the Sutton home.
The second manor house is included in property purchased by the late William J. Matheson, now owned by his daughter, Mrs. Willis D. Wood. On the hill overlooking Cold Spring Harbor and the Sound is the main house, built by Dr. Richard H. Derby, a mem- ber of the Lloyd family, and near this spot Benjamin Thompson (Count Rumford) erected a fort during the Revolution - Fort Franklin.
On the road which originally ran north of the present highway was the Lloyd burial ground. When the property was sold the remains were interred in the Huntington Rural Cemetery, and the marble slab containing a list of names of the Lloyds buried there was removed to the same place.
The lighthouse, erected in 1857, was discontinued June 16, 1912, and a light on lower ground was installed.
HALESITE
At the foot of Young's Hill, where it meets Park Avenue, is the Town Dock. When the post office was established here in 1899, the name Halesite was adopted. The East Neck lands lie between Huntington Harbor and Centerport Harbor, the old trail leading from the old Town Dock to Fleet's Cove and Centerport, while Vineyard road leads to the beach. On the west of this road the old Conklin farm house still stands, and on the east were Chichester lands. It is here, near the former estate of George Taylor, that he set the boulder which reads :
NATHAN HALE IN EVERLASTING REMEMBRANCE.
Still further east were the Fleet and Selleck farms, and it was on the latter that a private school was conducted for many years.
On October 22, 1751, Adam States, a resident of Horse Neck, Fairfield, Connecticut, was granted permission to take away "white clay lying and being in ye East Neck" for his personal use, for a term of five years, at one shilling per cord. In the later 1800s the Eckerson brickyards operated here.
CENTERPORT
At Centerport (Little Cow Harbor) mills were early erected, that of Sylvanus Townsend, in 1774, being the most important. The last owner was William Titus. Much of the Little Neck was the property of Phineas Sills and the neck was sometimes referred to as Sills Neck. Here in the 1800s the Northport Clay and Fire Sand
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Company flourished. Part of the Sills property is included in the William K. Vanderbilt estate, where in 1935, a marine museum was built in memory of his son.
The first church was built at the head of the harbor in the early 1800s inspired by the Methodist movement, but some years later was moved to Commack.
A second church, "Union Meeting House", was built on the original site in 1844 "to be open and free for all denominations of Christians in good standing in society." The present structure was erected on May 12, 1901.
A school house which originally stood at the head of the harbor, was replaced in 1933 by a modern building on Little Neck.
At the four corners stands the old Suydam house, a most inter- esting example of old homesteads. Its spacious rooms are built around a huge chimney in which was the earliest type of brick oven.
NORTHPORT
As the road winds along the shore from Centerport in an east- erly direction, it passes Scudder lands, with the home on the north and the cemetery on the south. At the bend, after passing the branch road which leads to Clay Pits, once stood the Chichester mill, known as the "Trough Mill" because it was fed by impounded water through a large wooden pipe. The map of 1873 shows the last owner as Henry Taylor. This property is now owned by the North- port Water Works Company.
First known as Cow Harbor, homes were early built near the water, one of these being that of Ebenezer Bryant. A path laid out here in 1790 became known as Bryant's Landing, and for some years the district assumed that name.
Shipbuilding, with attending stores, marine railways, &c., occu- pied most of the citizens of Northport for many years, names identified with the first mentioned being Bunce and Baylis, 1828; Isaac Scudder Ketcham, Nathaniel R. White, Moses B. Hartt, Samuel Pryor Hartt, Erastus Hartt, Edwin Lefferts, and Jesse and David Carll. To facilitate transportation to the foot of Main Street, the scene of these busy activities (which is now the site of the Town Park), Woodbine Avenue was cut in 1827, while the road to the north of Main Street was cut a little later. This, first known as New Street, became Bayview Avenue. Scudder Avenue was so named because it passed through the Scudder property.
Following the course of Main Street eastward, it reaches Ocean Avenue, which leads to Eaton's Neck, then on to the Hook-Five Corners, past lands formerly owned by Bryant Skidmore, whose home, now the oldest in Northport, is owned by Mrs. David W. Couch.
Two school districts served Northport and its "Harbor". In 1870, a new school was built south of Scudder Avenue, and here Crabmeadow united with Northport and organized a high school- its first class graduating in 1900. In 1922, the East Northport and Eaton's Neck districts were united with Northport and the present
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building erected in 1925. The Huntington Town portion of Fresh- pond district was added in 1928.
A Presbyterian Church was built in Freshpond in 1780, to which people of Northport travelled until in 1829 it was moved to the Hook. The present church on Main Street was built in 1873. In the 1860s a small church on the southeast corner of Main and . Church Streets served a group of Presbyterians, services being led by Rev. I. B. Smith. This property is now the site of the Roman Catholic Church, while a short distance to the south is the Allen A. M. E. Church, erected in 1908.
A Methodist Church was built in 1833 on property once owned by Selah Bunce, at the head of the harbor. In 1852, a brick church was built on Main Street, a larger building being erected in front of this in 1872.
Trinity Episcopal Church was organized in the 1880s by a group of employees of the Edward Thompson Publishing Company, services being held for a time in the Presbyterian Church which had been moved to Woodbine Avenue. The present church was built later and consecrated by Bishop Littlejohn, November 24, 1891.
Northport Library, first known as The Northport Literary and Library Union, became a free library in 1911, still being voluntarily supported. Funds were raised, augmented by a Carnegie grant of $10,000, and the present library opened December 13, 1914, current expenses being met by taxation.
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