HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Commoners' Preserve V
� frJ —wm'14
'ez
11_,-,_ 1. 7777117-777'7-A 1-1,711777,=M'—'z."z-, =nwz�w.-
:77Z
Ot 1( g
M
A
C413
ri
T-h
rp"
W
Southold Town
-1911R-1. "I
M4 RIIPF
g-A
Designates
N
The Commoners' Preserve k
W
As A
Southold Historic Landmark
Prese
7 ;Matt
nted L n
May 28, 1996
Town Supep)lsor
....... ...
fq—
�,VIAIIXO" M-
'll aran
'IT
W
g
,1)
V ANV
r Staff
JUDITH T.TERRY Town Hall, 53095 Main Road
TOWN CLERK y = P.O. Box 1179
v. Southold,New York 11971
REGISTRAR.OF VITAL STATISTICS ® • Fax(516) 765-1823
MARRIAGE OFFICER ��� a®� Telephone(516) 765-1800
RECORDS MANAGEMENT OFFICER
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION OFFICER
OFFICE OF THE TOWN CLERK
TOWN OF SOUTHOLD
THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION WAS ADOPTED BY THE
SOUTHOLD TOWN BOARD AT A REGULAR MEETING HELD ON MAY 28, 1996:
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby designates
The Commoners' Preserve and The Cutchogue Diner as Southold Town
Landmarks, all in accordance with the recommendation for designation by
the Southold Town Landmark Preservation Commission.
� r
Judith T. Terry
Southold Town Clerk
May 29, 1996
1
U " ; Town Hall, 53095 Main Road
Telephone ' ` P.O. Box 1179
(516) 765-1801 y�'i O'� Southold, New York 11971
SOUTHOLD TOWN
LANDMARK PRESERVATION COMMISSION
THE COMMONERS' PRESERVE
Southold's first settlers called themselves the Commoners because ,
they held "in common" all land between Plum Island and Wading River.
The site we recognize today consists of 16 acres of marshland at Little
Creek between Indian Neck and Nassau Point and 18 acres of marshy
islands in the confluence of Broadwaters, Mud Creek and East Creek.
It is the last land remaining in the possession of, the Commoners of this
vast tract.
In 1648 the New Haven Colony obtained a deed of sale from the
Corchaug Chief, Momowetah, and his three brothers for the North Fork
(see above) confirming' the original purchases of which the deeds had
been lost. The price was 2 fathome of wampum, one iron pott, six
coats, ten knives, fower hooks and forty needles. In 1649 Southold
bought this land from New Haven for seven pounds of wampum. On
December 7, 1665 a deed confirming any and all previous deeds was
signed by 43 Indian chiefs.
As of 1661 the permanent population of Southold had stabilized to
51 families each of whom had received four homesite acres and "rights"
to land as shareholders in all the undivided lands. Rights were given,
from one to seven, in proportion to financial and other contributions to
the community.
Rightholders alone could participate in the great land divisions.
eg: Oysterponds, Corchaug and Occabauck "dividends.", They could
buy as many lots as they owned rights. The present land was part
of the "Corchaug Dividend."
In 1796 those who called themselves commoners by right of inherit-
ance, or purchase secured from the state legislature their legal incorpor-
ation. This act and two additional codicils confirmed their land
ownership, allowed them to prosecute for the recovery of undivided land
and for actions of trespass, to sell and convey land by deed and file
civil suits in court. The official title of the 1796 corporation is "The
Proprietors of the Common and Undivided- Lands and Meadows of
Southold Town."
-2-
Today, 13 families and the Southold Historical Society representing
5 additional families still own, by inheritance or purchase, 107 314 rights.
Those still living in Southold Town are Bill Bauer, Tom Wickham, Tommie
Mayne, Phil Horton, Bob Paul, Howard Terry and Renny Terry.
We feel that this parcel of virgin land is of singular historical,
sociological and educational significance. The members of the corporation
wish to continue the preservation of the remaining 34 virgin acres of the
original commoners land for posterity in its pristine state as a visual
reminder of our name and history in the historic annals of Southold. The
"Commoners' Preserve" can be found as:
"East Creek" 16.5, acres Tax Map #134-4-9 and 10
"Arrowhead Lane" 17.5 acres Tax Map #98-2-21
To reinforce and fulfill the corporation's objective, the Southold
Town Board is very pleased to establish "The' Commoners' Preserve" as
a Southold Town Landmark.