HomeMy WebLinkAboutEM65 Historical Marker-Trumans Beach-Sea WallFOR OFFICE USE ONLY , .
UN) QUE SITE NO. _'_.,--~===~=-
QUAD _________.,--~~~~ EM-65
SER) ES _---:-"-:::-:=--~~===.=,:::.:,=__
NEG. NO.
YOUR NAME: Town of Southold/sPLIA• OATE: September 1987
.YOUR ADDRESS: Town Hall. Main Rd. · TELEPHONE : 51 6 765 1 892
Southold, LI~ NY 11971
ORGANIZATION (if any) : Southold Town Community Deve] opment Off; ce
* * * * * * * * * * * • * • * * * * * * * * * * * * * * • * * * * * * *
, IDENTIFICATION
I. BUILDING NAME(S) : Historical Marker "Trumans Beach II and sea wall.
2. COUNTY: Suffoll{ TOWN/CITY: Squthold VILLAGE: Fast Marion
3. STREET LOCATION:~M__a_in___R_d_.~,_n__o_r_t_h__s_l_d_e~,_·_e_a_s_t__o_f__D__a_m~P_o_n~d_______
4. OWNERSHIP: a. public 0 b. private 0
5. PR ESENT OWN ER: ---;--i-------:;-----;-----AD DRESS :-:--;;'----,,...----:-_=--_----:__~:."J
6. USE: Original: historical marker Present: historical marker
7. ACCESSIBILITY TO PUBLIC: Exterior visible from public road: Yes IXI No 0
f
DESCRIPTION
8. BUILDING
MATERIAL:
9. STRUCTURAL
SYSTEM:
(if kno.vn)
10. CONDITION:
II. INTEGRITY:
Interior accessible : Explain --'.___--''--___~---
a. clapboard 0
e. cobblestone 0
b. stone JJ
f. s~ingle's 0
c. brick 0
g. stucco 0
a. wood frame with interlocking joints 0
b. wood frame with light members 0 ,
.d. board and batten 0
other: metal
I
, c. masonry load bearrng walls 0 -
d. metal (explain) metal plaque on metal pole
e. other stone retainin& wa] 1. .
a . excellent 0 b. good IKI c. fair U d. d.eterioratell 0 .
a. original site G b. moved 10 if sO,when? ----------------c. list major alterations and dates (if known):
Subject to considerable pounding, the
sea wall is curren~ly being rebuilt.
12. PHOTO: neg: KK III-16, :'fm S/SW 13. MAP: NYS DOT composite
Greenport and Orient quads
BUILDING·STRUCTURE INVENTORY FORM
DIVISION FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION
NEW YORK STATE PARKS AND RECREATION
ALBANY, NEW YORK (518) 474-0479
., Shoal
~
ZI 19
15
/S'
8
7
17 Y
ORIE.VT
15 IS
9 HARBOR
16 16
17
ZO
17 17
9
14. THREATS TO BUILDING ; a. n~ne knowntJ
d . developer s 0
·EM-65
b. zoni~g 0 c. roads 0
e. deterioration 0
f. other: ____-'---_---'-____-2:!..::..:?;:!.::::::!::~_=_____
15. RELATED OUTBUILDINGS AND PROPERTY :
a. barn 0 b . carriage house 0 c. garage 0
d . privy 0 . e. shed Q . f. greenhouse 0
g. shop 0 h . ga rdens 0
i. landscape feat ures : ___-'--~__________;:--_
J j. other: -----c.....' -. -----.--:.-~-----:::.~---:
. . 16 . SURROUNDINGS OF THE BUILDING (check more than one if necessary);
, a. open land Kl .b. woodlarid !XI
c . scattered buildings 0
d. den sely built -up D e .. commercial 0
f. industrial 0 J g. residential!]J: ,
h . other: wa t er .
17. INTERRELATIONSHIP OF BUILDING AND SURROUNDINGS ;
(Indicate if building or structure is in an historic district)
Directly on Main Rd., NYS Rte. 25 (historic King's Hwy.),
north side. On the narrow stret<;h of land between L.I.
Sound and Orient Harbor.
18. OTHER NOTABLE FEATURES OF BUILDING AND SlTE (including interior features if kno~n):
Indian head high relief near top of plaque.
HISTORICAL AND ARCHITECTURAL IMPORTANCE:
Inscription: "Called "Hard .Beach" by the first settlers.
