The Grange A Historic Report TKS Historic Resources, Inc

The Grange
A Historic Report
TKS Historic Resources, Inc.
September, 2015
TKS Historic Resources, Inc. 110 Cooper Street, #782 Babylon, New York 11702
Phone: 631-807-3889 www.tkshistoric.com
Introduction
The themes that have emerged that tie these structures to both local and regional history are
Dutch settlement, pre-and-post civil war agrarian and fishing industry development, the Country
Place era, and early twentieth century summer resort era and commercial development . We
have explored these themes and how they relate to each of the structures in order to tell the story
of community development from 1830 to 1920.
Architectural history is equally important. A discussion of building type and architectural style,
where appropriate, is also incorporated into the discussion of each structure.
2
Table of Contents
History of Sayville
4
Tuthill-Case House
8
Sayville Hook & Ladder Company
14
Powell-Udell Farm Windmill
18
Robinson Cottage
22
History of West Sayville
26
First Reformed Church of West Sayville
31
History of Oakdale
35
Ockers Barn and Outbuildings
38
History of East Islip
44
Percy Williams Estate Manager’s Cottage
47
Bibliography
54
Endnotes
57
3
History of Sayville
Sayville was originally part of the 51,000 acre tract of land in Suffolk County purchased by the Nicoll
family in 1683 known as the Islip Grange which included Towns of Islip and Brookhaven. Following the
Revolutionary War, the Nicoll’s family sold off its land to discharge debts including what would become,
Sayville.i John Edwards, born in 1738 in East Hampton and a tailor by trade, was the first to make his
home in the area. He built his home at what is now the intersection of Foster and Edwards Streets and
farmed the considerable land surrounding it.ii Edwards was probably a tenant of the land at the time and
later purchased it in 1786.iii
By 1800, like the Green Family in the future West Sayville, the Edwards family began to sell off parts of
their property. At this early time, most inhabitants made their income from the bay and the oyster
business began to develop in and around this area. Another industry important to Sayville in the first half
of the nineteenth century, but one that would be short lived, was lumber supplying New York City with
cordwood. By 1858 the map from that year illustrated Sayville as a well populated town with houses and
business lining the streets at the center of town. Businesses included three merchants of dry goods,
groceries, paints and oils, one butcher, one tailor, one nurseryman, and one black smith. Also referenced
on this map was the Village Hall, Post Office (combined with local grocer), Methodist Church,
Congregational Church, a school and a cemetery.iv
In 1868 the rail road line from Jamaica was completed to Sayville by the South Shore Railroad. By 1870,
a station house was constructed and by this time oysters could be shipped by rail, rather than by boat to
New York City. In 1894, 70,000 barrels of oysters were shipped out by rail and 20,000 by boat. By 1900
the area boasted 100,000 barrels shipped to all parts of the world. In that same year, the industry
employed over 500 boats and 1,100 people locally.v
The railroad would also have a dramatic effect on Sayville by helping make it a popular summer resort
destination. Between 1880 and 1910 many Manhattanites and Brooklynites made their way to Sayville to
escape the congestion of the city and enjoy the open spaces and cool summer breezes off of the Bay;
some even took up residence here. Large estates were being developed by such people as Frank S. Jones
and John E. Roosevelt. During the 1910’s the Cedarshore resort with cottages and a casino (‘casino’ at
this time referred to a dance hall rather than a gambling facility) opened along Sayville’s shore line at
Handsome Avenue servicing New Yorkers and their families. In 1924 a hotel was added to the resort (the
first had burned down in 1918). During the 1920’s as many as 1,000 people a day would commute
between New York and Sayville during the summer months making Sayville a major summer resort
within the US.vi
4
Illustration 1: 1858 map of Sayville
Illustration 2: 1873 Map of Sayville
5
Illustration 3: 1915 Map of Sayville
6
Illustrations
1. 1858 Map of Sayville. Source: http://maps.bpl.org/id/18305
2. 1873 Map of Sayville. Source: www.historicmapworks.com
3. 1915 Map of Sayville. Source: www.historicmapworks.com
7
Tuthill-Case House
The Tuthill-Case house was built in the mid-nineteenth century in the Greek Revival style. Originally
located in the heart of Sayville, this structure speaks to pre and post-Civil War agrarian and fishing
industry development with its first owner and early twentieth century community development with its
subsequent owners.
In 1850 Joshua B. Tuthill bought his property on the north side of Main Street between Greeley and
Green Avenues in Sayville from Willet Green for $120. Joshua was living as a renter in the Town of Islip
at that time with his wife Sarah, one year old daughter Emily and mother-in-law Hannah Onenton. He
worked as a boatman and was born 1822 in Blue Point. He built his house between 1858 and 1860 and in
that year, his house and property were valued at $2,200. According the 1860 census, his family had
expanded to four children and his vocation was listed as ‘mariner.’ During the Civil War he served as a
sailor for the Union. By 1880 Joshua’s daughter Emily was married to bayman Osborn W. Yarrington
and lived next door while Joshua’s three sons still lived at home and also made their livings on the sea.
By 1888, Joshua was listed on the map from that year with the title ‘Captain.’ Joshua died in December,
1900.vii
In 1907, the house was sold by Joshua’s son Albert to John F. and Elizabeth (Lizzie) Case who previously
owned a home on Garfield Avenue in Sayville. John Case worked as a carpenter and was born in 1864.
He and Lizzie lived at 175 Main Street with their three children and for a time housed boarder LeRoy
Tuthill. By 1930 the property was valued at $15,000 and by 1940 John and Lizzie shared the house with
their son Everard (a police officer) and his family. In that same year Lizzie passed and John followed in
1946. Lillian Robinson, local realtor, bought the house following John’s death.viii
The Tuthill-Case house was built in the Greek Revival style which proliferated in the United Stated
between 1830 and 1850 and continued in popularity through vernacular interpretations in rural areas
through 1860. Interest in the Greek Revival style began in this country with sympathy for Greece in its
war for independence and the style’s association with democratic ideals. The style’s widespread
popularity was fostered by the success of builders’ pattern books by such authors as Minard Lafaver and
Asher Benjamin.ix
The Tuthill-Case house is relatively unchanged and is a good example of a modest iteration of the Greek
Revival style. Details which lend to the style’s expression include corner pilasters, the pedimented
portico at the front entry and the simple frieze under the roof line with garrison windows. Map evidence
shows that the footprint of the Tuthill Case house was consistent from 1873 to 1909. By 1915 the kitchen
wing on the rear was added.
8
Illustration 1: Tuthill Case House
Illustration 2: 1873 map showing J.B. Tuthill house
9
Illustration 3: 1888 map of Capt. Tuthill’s house
Illustration 4: 1897 Sanborn Map of Tuthill-Case House
10
Illustration 5: 1915 Sanborn Map of Tuthill-Case House
Illustration 6: John and Lizzie Case
11
Illustration 7: 1915 Map of John Case House
12
Illustrations
1.
