USA > New York > Suffolk County > Southampton > The early history of Southampton, L. I., New York, with genealogies, 2nd ed. > Part 39
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But if a man take hire for the goods committed vnto him and they be stolen the keeper shall make restitution, but yf the beast so kept for hire dye or be hurt or be driuen awaye noe man seing of yt, An Oath shall be taken of the keeper that yt was without his default and yt shall bee accepted. Ex. 22: 11. 13.
But yf the beast bee torne in peeces and a peice be brought for witness yt excuseth the keeper. Exod. 22: 13.
* These words from the Mass. Code, as also other portions in italics.
465
APPENDIX.
OF CRIMES, AND FIRST OF SUCH AS DESERUE CAPITALL PUNISHMT OR CUT- TING OFF FROM A MANS PEOPLE WHETHER BY DEATH OR BANISHMT.
1. Of Blasphemy which is a curseing of God or wicked denieing of God by Atheisme or the like, to be punished with death. Lev. 24: 15.
2. Idolitry to bee punished with death. Deut. 13: 1-11. 17: 3 & 4.
3. Witchcraft which is fellowshippe by couent* with a familiar spirit to be punished wth death. Ex. 22: 18. Lev. 20: 27.
4. Consulters with witches not to bee tollerated but eyther to bee cut off by death or Banishm't. Lev. 20: 6.
5. Heresie which is the maintayneance of some wicked error ouerthrowing the foundation of Christian Religion with obstinacy, yf it be ioyned with endeavour to seduce others therevnto to be punished with death. Because such an Heretick noe lesse than an ldolater seeketh to thrust the soules of men from The Lord their God. Deut. 17: 10.
6. To worshipp God in a molten or grauen Image to be punished with deatlı.
7. Whosoever shall revile the Religion and worshippe of God and the Gouermt of the Church as yt is now established to be cut off by Banishmt.
8. Willful periury whether before the judgment seate or in private con- ference to bee punished with death. Rashe periury whether itt bee in publick or priuate to be punished with Banishmt. Just is it that such a mans name should bee cut off from his people who pphaneth so grossely the name of God before his people.
9. prophaneing the Lords daye in a carelesse or scornefull neglects or con- tempt thereof to bee punished wth death. Nu. 15: 30 & 36.
10. To plot or practice the betrayeing of the Country or any principall forte therein, to the hand of any fforraigne State, Spannishe ffrench Dutch or the like, contrary to the Alleidgance wee pfesse & owe to or dread Soueraigne Lord King Charles his heires and Successors whilst hee is pleased to protecte vs as his Loyall Subjects, shall bee punished wth death.
11. Vnreuerened and dishonorable Carriage to Magistrates to be punished with banishment for a tyme, tyll they acknowledg their ffault and pfesse Reformation.
12. Rebellion or Sedition or Insurrection by takeing vp of armes against the prsent Gonermt established in the Country to bee punished with death. Num. 16: 1, 2, 3, 31, 32, 33. Rebellious Children, whether they continue in Riot or Drunkenesse, after due correction from their parents, or whether they curse or Smite their parents Are to bee put to death. Deut. 21: 18. Lev. 20: 9. Ex. 21 : 15 & 17.
13. Murder which is a willfull man Slaughter, not in a mans necessary and iust defence, nor casually Committed, but out of Hatred or Cruelty to bee punished by death.
14. Adultery which is the defileing of the Marriage bed to bee punished with death.
15. Defiling a woman Espoused, is a kinde of Adultery, and punished by death, of both partyes. But yf the woman be forced then by the death of the mau only.
16. Incest which is the defiling of any that are neare of kinne within the degrees prohibited in Leviticus, to be punished with death: unnatural filthiness to be punished with death, whether sodomy, which is carnal fellowship of man with man, or of woman with woman: or buggery which is carnal fellowship of man or woman with beasts or foules.
17. Whoredome of a muid in her fathers house kept secret till after her mar- riage with another, to be punished with death.