During the War of 1812 Commodore Decatur with three ships
"United States" "fv1acedonian"and "Hornet" lay at anchor
off this sand spit. Eight times in two centuries storms
tore through here and cut OY$terponds off from the main
land." "Erected by Oysterponds Historic8;1 .Society, Inc.'"
" Around 1898 the causeway was built with its retaining wall.
At that time the old grist mill was removed.' . .
21. SOURCES; ~ Suffolk CoUrity Historicai Society, Fullerton
Truman's Beach marker, inscriptio~.
22. THEME;
prepared by Kurt Kahofer, research assistant
-8 _______________________ I he Peconic Bay Shopper -February 12,1980
FrOlll Poquatucl(
to East Marion
by Samuel Sander
Jart OOnc
~'\-/
Ilow did Fast r-.larion get its name? No explanation lIlay be given
witlI historical certainty. I3efore exploring two of the suggested ,1I1swers
to this riddle, let LIS examine tile earlier names given to the area by the
Indians and later by the European settlers. Poquatuck was the Indian
n<lIllC for this peninsula which the settlers chose to designate as Oyster
ponds. This was divided by thcm into the Lower Neck to the east and the
Upper Neck to the west. In 1836 the inhabitants of Oysterponds Lower
Neck decided to call their village Orient. Thereupon the Upper Neck peo
ple adopted the name l~ocky Point. It developed that Long Island had at
least one other location with this name, so that when the post office
callie, it was found expedient to change it once more. East Marion was
chosen. Perhaps the most popular theory is that this was done in honor of
the Revolutionary General, Francis Marion, otherwise known as "The
Swamp Fox."
Question: Since there is no Marion, why East Marion? Answer given
by some: There is a Marion in Connecticut. J.-Jence, the "East" disting
uishes this town from its cross-sound counterpart.
Passing througlJ the village of East Marion along the Main Road, we
are imprcssed by the border of tall, stately trees and by homes reniinis
cent of earlier tillles. There are still open fields reminding us that this was
once a Lmning community. Travelling cast, we reach Dall1 Pond at the far
end of the village. We now corss the small bridge over the creek which
connects Dam Pond on the north side of the road with Orient Harbor on
the south . Before LIS the causeway curves along amidst picturesque water
and land fOrJlIatio,}-> stretching to the horizon on either side with the
quaint town of Orf0-ij nestling along the far-away shore of the harbor.
We may picture in our imagination the tidal mill with its large water
wheel which once stood at the mouth of Dam Pond. The legend on the
back of a oicture of this strllcture reads: "... venerable old grist mill on
the dykc between East Marion and Orient. RemoveCl by the government
when they built the present substantial seawall ..."
In colonial days the narrow strip of sand and gravel now known as
Truman's I3each was the only land connection between Lower and Upper
Neck. Storms washed through the isthmlls many times isolating Lower
Neck (Orient). Around 1898 the causeway was built with its retaining
seawall, as Illentioned above.
History unfolds not only to the east of this village, but along the
Greenport boundary as well. At one time, the settlers built "The General
Fence" which extended from the head of Sterling Harbor to the SOLind.
We are told that this structure separated Sterling from Oysterponds
lfj1Jlt'r NC'ek, hilt it h~l<l ;1I10ther illl110rl:IIlt nlnetioll Both IIpl1('1" ~lIld
Old Grist Mill
1.
~ ;:s:
0'1
Vl
-EAST MARION CYC!.E Palh, W.W . Hallock on Bike"is Ihe(>holO1:rllph above. part o(lheexhibil c.lkd"TheCyclin!!Cr~u IH90·1910,"now al
Ihe Suffolk CounfY Historical Socidy. See li.lin!! undu £xhibil~. .
. ----------
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EM 65
-,~'.--.--..~.-----
..,. _!D!~~~~~j
i ; .:.. 7 / f / __ .7 __~(':c~SEA W.\ LL &: RO,:~D1-qO ?~~~~~~J~Yl~~~j~. I.>;J ~
The Sea Wall . in 1917
The Sea Wall in 1917
old postal card
/\
384 TOWN 07 SOUTHOLD.
Lodge of Odd FelloWB wa.a organized in 1855. It hal! a mem
bership of about seven ty-five.
. The wha.le fishery enterprise was earned on from this port
for many years, nnd with considerable profit. At one time
about twenty ships from here were engaged in the business.
The first ship was purch88ed in 1830, and after 0. br:ef though
lJrosperoU8 existence the enterprise declined and was abo.ndou
ed some twenty years ago. For many years there has been a
lar~e fleet of fisb.ing smack:.s owned fUld ha.i.ling from this port,
engnged ill the ha.libnt and cod fisheries and the lobster trade.