2.
3.
4.
Tuthill Case House, 2015. Source: TKS Historic Resources, Inc.
1858 map showing J.B. Tuthill House. Source: http://maps.bpl.org/id/18305
1873 map showing Capt. Tuthill house. Source: www.historicmapworks.com
1897 Sanborn map of Tuthill-Case House: Sanborn Map Company, New York, NY, “Sayville,
NY,” April, 1897.
5. 1915 Sanborn map of Tuthill- Case House: Sanborn Map Company, New York, NY, “Sayville,
NY,” Sep., 1915.
6. John and Lizzie Case. Source: www.ancestry.com
7. 1915 Map of John Case house. Source: www.historicmapworks.com
13
Sayville Hook & Ladder Company
The Sayville Hook & Ladder Company truck house was built in 1889 and speaks to the theme of late
nineteenth century community development. On September 4, 1889, The Suffolk County News
announced the opening of the new truck house for the Sayville Hook and Ladder Company:
We have the pleasure of presenting to our readers this week, the finest fire department house in
Suffolk County, designed by Architect I.H. Green, Jr. of Sayville. It is centrally situated on Main
Street, and makes a very attractive appearance, being a monument to the architectural abilities of
Mr. Green and an honor to the Village…The structure is the admiration of all who see it, and
every resident of Sayville, especially the firemen, have reasons to be proud of the handsome
edifice.x
The first meeting of the future Sayville fire company was held on August 12, 1878. Matters put to
consideration at this meeting were the election of officers and the creation a list of necessary equipment
for the company. Shortly thereafter, by-laws were enacted, fund raising efforts were organized and its
first truck was purchased. By the time of the construction of the truck house, Sayville’s Hook and Ladder
Company boasted fifty members.xi
The Sayville Hook and Ladder Company building was designed by local architect Isaac Henry Green, Jr.
The local architect was responsible for the design of a number of structures in the Town of Islip and
beyond, some of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places including St. Ann’s
Episcopal Church and the John Ellis Roosevelt estate Meadowcroft.xii Green was born in 1859 to Samuel
Willett and Henrietta Vail Green, and later adopted the “junior” to his name to distinguish himself from
his uncle, Isaac Henry Green. He received his architecture training through the mentoring of Riverhead
architect. George Skidmore. By 1879 he was working in his father’s lumberyard and designing buildings
for its customers. Later he opened his own practice.
Structures by Green in Islip include the Telefunken Wireless transmission building, Thornville’s
pharmacy, Oddfellows Hall, Sayville Town Hall, Forrester’s Hall, the Goodrich House, Tidewater Inn,
Our Lady of the Snow Roman Catholic Church, his home “Brookside,” and numerous residences. Green
was well entrenched in the Sayville community not only professionally but also as a vestryman and
warden at St. Anns, member of the Sayville Village Improvement Society, president of Oysterman’s
Bank, Treasurer of the Electric Company, school board trustee and charter member of the Sayville Hose
Company. He died in 1937.xiii
The footprint of the original Sayville Hook & Ladder Company was thirty two feet wide and forty five
feet deep. According to the depiction in the article, the main section was two and a half stories in height
with a steeply pitched cross gable roof capped by a square cupola. The main section housed the trucks on
the first floor and a meeting room on the second floor. The depiction also showed a three story square
tower at the corner of the structure capped by a cylindrical two story watch tower. The structure was
painted olive green with dark green trim and had a reddish roof.xiv The original building is now nonextant.
14
Illustration 1: Sayville Hook & Ladder Co. - Replica
Illustration 2: Sayville Hook and Ladder Co. Truck House, 1889
15
Illustration 3: Isaac H. Green, Jr.
16
Illustrations
1. Sayville Hook & Ladder Co. – Replica, Present Day
2. Sayville Hook and Ladder Co. Truck House, 1889. Source: “Our Hook and Ladder Co.’s
New Truck House,” The Suffolk County News, Sayville, NY, September 4, 1889, P. 2
3. Isaac H. Green, Jr. Source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/111825482204337/.
17
Powell-Udell Farm Windmill
Leander Powell bought the property and existing buildings at the corner of Green and Elm on the Great
South Bay in Sayville as a summer home from Robert Nunns and his wife Fannie in September 1887.xv A
comparison of historic maps show that the house on the estate was built most probably by the Nunns
sometime between 1874 and 1888.xvi Earlier In 1887, Leander Powell, “a merchant of character and
standing in the business community” with a trade in shoes, became a stock holder in a new venture that
made him wealthy: ornamental ventilation to waterproof garments.xvii His estate, named “Cedarshore,”
first appears on the 1888 map on the Great South Bay at the corner of Greene and Elm in Sayville with
one outbuilding, not the windmill.xviii The windmill (Illustration 1), built between 1889 and 1902, first
appears clearly marked on a 1902 map of Suffolk County (Illustration 2).
A number of local estates used wind power to pump up ground water to irrigate their land, water livestock
and supply water to their homes.xix Leander Powell saw the need for this and erected one on his estate.
Leander lived in Brooklyn with his wife Rebecca and daughter Bell on the off-season. He died
unexpectedly in 1893.xx After his death, it is surmised that Rebecca was having financial difficulties as
she began renting out the estate in the early 1900s for several summers while it was being listed for
sale.xxi The estate was bought by Alderman George A. Morrison in October of 1912xxii and the windmill
no longer appears on the Suffolk County map of 1915 (Illustration 3). It is presumed that Morrison
eventually got rid of the windmill because he had plans to erect a summer hotel and several cottages on
the property after he purchased it, ushering in the Summer Resort era in Sayville. By the twentieth
century, Sayville had become both a commercial hub of the south shore and a popular summer resort
destination.xxiii In 1914, a large Cochrane windmill and pump with iron stand pipe for water storage and
pump house were for sale by I.H. Green of Sayville, New York.xxiv It is highly probable that this was the
Powell windmill and that Arthur Udell acquired it from Green and moved it to his property between 1914
and 1915.