18. Manstealing to be punished with death.
19. ffalse witness against life to be punished with deatlı.
* This "couent " is abbreviation of Covenant.
59
466
HISTORY OF SOUTHAMPTON.
OF CRIMES LESSE HAINOUS SUCH AS ARE TO BEE PUNISHED WITH SOME CORPORALL PUNISHMENT OR FFINE.
Rash & pphane
-
1. With losse of honour or office yf hee bee a magistrate or officer. Meete yt is that their names should be dis- honored who dishonor God's name.
swearing and
2. With losse of ffreedome.
curseing, to
3. With disability to give Testimony,
bee punished
4. by Corporall punislimt, eyther by stripes or by brand- ing them with an hott yron or boareing them through the tongue as he hath boared and pierced God's name.
2. Drunkenness as transformeing Gods Image into a Beast,, is to be pun- ished with the punishmt of a beast. A whippe for the horse and a rodde for the fooles backe. Prov. 26: 3.
3. fforceing of a mayd or a Rape is not to be punished with death by Gods Lawes.
1. With a ffine or penalltye to the ffather of the mayde. Deut. 22:
But
28, 29. 2. With the mariage of the mayde defiled (to wit) yf shee and her ffather consent.
3. With Corporall punishment of stripes, for this wrong is a Reall slander and worse to make a whore then to saye one is an whore. Deut. 22: 17, 18.
4. ffornication to 1. By marriage of the mayde or giueing her a sufficient dowrye.
be punished 2. With stripes though fewer from the equity of the former case.
Maymeing or wounding of a ffreeman whether free burgess or ffree Inhabitant to be punished with a fine.
467
ERRATA.
ERRATA.
In table of contents, Deed of Quogue purchase, 1663 instead of 1653.
Page 141: Sewanhacky. Thus spelled in some documents, but better, perhaps, as in others, Seawanhaka.
Page 264: 30 Andrew Halsey7 is said, by Mr. J. L. Halsey, to have been born in 1784.
Page 266 : 149 Lemuel Halsey5 had son, 522 Jesse6.
Pages 266, 267 : 151 Caleb Halsey6, b. 1755, not 1765.
Page 273 : For 473 Esther4 read 473 Ethan.4
Page 276 : 562 Rev. Lewis7, of Farmer Village, should be 562 Rev. Lewis3, of Farmer Village ; and he was son of 560 William," and not his brother as given in the text.
Page 280 : 131 Eleazar Hand6 m. Catherine McGown, and not the sister of Josiah Dayton; but the latter m. sister of Eleazer Hand.
Many dates are taken from the census and from tombstones, and where the month and day of the month of the birth and death are not given, it must always be understood the dates are approximate, and not absolute.
INDEX OF NAMES AND SUBJECTS.
Page.
Academy 138
Agawam 15
Agreement of settlers .. 447
Bryan, Alexander. 424
Andros and a new patent 65
Bryant, Richard. 431
Anning, John 421
Anniversary celebration, 1865. 445
Arms and coat armor. 202
Arms carried to church .. 130, 137
Assembly at Hempstead, 1664 58
Butler family 209. 424
Atlanticville 160
Babbit, John M. 118
421
Bacon, Abigail.
421
Barbur, Samuel ..
421
Barker family 202
Barnes family. 422
etc.
Character of the settlers. 46
Chatfield family. 210
Christmas memories. 180
Church edifices 127
Church founded
07
Church history of
Church rates, etc ..
130, 137 85
Bells . 92
Benevolence
422
Beswick, John.
Clock of the church. 135
75
Cochrane, Major .. 178
Coffee
78
Colonies. 124
Condit, Walter ..
Connecticut, union with .. 51
212
Cook family. 217
Cooper family 63
Cooper, John, warns of Steenwyck 219
I Cooper. Mercator. 226
Cory, John 424
423 | Courts .. 87
Breed, Allen .
Bridge Hampton, Pres. Church. . 127
Cow Bay settlement
16
Briggs family
423
74
C'uffee, Paul.
