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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCompletion Report- Western Sect 1985-1986 TOWN OF SOUTHOLD Western Section Completion Report SOCIETY FOR THE PRESERVATION OF LONG ISLAND ANTIQUITIES Setauket, Long Island Project Director Barbara Van Liew Research Assistants Linda L. Harvey Rosemary Skye Noritt John E. Remsen, Jr. COMPLETION REPORT Town of Southold Survey 1985-1986 Western Section Survey Methodology After preliminary research in former studies, publications, old atlases and maps, collections of photographs, National Register lists, Historic American Building Survey, Town landmark list, and SPLIA sources files, and after consultation with Town Historian, local libraries, local historians, and residents, an infield windshield survey was Conducted with project director and research assis- tant making a visual examination of every older structure in the subject area. Decisions were made at this time as to which structures would be inventoried, each was given a code number, and a brief analysis was made stating the reason for the the New York State criteria. structures significance following Historic Resources Survey Manual At the same time consideration was given to groups of buildings that might be suitable for de- signation as historic districts. A value judgment of the visual impact of the negative intrusions was included. -1- Survey Methodology continued: New York State inventory forms were then prepared and arranged in folders in geographical sequence. Xer- oxes of New York State inventory forms that were already on file in Albany were incorporated into the folders in the same geographical sequence. -2- S~smmar~ Description of Historic Resources Inventor~ The comprehensive inventory, Town of Southold, year I, 1985-1986, involved 338 new forms and covered the hamlets of Laurel, Mattituck, New Suffolk, and Cutchogue-which comprise the western section of the Town. This area is bounded by the Town of Riverhead on the west, by the Long Island Sound on the north, by the hamlet of Peconic on the east, and by Peconic Bay on the south. The area is bisected from west to east by the Long Island Rail Road, by historic Main Road, and by County Road 48. Historic Sound Avenue parallels Main Road in the western half and Oregon Road parallels CR 48 in the eastern half. Bluffs along the Long Island Sound shore front are part of the Harbor Hill Moraine. South of the bluffs is the fertile farmland for which the area is famous. The bluffs are interrupted by a major estuary - ~attituck Creek - which extends inland almost to Main Road. The southern shoreline is comprised of a series of necks which are separated by creeks and wetland areas. Two large inland bodies of fresh water - Laurel Lake and Mar~tooka Lake - were formed by glacial action. -3- Summary Description of Historic Resources Tnventory continued: The area is agricultural with medium-density residential development mainly along the shore fronts. There is commercial development in the heart of Nattituck and along Nain Road in Nattituck and Cutchog~e. -4- Ce Summary Statement of Significance The settlement of ~,~ttituck commenced soon after the purchase of the territory from the Indians in 16¢9. Likewise the hamlet of Cutchogue was commenced shortly after the first settlement of the town. "The Old House" in Cutchogue - a National Landmark - survives from this first period (CU~19). Both settlements were on the site of an Indian village. The Indian site, ~ort Corcha~, is the most important Indian site on Long Island~dU-g~3. These hamlets are also significant for their fine farms, the wetlands of the numerous creeks, and for the many old houses that still survive. The majority of these are along Sound Avenue, Nain Road, and Oregon Road. Until recently Main Road was noteworthy for the large number of typical 18th-century Cape Cod- style houses that lined this historic highway (c~lled a "double Cape Cod" locally). The survey team found nine of this important house-type re? maining in the subject area. These are the McCarthy/ Kuester house (LL-5), Horton-Husing house (~-48A), Wells/Howell house (~-51~), Wickham Farm House (CU-18), Honeymoon Cottage (CU-29), ~oore house (CU-~7), David Tuthill house (CU-71), Hurricane Hall (CU-87), and Sadie ^cker house (NS-18). -5- Summar~ Statement of Significance continued: Three early Federal houses are of unusual architectural interest. Because of their similarity they appear to have been built or designed by the same person. These are the Young/Nolte house (DL-11) on Main Road in Laurel, the Wells/Fleet/Kendrick house (CU-67) on New Suffolk Lane, and the Case/Capt. Henry Green house (CU-56) on ~,~in Road - the last two in Cutchogue. The Mattituck Octagon House (MK-51B) is the most significant landmark from the mid-19th century. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is the best "Orson Fowler Octagon" on Long Island. There are still a few of the flat-roofed two- story houses that were popular in the 1850's. The finest of these is the Robinson house on Oregon Road (OR-C) which remains unaltered. Many of the houses built in the 1850's have paired round-topped windows under the eaves. This vernacular expression seems to be a local characteristic. At New Suffolk the site of the turn-of-the-century submarine base is of national significance (NS-43). Main Road today is a valuable historical continuum, reflecting the shifting styles, ideas, and social and economic movements which are the unique personality of the area. Among the interesting commercial structures the historic North Fork Bank & Trust Co. building in Cutchogue is the most outstanding (~-28). Recommendations All the structures for which forms have been prepared are worthy of protection from inappropriate alterations. It is suggested that many of these might be given landmark status by the Town of Southold. On each form the significant architectural de- tails have been described. In the paragraph entitled "Integrity" inappropriate alterations have been noted so that they can be removed if the owner so desires. Pike Street in Nattituck (M~-25 - ~-30), Nain Road in Cutchogue (CU-12A - CU-~5), and the hamlet of New Suffolk are suitable for district landmark desig- nation by the Town of Southold. It is suggested that an historic site marker might be placed at the site of the Henry Pike Wind- mill which stood on the elevated ground east of Naratooka ~ake. The windmill was mentioned by the Rev. C. E. Craven in his work A Histor~ of Mattituck on pages 237 and 238. Craven believed that it was erected before 1710 and reported that it wes mentioned in Henry Pike's will in 1780. A map of Nattituck that w~ prepared by an occupying British Major Holland in 1778 indicates the location of the windmill northeast of Lake Marratooka. The Indian Fort Corchaug site should be preserved with acquisition of the property by a governmental body or by a conservation organization such as the Nature Conservancy. List of ~tructures Worthy of ~urther Research Young/Nolte house (~L-11), find builder or architect. Brick Water Tower (M~-17), possibly once had a windmill on the top. Wells/Howell house (~-51E), research Revolutionary War period. Case/Capt. Henry Green house (CU-56), find builder or architect. Robinson house (OR-4), find builder or architect. Research to find oldest barn in subject area. Bridge Lane wooden bridge over L.I.R.R. -8-