Arthur Udell was a local building contractor who acquired the windmill when the Powell estate was
broken up. He moved it to his property, just off Johnson Avenue, where he owned a farm with his wife,
Pansy. Udell was able to move the windmill in one piece by using a wagon pulled by a team of horses.xxv
Arthur and his wife Pansy enjoyed entertaining and would have large gatherings of friends and family that
included wonderful food and musical entertainment.xxvi They also raised and rode horses and would host
fox hunts on their land for their friends and neighbors. Arthur died in 1969 and by 1974, Pansy had
passed away as well. At that time, commercial development had enveloped the former farm and the
windmill sat neglected. Thanks to the generosity and effort of many, in 1974, the windmill was donated
by Ken Norken and moved by Davis house movers, under the Rotary Club, to its present home at the
Grange. In order to move the windmill this time, it was necessary to saw it in half and then reassemble it
on site.xxvii
The Powell-Udell Farm Windmill is built in the “smock mill” style, so-called because its skirted design
resembles a baker’s smock. It is a four-sided structure clad in decorative and plain wood shingles. There
are eleven other windmills of this type in Suffolk County. A small number of this type are extant in the
United States and it is rare to find such a large concentration in one area. Local historians assert that
Long Island has the largest number of this type of windmill in one place.xxviii
18
Illustration 1: Powell-Udell Windmill
19
Illustration 2: Powell Estate Windmill on 1902 map
Illustration 3: 1915 map showing missing windmill
20
Illustrations
1. Powell-Udell Windmill, 2015. Source: TKS Historic Resources, Inc.
2. Powell Estate Windmill on 1902 map. Source: www.historicmapworks.com
3. 1915 map showing missing windmill. Source: www.historicmapworks.com
21
Robinson Cottage
By the twentieth century, Sayville was both a commercial hub of the south shore and a popular summer
resort destination. In 1921, the local paper touted the shortage of Sayville’s rental cottages indicating the
growth in popularity of the community as a summer destination; the previous year there had been 70
families visiting from Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens and in 1921 there were 104.xxix
At the same time George Robinson was living with his mother Amelia, widow of Dr. George A.
Robinson, and his wife Lillian on South Main Street. Having worked in sales for a coal company, George
along with his brother William took advantage of Sayville’s booming Real Estate market and started the
firm G.A. & W.B Robinson Company in 1926. Their first advertisement appeared on July 9, 1926 with a
rendering of the cottage which served as their office and was referred to as “the quaint cottage on the
corner.” The office was built on the northwest corner of Main Street and Green Street, the property of
William Robinson’s home (171 Main Street as per the 1930 census). George died in December of 1936
and his wife Lillian would go on to run the real estate and insurance business with much local success.
Her most well-known transaction was the sale of the former Cedarshore Hotel to the New York Herald
Tribune Fresh Air Fund in 1947, donating part of her commission to the Fund. She died in 1973.xxx
The cottage was one of two built for the real estate company and they were depicted on the 1949 map
fronting Main Street in Sayville.xxxi Its style can best be described as ‘English Cottage’ appealing to
potential summer renters and the prevailing anglophile spirit in the United States at the beginning of the
twentieth century. However, the design of this cottage really is a testament to clever real estate marketing
rather than the English Cottage style.
22
Illustration 1: Robinson Cottage
Illustration 2: Advertisement for G.A. & W.B. Robinson Co., July, 1926
23
Illustration 3: 1949 Sanborn Map of Robinson Cottage
24
Illustrations
1. Robinson Cottage, 2015. Source: TKS Historic Resources, Inc.
2. Advertisement for G.A. & W.B. Robinson Co., July, 1926. Source: “The Quaint Office
on the Corner, G.A. & W.B. Robinson Co.,” The Suffolk County News, Sayville, NY, July
9, 1926, p. 12.
3. 1949 Sanborn Map of Robinson Cottage. Source: “Sayville, NY,” Sanborn Map
Company, New York: Sanborn Map Company, August, 1949.
25
History of West Sayville
The area which would become West Sayville was bought by John Greene of Huntington from the Nicholl
family in 1786. By 1858 and as seen on the map of that year, several homes lined the north side of
Montauk Highway and names included Brown, Green, Muttif, Strong and Hulse. At this time the
predominant occupation of the area’s residents was ‘bayman.’ In 1865, the Green family sold land to the
town’s first Dutch immigrant land owner, William Tucker. Tucker had emigrated from Holland in 1854
and had originally settled in Oakdale. He built his home on his newly acquired property located at what is
now Atlantic Avenue and he worked as a bayman.xxxii
During the nineteenth century, there was a wave of Dutch immigration to the United States largely as a
result of dispute within the Netherlands Reformed Church. Between 1846 and 1914 more than 200,000
people immigrated to the United States from the Netherlands and established communities in the Midwest
and Northeast.xxxiii Like William Tucker, many other Dutch immigrants came to West Sayville by way of
Oakdale. Approximately 1500 Dutch immigrants would make this area their home during the second half
of the nineteenth century as word spread back to the Netherlands of the bounteous bay at Sayville. By
1870 the population of West Sayville, then called Greeneville, was largely made up of Dutch immigrants
all of whom worked as fishermen. Most of these residents owned their homes rather than rented and the
community would continue to grow through the latter part of the nineteenth century.xxxiv
In 1891 the residents of this community applied for a post office as West Sayville, since ‘Greenville’ was
already taken by another New York community. In that same year, the West Sayville Hook and Ladder
Company was organized and one year later a fire house was constructed on the south side of Main Street.
By 1894 the Sayville School District #4 was formed which included West Sayville. The 1900 census
showed a significantly larger population than seen forty years earlier and this population was dominated
by first and second generation Dutch residents with more than half working as oystermen.xxxv
26
Illustration 1: 1858 Map of West Sayville
Illustration 2: 1873 Map of West Sayville (Greeneville)
27
Illustration 3: 1870 US Federal Census (William Tucker and neighbors)
28
Illustration 4: 1915 Map of West Sayville
29
Illustrations
1.
2.
3.
4.
1858 Map of West Sayville. Source: www.historicmapworks.com
1873 Map of West Sayville (Greeneville). Source: www.historicmapworks.com
1870 US Federal Census. Source: www.ancestry.com
1915 Map of West Sayville. Source: www.historicmapworks.com
30
First Reformed Church of West Sayville, NY
As the Dutch community began to form in West Sayville in the mid-nineteenth century, these new
residents almost immediately sought to establish a church to serve their spiritual needs. The community
church was central to this group of immigrants and so this structure is one of the most iconic
representations of the Dutch immigration to this area.
The first official meeting of the Reformed Protestant Dutch (of Sayville) was held on December 19, 1866
in the home of Nicholas Tucker. Prior to this meeting they had put in a request to form a church
organization with the North Classis of Long Island. The next priorities of the newly formed church were
to find a permanent pastor and to build a house of worship. An invitation was extended to Rev. I.G.
Jongeneel to be the church’s pastor, which he accepted by January of 1867. By the summer of 1867 the
church had purchased a property for its future edifice at the northeast corner of Main Street and Cherry
Street at a cost of $200. Construction of the church began in the same year relying on donations by its
parishioners and services were held in the Sayville school house in the meantime. In that same year, the
General Synod of the Dutch Reformed Church of America announced that it would drop the term “Dutch”
from its name, but granted individual church members to retain it if they so desired. The West Sayville
church kept ‘Dutch’ in its name as it represented a binding identity.xxxvi
The church was built at a cost of approximately $1,800 and it was designed in a simple vernacular form
with Italianate influences seen in the gable end window and bell tower openings and Greek Revival
influences seen in the entry and roof lines. By the 1840’s, architecture in the United States was no longer
reliant on the dominance of one style in design but rather featured a number of competing styles
including Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, and Italianate known collectively as the Romantic styles.