125
British occupation
198
Births .. 203
Bishop family .. 12
Blessing (bark) visits L. I.
10
Block Island. 422
Blyeth, Wm ..
Bogart, David S. 116
Bond family. 422
Bostwick, Arthur. 423
Boundaries 144
Bower family 493
136
Boyer, Stephen
162
Beaverdam 192
Beers, Daniel 135
Civil war, 1861-64
Clark family 211
124
Cleveland. Wm. N.
192
Cattle laws .
186
Cemeteries.
Census.
See List of luhabitants,
Barrett, Richard
Barrows, Andrew
422
Bartholomew, Josiah 70
Battle of L. I.
Baxter, Thomas. 28
California gold fever, 1849. 83
Campbell, John. 424
Canoe Place 159
Bancroft, widow
421
Buel, Dr., on revolutionary war .. 73
Burnett family 206
Burying grounds 1×6
Bush, Christopher. 424
Budd, John .. 424
Page.
Brown, Timothy 424
Browne, Wm ... 424
Bays, property of, in the town
Bigelow family 422
Corwith family
Courts, sentences of. 94
470
INDEX.
Page.
Page.
Culver family. 228
Gardiner's Island settled, 1640.,. . 16
Daggett, Herman 114
Gelston family 258
Davis family .. 424
Gelston, Samuel. 108
Genealogies. 201
General Court defined
50
Deatlıs .. 200
Deed, Farrett's, April 17, 1640 .. . .
456
Deed, Farrett's, June 12, 1640. 457
Deed, Farrett's, July 7, 1640. 457
Gold buried .. 194
Deed for Topping's purchase, 453, 454
Goldsmith family
427
Deed for Qnogue purchase. . 451
Deed Indian, Dec. 13, 1640 450
Good Ground
160
Goodwin, Thomas.
427
Deming family . 411
Deming. See Dimon.
Dimon family .. 236, 411
Gould, John
427
Disposall of the vessell. 447
Dix, John A.
161
Great Plains 141
Drumming for church 94,
95
Green family 261
Drunkenness
92
Duke's laws
58
Dutch interregum, 1673
59
Hakelton, Wm. 428
Earle, John.
425
Eason, Henry.
425
Halsey family. 262
Halsey, Daniel, poems. 195
East Hampton representatives. 57
Halsey, Judge Hugh 276
Eaton, Horace .. 81
238
Hampton. James. 498
Elders, ruling.
98
Hand family.
277
Elias, David.
425
Hand family (supplement). 413
76
Ellis, John ..
425
Ellsworth family 241
Else, John ...
426
Hand, Nathan, descendants 416
Hanke, Abram ..
428
Harker, William.
428
Erskine, Lord.
75
Harriman. John
102
Harris family 282
Havens family 428
284
Farrington family 426
18
Hedges family
287
Field, Alexander. .
426
Fires, protection against
95
Hempstead Assembly, 1664. 58
Fitliian family.
242
Herrick family 293
124
Fletcher, Seth
105
Flint family.
426
Hildreth family.
297
Food and drink of settlers 178
Hilyard, Timothy. 428
Fordham family 245
Hogneck deed. . 454
Hogneck laid ont. 30
Houldsworth, Jonas 429
House lots, size of. 25
Howe family .. 429
Howell family. 300
Howell family of Southold 320
Howell, Edward.
.16,
Howell, Major John. 29, 64, 66
21
Freeinen and church membership, 47
Gardiner, Lyon .. 169
178
Fairs, (market) 179
Faith in prayer. 178
Fanning family. 241
Haynes family
Heathcote, Caleb and George 428
Farrington, John
Hedges, Henry P.
Flanders 163
Herrick. Edward.