These styles would continue to survive past their mid-nineteenth century heyday in less elaborate
interpretations such as seen in the Dutch Reform Church.xxxvii
The issue of national identity would rear its head again in 1881 for the West Sayville church when the
North Classis of Long Island requested that its member churches use English for all official
documentation. Heretofore, the Dutch Reformed Church of West Sayville used Dutch in its official
documents. The West Sayville church resisted, as the majority of the congregation could not read or
write English and there was concern about newcomers from the Netherlands as well. Pressure from the
Classis was maintained and finally a compromise was reached. Starting in 1882 and continuing to 1891,
records were entered in both English and Dutch. However, after 1891 and until 1914, they returned to
using Dutch solely.xxxviii
By 1906 the congregation of the Dutch Reformed Church had outgrown its church and plans were made
to erect a new, larger edifice. A new church was constructed on Cherry Street and the congregation had
moved by 1908. In September of 1917 Emerson Peppard bought the property from Maria Otto for his
moving and storage company Peppard & Van Emmerik, Inc. The church building was moved and
incorporated into the company’s building as the second floor; the structure still stands today.xxxix
31
Illustration 1: Dutch Reformed Church - Replica
Illustration 2: Dutch Reformed Church of West Sayville
32
Illustration 3: 1888 Map of West Sayville (Greenville)
Illustration 4: Peppard & Van Emmerik, West Sayville
33
Illustrations
1. Dutch Reformed Church of West Sayville – Replica, 2015. Source: TKS Historic
Resources, Inc.
2. Dutch Reformed Church of West Sayville. Source: A History of the First Reformed
Church of West Sayville, NY 1866-1966, by David L. Coster.
3. 1888 Map of West Sayville (Greenville). Source: www.historicmapworks.com
4. Peppard & Van Emmerik, West Sayville. Source: A History of the First Reformed
Church of West Sayville, NY 1866-1966, by David L. Coster.
34
History of Oakdale
Oakdale originated as part of a royal land grant given to William Nicoll, founder of Islip Town in
1687. Earlier known as East Islip, the name “Oakdale” is believed to have come from a Nicoll
descendant around 1870 and coincided with the coming of the railroad. The Dutch baymen of
West Sayville were influential in Oakdale in terms of social, ethnic and economic affairs. The
town began as a modest bayside community of less than a thousand residents and fishing was
initially Oakdale’s major industry. Deer and other game were abundant and rattlesnakes could
sometimes be found near Rattlesnake Creek. Around 1870, the school contained just forty
children and the teacher was paid $274 annually.xl
In the late 1800s, Oakdale was a symbol of America’s gilded age. Wealthy and well-known
families such as the Vanderbilts, Conovers, Montgomerys, Cuttings and Hollings built estates in
Oakdale and the adjacent neighborhoods, employing local residents to build and maintain their
properties. Many of the estate owners belonged to the Southside Sportsman’s Club which is now
listed on the National Register of Historic places. Idle Hour, the former William K. Vanderbilt
estate and the Bayard Cutting Arboretum, formerly “Westbrook Farms” owned by William
Bayard Cutting, are extant examples of this bygone era.
Other important historic sites in Oakdale are St. John’s Episcopal Church, built in 1765. It is the
third oldest church on Long Island. The Ockers House, also in Oakdale, was built circa 1830 and
is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was the home of the famous Oyster King,
Jacob Ockers and the former site of Ockers barn, now residing at the Grange. In the 1920s, the
Vanderbilt Farm buildings were converted to an artist’s colony by Lucy Thompson, a wealthy art
patron. Today they are privately owned.xli
35
Illustration 1: 1873 map of Oakdale
Illustration 2: 1888 Map of Oakdale
36
Illustrations
1. 1873 Map of Oakdale. Source: www.historicmapworks.com
2. 1878 Map of Oakdale. Source: www.historicmapworks.com
37
Ockers Barn and Outbuildings
The theme that is most representative of the Ockers Barn is pre-and-post civil war agrarian and fishing
industry development. The barn was initially constructed for farming. A review of census and death
records, historic maps, and a National Register nomination for the Ockers House in Oakdale demonstrated
that William P. Benjamin moved to Islip from Riverhead sometime between 1830 and 1840 and built
what is now referred to as the Ockers House and barn. William was born in Flanders, NY in 1780xlii. By
1840 he was listed on the agricultural census as living in Islip with an established farm. By 1850, the
farm was valued at $1500 and contained horses, milk cows, cattle, wheat, rye, Indian corn and oatsxliii. At
this time he lived on the farm with his wife Hannah, Julia Benjamin (possibly a sister) and children:
Betsey, David, Prosper King, and Alma.xliv
William died in 1853 and by 1858, his son Prosper (P. Benjamin) is shown as the owner on a Suffolk
County map.xlv By 1860, the census lists Prosper, David and both of their families living on the farm
along with William E. Newton and his family. Prosper and David are listed as “Mariners” and Newton as
a “Bayman.” It is evident that the Benjamin brothers chose to work in the quickly developing fishing
industry as opposed to farming. By 1870, Prosper lived at the house with his second wife, Frances, as
well as five children and a teacher, probably for the children.xlvi The 1873 map of Suffolk County clearly
shows two structures on the map, most probably the Ockers House and barn.xlvii
In 1880, Jacob Ockers, the future “Oyster King,” was a boarder at William Smith’s house in Oakdale.xlviii
He later married one of Smith’s daughters, Louisa and owned the Benjamin property by 1888.xlix Jacob
was born in Bruinisse in the Netherlands in 1847. He emigrated to Oakdale with his father Hendrik in
1851.l At that time, the oyster business was on the brink of a huge transformation. Prior to 1851, anyone
could harvest shellfish in the Great South Bay and it was a popular local trade.li Local fishermen would
sell their catch to Samuel Terry Green who would then sell the oysters and other fish through his local
general store. Large amounts of the fish that Green purchased were referred to as “moss bunker.” These
fish were sold by the cartload to local farmers to use as fertilizer. In 1851, the Town of Brookhaven
began to lease underwater bay grounds for oyster farming which laid the groundwork for oystering to
become a full-scale industry. Two groups emerged as a result of the leasing: planters and shippers. These
two groups would become responsible for the export of thousands of barrels of shellfish.lii
Dutch immigrants came to the United States to find work as the oyster industry began to fail in Holland in
the 1860s. They were big leasers of underwater land and local names such as Ockers, Vespoor, Van
Houden and Scherpenisse became associated with wealth and success.liii
Jacob Ockers saw the promise of the fishing industry and entered the oyster business at an early age. He
was already renting oyster plots on the Great South Bay for farming at the age of 18. By the age of 25, he
purchased an oyster schooner and began shipping oysters for export, making considerable profit. By the
1870s, shippers such as Ockers were building sheds on the shorefront for oyster cullingliv. Jacob Ockers
was so successful that he did far better than his neighbors in terms of wealth and was able to purchase the
Benjamin house and barn on approximately fifty-two acres around 1888.lv The 1888 map shows Ockers
home on Montauk Hwy as well as his establishmentlvi down on the bay in West Sayville.
The gasoline engine transformed transportation on both land and sea. Jacob Ockers had the first gasolinepowered oyster boat built on the bay in 1896. He aptly named her Jacob Ockers.lvii
38
There was a large portion of bay grounds in the Town of Brookhaven that were privately owned by the
Smith heirs who had been leasing lots to individual Dutch oyster planters since 1899. In 1910, a
company named Sealshipt bought the Smith heirs’ bay grounds and the individual planters either became
employees of the company or retired. Jacob Ockers leased thousands of acres of lots outside of the Smith
heirs’ grounds. In 1912, he made a deal with Sealshipt which enabled him to still keep his water acreage
and remain in control of his own interests while being simultaneously named president of Sealshipt which
owned the Blue Point Oyster Company. Ockers died six years later at the age of 71.lviii
The Ockers property was subdivided in the early 1970’s. An eleven acre parcel was developed for senior
housing between 1974 and 1975.lix It was during this time that the Town of Islip moved Ockers barn to
its present home at the Grange. Ockers house remains on a .27 acre parcel of the original property and is
owned and maintained by the Town of Islip.lx
The Ockers barn was built in the English style utilizing mortise and tenon construction. The “three bay”
English barn was a regional building type popular in the northeast.lxi This style is distinguished from the
“Dutch” style barns seen in Pennsylvania and elsewhere in New York, which typically have more of a
square footprint, horizontal siding and doors on the gable end. Characteristics of the “English” style and
those seen in the Ockers barn are the rectangular footprint, three bay width, two story height, vertical
siding and wagon doors on the broad side of the structure. Puritan settlers brought the style to the area
from East Anglia. In contrast to New England farmers, however, Long Island farmers continued to use
this style of barn building into the twentieth century. New England farmers had switched to gable entry
barns due to the design’s adaptability for expansion.lxii
The exposed structural framework on the interior is a major component of the character of this historic
barn. Since the barn was used for strictly practical purposes, the barn builder made no attempt to cover up
the structural system. The load-bearing members are massive, and the multifaceted system of beams,
braces, posts, rafters and other elements of the exposed framework create an impressive sight.lxiii
The smaller wood frame structures near the barn could not be tied definitively to the Ockers Barn and
were difficult to document without knowing points of origin; however, they are representative of early
agricultural farm structures.
39
Illustration 1: The Ockers Barn and outbuildings, 2015
40
Illustration 2: 1858 map showing P. Benjamin as owner of the house. Source:
http://maps.bpl.org/id/18305
41
Illustration 3: image of Jacob Ockers, Oyster King
Illustration 4: Jacob Ockers (center) and his Oyster House crew
42
Illustrations
1. Photos of Ockers Barn and outbuildings, 2015. Source: TKS Historic Resources, Inc.
2. 1858 map showing P. Benjamin as owner of the house. Source: http://maps.bpl.org/id/18305.
3. Photo of Jacob Ockers, Oyster King. Source: Lawrence J. Taylor, Dutchmen on the Bay: The
Ethnohistory of Contractual Community, University of Pennsylvania Press: Philadelphia, PA,
1983.
4. Photo of Jacob Ockers and his Oyster House crew. Source: Lawrence J. Taylor, Dutchmen on
the Bay: The Ethnohistory of Contractual Community, University of Pennsylvania Press:
Philadelphia, PA, 1983.
43
History of East Islip
The name “Islip” given by first patentee William Nicoll, is said to derive from two sources to
honor either one of two English ecclesiastics of the Middle Ages: Simon Islip, Archbishop of
Canterbury from 1349 to 1366; and, John Islip, Abbot of Westminster Abbey from 1500 to 1532.
East Islip was called “East of Islip” until 1890 when the Post Office was established and East
Islip received its official name.lxiv
Islip was not patented until 1788. Around this time, residents numbered approximately six
hundred. Many were tenant farmers on land owned by the Nicoll family. In the mid-1800s,
summer visitors flocked to the South Shore of Long Island via rail service from Suffolk and
Thompson Stations in Brentwood. In East Islip, the visitors stayed at three hotels on Main Street:
Pavilion Hotel; Lake House; and Somerset House. Horses and stage coach were the primary
methods of transportation. The construction of the Southside Railroad in 1868 was generated by
an increase in population on the south shore as well as the inconvenience to the populace to drive
to the center of Long Island for rail service.lxv
In 1857, East Islip had a one room school house, no longer extant. Between 1885 and 1905,
funds and land were appropriated and various building campaigns were undertaken. The school
grew and expanded to encompass nine rooms. In the 1920s, enrollment in the district increased
further. The playground of the school was increased to ten acres due to the generosity of Mrs. W.
Bayard Cutting. In 1924, district taxpayers approved the construction of a three-story building
and the cornerstone was laid on October 12, 1925. lxvi
The East Islip Hook and Ladder Company was founded in April 1889. It consisted of thirty-one
members who were alerted by one bell when a fire had started. The first ladder truck in 1889 cost
$450 and the first fire house in 1890 cost less than one thousand dollars. The majority of fires
were battled with water from pitching pumps that each delivered less than five gallons a minute.
The present fire house was built in 1928.lxvii
44
Illustration 1: 1873 map of East Islip
Illustration 2: 1888 map of East Islip
45
Illustrations
1.
1873 Map of East Islip. Source: www.historicmapworks.com
2.
1888 Map of East Islip. Source: www.historicmapworks.com
46
Percy Williams Estate Manager’s Cottage
A comparison of historic maps from 1858 to 1915 demonstrate that the Percy Williams Estate Manager’s
Cottage was most probably part of the J.B. Johnson estate, which first appears on Suffolk County maps in
1873. At that time, Johnson’s estate included a main residence, two outbuildings (barn and stable) and a
small structure by Suffolk Avenue which is thought to be the Cottage. This would date the Cottage to
circa 1873.
The estate was purchased by wealthy businessman Charles T. Harbeck circa 1886. Although Harbeck
expanded the estate, known as Pineacres, and added a number of other buildings, the same small structure
that appears on the 1873 map appears in the same location on the 1888 map. Charles T. Harbeck owned
the Harbeck Stores, national importers of coffee and other goods. Originally, Harbeck, his wife Sofia and
three children, Charles J., Helen and Mildred, used the estate as their summer residence and later it
became their year-round residence.lxviii A map of the area in 1902 lists C.T Harbeck as still owning the
property. By 1910, Charles moved the family back to Manhattan to 306 Lexington Avenue. At this time,
Charles was a financier and he lived comfortably with his family and five servants. Charles J. was a
surgeon and the daughters did not work.lxix Sophia died in 1918 and Charles T. Harbeck died in 1929.lxx
According to maps and census records, Percy Williams, famous wealthy theatrical producer and theater
owner, purchased the estate between 1911 and 1915. He lived there with his wife, Ida, and teenage son,
Harold. His older son Victor, also a theatrical manager, may have lived there for a short time as well.