Herrick, Louisa P. 296
Fordham, Robert 101
Foster family. 247
Foster, Benjamin. in Rev. war. 57
Fournier family 256
Fowler family. 257
Freemen .. . 88
Days of week. 177
Dayton family. 239
Gibbons, John 426
Gibbs, Joseph. 427
Gilbord, Caleb. 426
Goodall family. 260
Deed Indian, 1703. 450
Goring, Henry 427
Gosmer, John 437
Graham, E. A. 226
Greenvill, John 427
Griffing, Hugh. 428
Haines. See Haynes.
East Hampton colonized. 79
Halsey. Dr. Silas. 276
Edwards family
Elizabethtown, N. J. 79
Hand, David .
Hand, Joseph, of Guilford, Ct., genealogy. 414
Epitaphs of Southend burying- ground. .
471
INDEX.
Page.
Howell, Maria J., poem 445
Howell, Col. Matthew . 302
Howell, Judge Nathaniel 313
Howell, Parmenas, artist. 195
Hubby, John 429
Hudson, Henry .. 11
Hughes, Humphrey .. 429
Hunt, Col .. of Sag Harbor. 304
Huntting family 322
Huntting Rev. Samuel. 325
Indians. . 164
Indian deed of 1703 454
141
Indian local names
168
Indians, murder by
Maltby family 431
Manners and customs 176
431
Its nsed, 1647, on records
429
Jacobs family.
429
Marshall family 342
Jacques, Richard
337
Mason, William 432
15
Jerome, Horace
332
Meacox laid out .. 190
30
Job's Lane ..
335
Johnes or Jones family.
Johnson, Edward, on settlement of Long Island.
22
Kallum, Robert. 429
Kelly, John. 429
430
Kempton, Manassah
124
Kennedy, David
161
Ketchabonack . 18
Kirtland, Philip.
430
Kirtland family
91
Mitchell family. 342
Money vessel . 194
Montrose, Pa. 80
Moore family 433
More family 433
Morehouse family. 433
123
Morgan, Jolın J. A
Mowbray, John. 434
60
Mulford, John
Mulligan, Henry S. 313
Name of town, its origin 15
Names, Christian, in 1698 43
Names. local, Indian . 141
Names of first settlers 30
140
Names of Long Island
Needham, Edmund .. 434
434
Newton family. 434
| New York Annex . 8-1
New York Colony, union with 57
Nicoll, Benjamin ..
434
434
List of North Sea men, 1668, 1687, 33
Little Plains 141
Long Island, names of. 141
Long Island united to New York
Colony . . 57
Loom family
431
Lovelace, Governor, reception of, 192
Ludlow, family. 339
431
Lupton family. 92
Lying to be punished.
McCorkell family 341
342
Mackie family
Magistrates and Representatives to Connecticut .. 56
Main street laid out 25
Indians, religious belief of 169
Indians watched 90
179
Mapham, John
Marriages . . 199
Marvin, Robert 431
Jagger family.
330
Jennings family
304
Jessup family
378
Meacox burying-ground 432
Mechanics, bounty
Meiggs family . 433
432
Melvine, Walter
Mendall, John 432
Merwin, Robert. 431
126
Miller, John 432
Mills, Richard
433
Milner, George ...
433
Lands allotted 430
Larrison, John. 144
430
Laughton family
430
Laws of the colony 47, 58, 87
Leaming family ... 430
License laws of 1653 and 1655 ...
93
List of freemen, 1649. 31
33
List of proprietors, 1655.
32
List of heads of families, 1657. .
44
List of heads of families, 1784 .. . 119
34
List of men in whaling squadrons,
1644 .. 182
List of meu in whaling squadrons, 1653 ... 183
List of men in whaling squadrons, 1657 .. 183
List of men in whaling squadrons. 1667 ..
184
Norris, Robert ..
North End burying-ground
190
Mather, Cotton, on settlement of,
Meacham, Jeremiah. 432
Methodist Society 432
Minthorn, Richard
Latitude and longitude.
Lawrence, Zachary.
List of heads of families, 1683 ...
List of all inhabitants, 1698. ..
Newell (or Newhall), Thomas
Page.
Lum family 341
472
INDEX.
Page.
Page.
North Sea, heads of families of,
Redfield, James.