Victor died of unknown causes in 1913.lxxi The Williams estate shows just two structures, which appear
on the Suffolk County Map of 1915. These structures appear to be the main house and the estate
manager’s cottage located in the same place near Suffolk Avenue as on the 1873 and 1888 maps.lxxii
Percy bought the estate during the Country Place Era, a period between the late 1890s and the 1930s
when American cities were dirty, overpopulated metropolises and the wealthy often sought refuge in the
country. During this time they either bought or built estates constructed in scenic enclaves outside of the
city which were accessible by the new railroad lines.lxxiii The urban elite wanted verdant estate grounds
within commuting distance of the city and also close to the estates of family, friends and business
partners.lxxiv The Knapp estate was located just north of the Percy Williams estate.
Percy got his start in Vaudeville in the 1870s and by the nineties, he owned two variety theaters, one of
which was the famous Orpheum Theater in Brooklyn. After building the Orpheum, Percy began doing
business in New York, operating eight vaudeville houses in the city.lxxv Eventually, that number rose to
eleven.lxxvi
During Percy’s residence, he hosted an annual summer party for the students of St. Mary’s Parochial
School in East Islip at his estate. The children would march to the Williams’ country home, Pineacres,
accompanied by the East Islip Fire Department’s boys’ band. The children engaged in swimming
contests in the Williams’ pool and field sports on the lawn. Ice cream and cake was provided for all.lxxvii
Percy Williams wore a number of different hats during his lifetime: fledging doctor; travelling medicine
man; comedy actor; Brooklyn land developer; vaudeville theater owner; business man and
philanthropist.lxxviii He eventually sold his interests to the Keith’s for over five million dollars and his
theaters became part of the famous Keith-Albee vaudeville and movie circuit. After his death in 1923, his
47
will stipulated that his country estate be used as a home for aged and indigent vaudeville actors.lxxix In
1927, after the death of his wife, Ida, Pineacres became the “Percy Williams Home.” The retirement
home served between thirty-five to fifty residents and remained open until 1973. At that time, the main
house was demolished and the land was sold by the Board of Trustees of the Home. Proceeds of the sale
went to the construction of a modern facility adjoining the Actors Fund Home in New Jersey. The few
remaining residents at the Percy Williams Home were relocated there.lxxx The estate cottage was donated
to the Town of Islip by Joseph Zanghi Associates and placed at the Grange in 1974.lxxxi
The architectural style of the cottage is American Eclectic with influences from both the Tudor Revival
and Queen Anne styles. While the roof-line and paired windows are reminiscent of the Tudor style, the
fish scale shingles in the gables are clearly Queen Anne. The earliest American houses in the Tudor
Revival style date from the late 19th century. Early Tudors tended to be architect-designed landmarks
which, like the first American Queen Anne houses built twenty years earlier, rather closely copied
English models. It is quite possible that the estate cottage was derived or designed from elements of the
main estate house which was built in the Tudor style.lxxxii
48
Illustration 1: The Percy Williams Estate Manager’s Cottage, northeast and southeast views
49
Illustration 2: 1873 map showing Estate Manager’s Cottage.
Illustration 3: 1888 map showing Estate Manager’s Cottage.
50
Illustration 4: Harbeck Stores, Brooklyn Heights, 1880
Illustration 5: 1915 map showing the Percy Williams Estate and Cottage near Suffolk Avenue
51
Illustration 6: A program published by Orpheum Co.
52
Illustrations
1. The Percy Williams Estate Manager’s Cottage, northeast and southeast views, 2015.
Source: TKS Historic Resources, Inc.
2. 1873 map showing Estate Manager’s Cottage. Source: www.historicmapworks.com
3. 1888 map showing Estate Manager’s Cottage. Source: www.historicmapworks.com
4. Harbeck Stores, Brooklyn Heights, 1880. Source: www.brooklynvisualheritage.org
5. 1915 map showing Estate Manager’s Cottage. Source: www.historicmapworks.com
6. A program published by Orpheum Company. Source: Betty Kartalis, “Percy
Williams Legacy,” Shore Lines, June 1986.
53
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Sayville Historical Society).
Curry, Constance Gibson. “The Architecture of Isaac Henry Green, Jr., Suffolk & Nassau Counties 18791918.” Multiple Property Documentation Form National Register of Historic Places. 2005.
Dickerson, Charles P. A History of the Sayville Community, Including: Bayport, Bohemia, West Sayville,
Oakdale and Fire Island. Sayville, NY: Sayville Historical Society, Inc. 1990.
Dougherty, Ruth. “Reflections of the Past.” Suffolk County News. June 29, 1994.
“Formation of a New and Important Stock Company.” New York Times. January 30, 1887.
“For Sale.” The Suffolk County News, Sayville, NY. July 24, 1914.
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“Hardly a House Now to be Had, Sayville List of Cottages Grows Steadily Year by Year.” The Suffolk
County News, Sayville, NY. July 22, 1921. P. 2.
“Historical Facts – Sayville Hook and Ladder Company – Its Rise and Progress.” The Suffolk County
News, Sayville, NY. September 4, 1889. P. 1.
“Island News Notes.” Suffolk County News, Sayville. July 28, 1922.
“Islip Grange Restoration Village, Town of Islip Booklet.” Town of Islip Department of Planning and
Development. Undated.
54
“John Case.” The Suffolk County News, Sayville, NY. December 20, 1946, p. 4.
“John Ellis Roosevelt Estate, Meadowcroft.” National Register of Historic Places Registration Form.
2002. 90NR04540.
Karson, Robin. A Genius for Place: American Landscapes of the Country Place Era. University of
Massachusetts Press: Amherst. 2007.
Kartalis, Betty. “Percy Williams’ Legacy.” Shore Lines. 1986.
Kochiss, John M. Oystering from New York to Boston. Wesleyan University Press: Middleton, Ct.
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Krabbendam, Hans, Cornelius A. van Minnen, & Giles Scott-Smith, Eds. Four Centuries of DutchAmerican Relations: 1609-2009. Albany, NY: SUNY Press. 2009.
“Leaves Millions for Actors’ Home.” The County Review. Vol. XX. No. 50. August 3, 1923.
Leavitt, Charles Wellford. “A Half Century of Landscape Architecture.” American Architect. 1926. 129.
McAlester, Virginia & Lee. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 2006.
“Mrs. John F. Case.” The Suffolk County News, Sayville, NY. December 13, 1940, p. 4.
Obituary, Leander Powell. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. March 7, 1893.
“Our Hook and Ladder Co.’s New Truck House.” The Suffolk County News, Sayville, NY. September 4,
1889. P. 2.
Pelletreau, William S. History of Long Island: From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time. New
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“Saint Ann’s Episcopal Church.” National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. 2010.
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Taylor, Lawrence J. Dutchmen on the Bay: The Ethnohistory of a Contractual Community. University
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“The Edwards Homestead.” National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. 2010. 10NR08227.
“The Quaint Office on the Corner, G.A. & W.B. Robinson Co.” The Suffolk County News, Sayville, NY.
July 9, 1926. p. 12.
“To Build Big Hotel: Alderman George A. Morrison buys Powell Property.” Suffolk County News,
Sayville, NY. October 25, 1912.
“Town Talk Column.” Suffolk County News, Sayville, NY. June 29, 1906; October 18, 1907; May 29,
1908; June 11, 1909; April 7, 1911; September 11, 1914; September 25, 1914.
Udell, Pansy. “Card of Thanks.” Suffolk County News, Sayville, NY. May 22, 1969.
55
U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. “Barns: Survival of the Fittest.” Spanning the
Gap, Art and Architecture. Vol.13. No.1. Spring 1991.
Vlach, John Michael. Barns. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. 2003.
Williams, Percy G. “Vaudeville and the Vaudevillians.” The Saturday Evening Post. June 5, 1909.
www.discoverlongisland.com
www.eastislip.org
www.longislandtraditions.org
Census and Military Records
Civil War Draft Registration Records, 1863-1865.
US Federal Census, 1830.
US Federal Census, 1840.
US Federal Census, 1850.
US Federal Census, 1860.
US Federal Census, 1870.
US Federal Census, 1880.
US Federal Census, 1900.
US Federal Census, 1920.
US Federal Census, 1930.
US Federal Census, 1940.
Maps
Atlas of the Towns Babylon, Islip and South Part of Brookhaven in Suffolk Co., N.Y. New York, NY:
Wendelken & Co. 1888.
Beers, F.W. Atlas of Long Island, New York. New York, NY: Beers, Comstock and Cline. 1873.
Chase, Jr., J. Map of Suffolk Co. L.I., New York. Philadelphia, PA: John Douglass. 1858.
Hyde, Merritt B., Atlas of a Part of Suffolk County, New York. South Side-Ocean Shore, vol. I. New
York: E. Belcher Hyde. 1915.
56
Sanborn Map, Company, New York, NY:
- Sayville, NY: Jan., 1886; Dec., 1890; Apr., 1897; Aug., 1902; Feb., 1909; Sep., 1915; Jun.,
1925; Aug., 1949.
- West Sayville, NY: Feb., 1909; Sep., 1915; Jun., 1925; Aug., 1949.
Ullitz, Hugo, C.E. Atlas of Suffolk County, New York. Brooklyn, NY: E. Belcher Hyde. 1902.
Deeds
September 18, 1917, Liber 953, Page 181. Grantor: Maria Otto; Grantee: Emerson Peppard.
April 20, 1907, Liber 620, Page 201. Grantor: Albert Tuthill; Grantee: John F. Case.
July 22, 1850, Liber 57, Page 151. Grantor: Willet Green; Grantee: Joshua B. Tuthill.
57
Endnotes
i
William S. Pelletreau, History of Long Island: From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, New York & Chicago:
The Lewis Publishing Company, 1902, p. 285; Charles P. Dickerson, A History of the Sayville Community, Including:
Bayport, Bohemia, West Sayville, Oakdale and Fire Island, Sayville, NY: Sayville Historical Society, Inc., 1990, p. 16.
ii
The house was destroyed by fire in 1913.
iii
“The Edwards Homestead,” National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, 2010, 10NR08227.
iv
Coster, p. 16 & 42; F.W. Beers, Atlas of Long Island, New York, New York, NY: Beers, Comstock and Cline, 1873.
v
Coster, P. 43.
vi
Coster, 29, 37 & 84;
http://sayvillelibrary.org/Hotels_&_Boarding_Houses_Master_files/Cedarshore%20Complete.pdf
vii
Suffolk County Deed, Liber 57, Page 151; US Federal Census 1860; US Federal Census 1880; Civil War Draft
Registration Records 1863-1865; Atlas of the Towns Babylon, Islip and South Part of Brookhaven in Suffolk Co., N.Y.,
New York, NY: Wendelken & Co. 1888.
viii
Suffolk County Deed Liber 620, Page 201; US Federal Census 1920; US Federal Census 1920; US Federal Census
1940.
ix
Virginia and Lee McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006, p. 182-184.
x
“Our Hook and Ladder Co.’s New Truck House,” The Suffolk County News, Sayville, NY, September 4, 1889, P. 2.
xi
“Historical Facts, Sayville Hook and Ladder Company, It Rise and Progress,” The Suffolk County News, Sayville, NY,
September 4, 1889, p. 1.
xii
“Saint Ann’s Episcopal Church,” National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, 2010, 01NR01780; “John
Ellis Roosevelt Estate, Meadowcroft,” National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, 2002, 90NR04540.
xiii
Constance Gibson Curry, The Architecture of Isaac Henry Green, Jr., Suffolk & Nassau Counties 1879-1918,
Multiple Property Documentation Form National Register of Historic Places. 2005. Also see Ms. Curry’s Facebook
page on Isaac H. Green, Jr., https://www.facebook.com/groups/111825482204337/.
xiv
“Our Hook and Ladder Co.’s New Truck House,” The Suffolk County News, Sayville, NY, September 4, 1889, P. 2.
xv
September 12, 1887, Liber 305, Page 487. Grantor: Robert and Fannie Nunns; Grantee: Leander T. Powell.
xvi
Beers, F.W. Atlas of Long Island, New York. New York, NY: Beers, Comstock and Cline. 1873, and
Atlas of the Towns Babylon, Islip and South Part of Brookhaven in Suffolk Co., N.Y. New York, NY: Wendelken & Co.
1888.
xvii
“Formation of a New and Important Stock Company,” New York Times, January 30, 1887.
Atlas of the Towns Babylon, Islip and South Part of Brookhaven in Suffolk Co., N.Y. New York, NY: Wendelken
& Co. 1888.
xix
Islip Grange Restoration Village, Town of Islip Booklet, Town of Islip Department of Planning and Development,
undated.
xx
United States Federal Census for Brooklyn, County of Kings, State of New York, 1880 and Obituary, Leander
Powell, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, March 7, 1893.
xxi
“Town Talk Column,” Suffolk County News, Sayville, NY. June 29, 1906; October 18, 1907; May 29, 1908; June
11, 1909; April 7, 1911.
xxii
“To Build Big Hotel: Alderman George A. Morrison buys Powell Property.” Suffolk County News, Sayville, NY.