436
1668 and 1687.
33
Reed, Thomas
436
North Sea settled
29
Reeve family 359
North Sea, the Plymouth Rock of Southampton.
24
Residences, early
146
Occum, Sampson.
166
Rhodes family.
360,
420
Odell, Richard.
434
Ride, extraordinary
179
Ogden family.
434
Rogers (James) family.
366
Oldfields, John
435
Rolt, Henry
436
Osman
435
Rose, Abraham T
370
Ox pasture. .
143
Rugg, Joseph.
436
Paine, William
435
Rusco, Wm.
436
Palmyra, N. Y.
80
Safety of the town.
90
Parker family
343
Sagg.
159
Parker, John
435
Sagg burying-ground.
190
Parsonage ..
130
Sagg settled .
30
Parsons family.
343
Sag Harbor churches.
129
Parvine, Thomas.
435
Sanders, John.
437
Patent of Governor Andros.
458
Sanford family
371
Patton, Robert.
435
Sayre, Job ..
18
Pelletreau family
345
Sayre, Wm. N
379
Penny, John.
436
School hours
434
Peters, Hugh.
21
Scott family.
384
Petty, John .
436
Scott, Robert
437
Pierson, Abraham 21,
99
Seating people in church
134
Pierson, Henry R.
350
Pompey, the slave
78
Settlement, the first location
25
Pope, Thomas
436
Settlers, their character.
46
Post, William R.
354
Settlers, names of.
30
Presbyterian church.
99
Sharp practice
193
Proprietor rights.
26
Proud family .
356
Purchase of lands.
25
Quiogue.
161
Shinnecock Indian chiefs
173
Quogue purchase ..
25
Silvester, Capt
438
Quogue purchase deed. 451
Simpkins, Win.
438
Raynor family. .
356
Smith families. 438
85 Soldiers, 1686 33
421
Peirce, Jonathan.
436 Sayre, Stephen
382
Perkins, William
436
Schools,.
137
Phillips, Zerub
436
Seabonac division, 1655 .. Searing, Simon
437
Pierson, Col. Henry
349
Seaweed claims ..
27
Settlement, date of ..
20
Ponquogue
160
Settlement, terms of
16
Post family.
353
Settlers, their antecedents.
15
Potunk ..
162
Seymour family ..
385
Presbyterian church Hampton of Bridge
127
Shaw, Peter H.
130
Shepherd, John
438
Shiland, Andrew.
124
Shinnecock, Lease of, to Indians,
173
Quogue. 160
Shinnecock Hills sold, 1861
175
Rebellion of 1861-64
29 !
Robinson, John .
436
Ogilby on settlement of.
15
Rogers (William) family
360
Onuck .. 162
Rose family.
367
Owen, George
435
Rounsifull, Richard
436
Paine, Elisha
110
Ruling Elders.
99, 132
Painter, Richard.
435
Russell family.
437
Parsons, Henry M.
343
Sale, Obadiah .. 437
Patent of Governor Dongan
460
Sayre family 374,
68
Ogden, John.
Reeves family .
358
Noyac ..
159
Revolutionary war
Shaw family.
437
33
Pierson family .. 348
INDEX. 473
Page.
Page.
Soldiers of the Revolution.
Vonck. Cornelius 440
Southampton, Earl of .. 10,
15
Voting enforced .. 92
Southampton, early importance of, 48
Wade, Dr. Nath. 440
South End burying ground .. 187
Walton. Henry 440
Southold attacked by Dutch ... 64
Ware, John. 440
Southold purchased and settled. . .
55
Warren, John. 440
Squires family 387
Watermill.
158
Squiretown.
160
Waters, Anthony
440
Stanbrough family.
Waters of the town, common prop. erty 28
Stanton, Thos. 438
Waterville .. 163
Stealing fruit .. 94
390
Welbye, George
440
Stirling, Lord, title to L. I Stocking or Stolking
438
Wells, William.
440
Storms, noted. 193
West Hampton.
162
Stratton, John .. 439
Whaling enterprise 180
Strickland, Jonathan .. 439
Wheeler, Thomas. 440
Sturmey. Chas. 439
Whipping. 90
Sunday School established.
121
Whitaker family. 398
Swinfield, Raphael
439
White, Ebenezer. descendants. 402
399
Tainte, John
White, Sylvanus.
109
Talmage family
392
Whitehead family
440
Tax list, 1683,
44
Whiting. Joseph.
10%
Taylor, Joseph.
105
Wick family.
405
Tea ...
178
Wickapogue burying-ground.
190
Temperance reform
121
Wickham. Joseph
440
Tennison. John
439
Wilkeson, Josias. 440
Tenure of common land ..
26
Williams, Joshua. 111
Terbell family.
394
Willman family. 407, 440
Terry, Robert and Thos.
439
Willmot family. 440
Thanksgiving .. 92
Wilson, Hugh N.
440
Tomson, Thomas.
439
Topping family.
394
Topping, Edward, in Revolution- ary war ..
76
Winthrop, John. engagement at Southold
64
Topping's purchase, deeds .. . 453,
454
Witchcraft 96
Wolves .. 191
Townsmen .. .
88
Wood, George .. 440
Training of soldiers
89
Wood, Jonas, family 440
Travally, Thos.
439
Woodruff family 407
Tryon's (Gov.) oath of allegiance .. 72
Woolley family. 408
Two hundred and twenty-fifth an- niversary
445
Year when begun 176
Undertakers, the original
30
Youngs, John.
Vail, Thomas and Jer .. 440
Zeehond, Dutch frigate 63
Verazzano, J., dicoveries 9
Finis.
12
Winthrop on settlement of ..
Topping's purchase
25
Town marks of L. I. towns
59
Thorpe, Richard. 439
Winthrop. John ..
Winthrop's exploration of Long Island.
Symonds, Henry
439
White. John, descendants
439
Weany, Sunk Squaw 169
Stephens family 14
Weeks, Thomas 18. 440
Standley, O .. 389
438
Washington and Lee
Speouk .. 163
.
60
Wright family. 409
ASSING OF THE SAYRE HOUSE
Southampton Landmark Had an Interesting History.
OLDEST DWELLING IN THE U. S .?
For Nearly 300 Years It Withstood the Elements.
"I don't know why people are so in- terested in an old shack like that," said one of the townsfolk of Southampton, L. I. "It had far outlived its usefulness."
This materialist was referring to the Sayre house, which recently was reputed the oldest frame dwelling in the United States, but is to-day razed to a level with the sandy Long Island soil that it had covered for 264 years.
Thomas Sayre was one of the eight pioneers who migrated from Lynn, Mass., in 1640, armed with a patent from the Earl of Stirling to found a colony on Long Island. After four years at Old Town, the community moved to the present site of Southampton, and in 1648 Sayre built the house which was destined to outlive his family.
The landmark officially "outlived its usefulness" two months ago when State Fire Marshal Ahearn condemned it as la menace to the surrounding property. The owners of property near by, spurred by the high rate of fire insurance they were compelled to pay, had made the complaint.
ing lie to the south. Ginocchio sil-yedi - old son' has the signal honor of being the last child born in the house that har- bored the earliest settlers. More than eight years ago, however, decay and dilapidation drove out these last occu- pants, and after that the roof sheltered only crates of fruit.
The Sayre homestead was a great wit- ness to the vital qualities of hard labor. From the standing timber to the finished house the work was done with few tools and these wielded by muscle. The beams were hewn by hand, the bricks moulded by hand, the laths stripped by hand, the nails forged by hand, the shingles shaped by hand. These shingles, for the most part upon the sides of the house, were originally 3 feet long and 1 inch thick on the exposed end, but the seventeenth century cedar had been weathered down to paper thinness when the house recently met its doom.