October 25, 1912.
xxiii
“Hardly a House Now to be Had, Sayville List of Cottages Grows Steadily Year by Year,” The Suffolk County News,
Sayville, NY, July 22, 1921, P. 2.
xxiv
“For Sale,” The Suffolk County News, Sayville, NY, July 24, 1914.
xxv
Ruth Dougherty, “Reflections of the Past,” Suffolk County News, June 29, 1994.
xxvi
“Town Talk,” The Suffolk County News, Sayville, NY. September 11, 1914; September 25, 1914.
xxvii
Card of Thanks,” Pansy Udell, Suffolk County News, May 22, 1969 and Ruth Dougherty, “Reflections of the
Past,” Suffolk County News, June 29, 1994.
xxviii
www.discoverlongisland.com/paththroughhistory/famous-longisland/windmills
xviii
58
xxix
“Hardly a House Now to be Had, Sayville List of Cottages Grows Steadily Year by Year,” The Suffolk County News,
Sayville, NY, July 22, 1921, P. 2.
xxx
“The Quaint Office on the Corner, G.A. & W.B. Robinson Co.,” The Suffolk County News, Sayville, NY, July 9,
1926, p. 12; US Federal Census 1930; “Businesses: Sayville – Main Street, North Side,”
http://sayvillelibrary.org/BUSINESS_SAYVILLE_MAIN_STREET_NORTH_SIDE.htm
xxxi
“Sayville, NY,” Sanborn Map Company, New York: Sanborn Map Company, August, 1949.
xxxii
Charles P.Dickerson, A History of The Sayville Community, Including: Bayport, Bohemia, West Sayville, Oakdale
and Fire Island. Sayville, NY: Sayville Historical Society, Inc., 1990, p. 40; J. Chase, Jr., Map of Suffolk Co. L.I., New
York, Philadelphia, PA: John Douglass, 1858.
xxxiii
Hans Krabbendam, Cornelius A. van Minnen, & Giles Scott-Smith, eds., Four Centuries of Dutch-American
Relations: 1609-2009, Albany, NY: SUNY Press, 2009, p. 331-332; Dickerson, p. 43.
xxxiv
US Federal Census, 1870.
xxxv
Dickerson, p. 41.
xxxvi
David L. Coster, A History of the First Reformed Church of West Sayville, NY1866-1966, (Copy with the Sayville
Historical Society), p. 3-6.
xxxvii
Coster, p.7; Virginia & Lee McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006, p.
177.
xxxviii
Coster, p. 14.
xxxix
Coster, p. 18; Deed, September 18, 1917, Liber 953, Page 181. Grantor: Maria Otto; Grantee: Emerson
Peppard.
xl
A Short History of Oakdale,” 1983, (Copy with the Sayville Historical Society) and www.longislandtraditions.org
xli
www.longislandtraditions.org
xlii
Ancestry.com. U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com
Operations, Inc., 2012.
xliii
United States Federal Census, County of Suffolk, Town of Islip, 1840 and 1850.
xliv
Ibid.
xlv
J. Chase, Jr., Map of Suffolk Co., L.I., N.Y., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: John Douglas, 1858.
xlvi
United States Federal Census, County of Suffolk, Town of Islip, 1860 and 1870.
F.W. Beers, Atlas of Long Island, NY, New York, NY: Beers, Comstock and Cline, 1873.
xlviii
United States Federal Census, County of Suffolk, Town of Islip, 1880.
xlix
Atlas of the Towns of Babylon, Islip and South Part of Brookhaven in Suffolk Co., NY, New York, NY: Wendelken
& Co., 1888, and United States Federal Census, County of Suffolk, Town of Islip, 1900.
l
Lawrence J. Taylor, Dutchmen on the Bay: The Ethnohistory of a Contractual Community, University of
Pennsylvania Press: Philadelphia, PA, 1983, page 70.
li
Ibid, page 63.
lii
Ibid, pages 63, 69.
liii
Ibid, pages 68, 86.
liv
Ibid, pages 70-71.
lv
Lawrence J. Taylor, Dutchmen on the Bay: The Ethnohistory of a Contractual Community, University of
Pennsylvania Press: Philadelphia, PA, 1983, page 71, and, John A. Bonifide and Walter Sedovic, National Register of
Historic Places Nomination: Jacob Ockers House, 1992, 92NR00298, page 2.
lvi
Atlas of the Towns of Babylon, Islip and South Part of Brookhaven in Suffolk Co., NY, New York, NY: Wendelken &
Co., 1888.
lvii
John M. Kochiss, Oystering from New York to Boston, Wesleyan University Press: Middleton, CT, 1974. Page 28.
lviii
Lawrence J. Taylor, Dutchmen on the Bay: The Ethnohistory of a Contractual Community, University of
Pennsylvania Press: Philadelphia, PA, 1983, pages 165-166.
lix
John A. Bonifide and Walter Sedovic, National Register of Historic Places Nomination: Jacob Ockers House, 1992,
page 2.
lx
Ibid.
lxilxi
Michael J. Auer, “The Preservation of Historic Barns,” Preservation Brief 20, National Park Service, 1989.
xlvii
59
lxii
U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, “Barns: Survival of the Fittest,” Spanning the Gap, Art and
Architecture, Vol.13 No1 Spring 1991; John Michael Vlach, Barns, New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2003, 4448.
lxiii
Ibid.
lxiv
Friends of the East Islip Library, East of Islip: An Early History, East Islip Public Library, East Islip, New York, June
1968, page 3.
lxv
Ibid, pages 5, 8.
lxvi
Ibid, page 9.
lxvii
Ibid, page 17, and www.eastislip.org
lxviii
1900 Federal Census, New York State, Suffolk County, Islip Township, sheet 5B.
lxix
1910 Federal Census, New York State, New York, Borough of Manhattan, Sheet 5A.
lxx
Ancestry.com, U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-present (database on line). Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com
Operations, Inc. 2012.
lxxi
Ancestry.com, New York, New York, Death Index, 1862-1948 (database on-line), Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com
Operations, Inc. 2014.
lxxii
F. W. Beers, Atlas of Long Island, New York, New York, NY: Beers, Comstock and Cline, 1873 and Atlas of the
Towns Babylon, Islip and South Part of Brookhaven in Suffolk Co., NY, New York, NY: Wendelken & Co, 1888.
lxxiii
Robin Karson, A Genius for Place: American Landscapes of the Country Place Era, University of Massachusetts
Press: Amherst, 2007, pps. xiv-xv
lxxiv
Charles Wellford Leavitt, “A Half Century of Landscape Architecture,” American Architect, 1926, 129 (2488), p.
63.
lxxv
Percy G. Williams, “Vaudeville and the Vaudevillians,” The Saturday Evening Post, June 5, 1909.
lxxvi
Betty Kartalis, “Percy Williams’ Legacy,” Shore Lines, 1986, page 3.
lxxvii
“Island News Notes,” Suffolk County News, Sayville, July 28, 1922, page 6.
lxxviii
Betty Kartalis, “Percy Williams’ Legacy,” Shore Lines, 1986, page 3.
lxxix
“Leaves Millions for Actors’ Home,” The County Review, Vol. XX, No. 50, August 3, 1923.
lxxx
Betty Kartalis, “Percy Williams’ Legacy,” Shore Lines, 1986, page 3.
lxxxi
“Islip Grange Restoration Village, Town of Islip Booklet,” Town of Islip Department of Planning and
Development, undated.
lxxxii
Virginia and Lee McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.: New York, 1984, pages
263, 266, 355-356.
60