The early Sayres were farmers, and the numerous old windmills still standing in the neighborhood bear witness that there was much grist to grind. The millers used to be paid for their work by receiving one-tenth of the grain ground. Six generations of direct male descendants from the builder, owned and lived in the homestead for over 200 consecutive years. In 1849 the last Dr. Stephen Sayre moved to California, where he died fifteen years ago. Then the property passed into the hands of his daughter Sarah, wife of James Larry. The Larrys were deep sea whalemen, and in 1890, when whales be- came scarce in the Atlantic, they moved the field of their endeavor to the Pacific coast. For a while the property remained part of the Larry estate, but it has recently come into the possession of two Hildreth brothers, who own a large store in South- ampton, and has been leased to various persons, the last being the fruit dealer, Ginocchio. The property has never been sold, but has passed from one to another by inheritance and quit claim deed.
When the Sayre house was being built Peter Stuyvesant was governing a group of hardly 1,000 colonists on the southern tip
of Manhattan Island, and William Penn was 4 years old. The Shinnecock Indians roamed the neck of land between Peconic Bay and the Ocean.
"No, there was never an Indian fight in those days," said an old resident. "I wasn't here myself to see, but I never heard of any. The people here treated them right and they always remained friendly. Part of the old tribe is still with us. The reservation is just a mile or so to the east. But the race is all going to pieces-they've intermarried, you know, with both blacks and whites."
Thirty years ago the house stood as in the time of Thomas Sayre, facing the south, with its eastern gable toward the highway. Southampton has become a stylish summer colony since then, and the recent crop of stores and banks so shut in the old house that it has not even been visible from the street for fifteen years. The fruit store of one Ginocchio, built close upon the sidewalk, extended back until it touched the eastern gable The genial postmaster, a man of the of the ancient house. The new brick good old-fashioned Kentucky colonel
Office stands close by upon the type, "Cap'n" Rogers by name, said that
post
THE OLD SAYRE HOUSE.
he could remember that as a boy he used.
to sit in the great fireplace in the Sayre fence persons may have had for it. An homestead and watch the flaming logs.
"All these old houses," he said, "had three fireplaces, one in the kitchen. one in the parlor and one in the dining room. Now, that big old fireplace at Sayre's was perhaps eight feet long, not quite long enough for fence rails, but it would take a good big log. Yes, it had a crane and kettle, and cupboards and ovens built in the walls at the sides.
"The summer people all knew the house was here and would bring their friends to see it, but beyond that there wasn't much general recognition of its age until they decided to tear it downl.
"No; George Washington never stopped there."
Then the cap'n pointed out a great o'nd stone slab sunk till level with the bund just back of where the old house xad stood.
"Old millstone," he explained; "used as a kitchen step. They had to bring that stone from a great ways,you may be sure. It's all sand around here. I don't know how far down you'd have to go to get bed rock, but I know on the surface there are not enough pebbles to find one to throw at a 'dog. When these grinders from the mills wore out they'd use them pretty generally for stepping stones."
The old landmark is gone, but no one
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artist, who is a member of Southampton's summer colony, had a fleeting recollection when questioned about the old house.
"Ah, yes," said he, "I was shown through it last year. I only remember that I took a moss-green shingle from it that I might get a paint of the same tint for the roof of my new studio. The lovely color left it as soon as the moss faded. It was all in the moss."
The stationery store on Main street, housed, by the way, in a church building erected in 1707, captured a dozen or more of the old shingles and is about to make them into picture frames to sell to the sentimental lovers of what was once this country's oldest house. Many expected that old coins, valuable manuscripts disclosing State secrets and stuff of a similar nature would be found in the walls or between the floors. There were rumors of secret panels and hidden cup- boards, but disappointment was general when nothing but mice and dust came to light, when the house was dismembered.
Many souvenir hunters had been despoiling the building since last summer, and where they left off peripatetic col- lectors of kindling wood began. What looked like an amateur job of house- wrecking has now been completed pro- fessionally, and the rolls of landmarks uro now awaiting nominations for another
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LIBRARY OF CUNGALVY
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