GreenDOl-t hu.q a.1ao a considerable number of vessels engaged
in foreipl and coa.atwise comme.rce. On the books of the '.t
Surveyor of the Port theN) are at present two hundred vessels
of all descriptions, wit.h an aggregate wnnage amounting w
11,240. The ship-building indllBtry is an importo.nt feature
of the p~ Thore are four yards and several seta of marine
ra.i.lwaya. The menhaden fisheries and manufo.cture of oil
and " guano" have been extensively carned on in the vicinity
of this village during the pa.at twenty yea.ra. , In 1870 there ,'I
were some twenty facwries in this neighborhood, with an in· a
vested capital of about $400,000. At that time about four
hundreJ men were employed in the busine88. It was estima
ted that the product of the business about that time amounted
w near 8300,000 in a single Beason. The business has since
greatly declined. There are at present six facwries located ~ on the shores of the bay, and two floating hulks in which the
same business is carried on . The manufacture of stereotype
plates baa recently been started in this village, by the Middle·
ton Stereotype Comp3.1lY. About thirty-five hands lUe a.lready
employed, and Il larger numher is expected as soon a.a the
Historical and Descriptive
S ketches of Suffolk County.
J' /
7
TOWN OF SOUTHOLD. ~
bmine88 becomes esto.blished. There are DlfUly Germnn
families living in this Village and ita immediate neighborhood,
who are a temperate and industrious claas of inbl\bito.nta.
They are mainly employed in the manufacture of torpedoes
for Fourth of July nnd other celebration.s. A pottery was
esto.blished in this village some forty-five yean ngo, and oon
tinued until within the year past.. Extensive beds of clnyare
found in the SWlllllp of Al'lIhmnmogue, about two miles west
of the village . Two brick yards located there turn out about
one and a h.alI million bricks a year.
The village of East Marion, formerly called Rocky Point,
lies about two miles ea.at of Greenport.. It is a pleaas.nt
neighborhood, lying a.long ilie main road whioh rons aMi to
the extremity of the peninsula., and contAins" population of
three hundred nnd fifty. It is a rich farming district.. At
the eilBtern extremity .of the villAge the land is contracted to
,: a narrow iathm11.8, leM thnn b.alf .. mile in width, and !!TeD'::":"'::'::""-4~is neflTly cut ~~~~!:[~ek whloh Pi.~=~~_~m the
bay so far ~~~~t.~.strip 0{ ~.Le.w rods _in ~d~J1e---t
tween ita hend and the sound ahare. A grist-mill ron by the
tide is located at the month of this creek. A wind grist-mill
-stailds neir the centre of the Vil~e: .Besides these the vil
lage contains a church, a handwme district echool, a temper
\ unoe hall, and two swres. East Marion Lo.ke is It. handiome
sheet of fresh water, lying between the village street and
Orient Harbor, the name given to t.b..at parl of the OOy 1I'hlch
indenta this sho:e. Large quantities of ice are gathered from
this lake and swred in a number of ho Jes on ita shore, for
use in the neighboring villages. A cemetery lies on the
northwest shore. A Baptist church eociety was organized
Richard M. Bayles Q:j:s1874
0\
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58
. It is
; was
nport
aIled
lor at
.-ling.
head
huge
Ihere
inn's
farm
ustus
ment
tants
'ster
. also
j was
:Ioth
tcard
~very
~fully
have
vhich
~'hich
VIS to
ating
town
;outh
ton's
n the
and
,tern
Pine
EM 65
MILLS, MILLS,MILLS
, to,'
,.J.
Th e Old Mill, o llce.
Typically North Fork.
by Warren Hall
J
59
Neck on the
thereabout. "
hill over against Peter Dickerson on his house or
There was at least another windmill very early at Town Harbor in
Southold and one historian says there were several of them there. In fact
both wind-and-watermills seem to have been springing up like
mushrooms from Wading River on the west to Orient.
Henry Perring in 1675 built and operated a mill at Wading River. His
son-in-l a w, named Wooly, came into its posseSSion at Perring's death
and it was long known as Wooly's Mill. In 1706 John Roe, Jr., built
another mill at Mill Pond, near Wad i ng River, which remained in
continuous use until near the end of the nineteenth century . Capt.
George Hawkins was the last to operate it. At last reports, the old
millstone and some rotting timbers could still be seen.
There is one reference to a sawmill in 1660 at what is now Riverhead .
This doesn't seem to be very firmly established, but it is known that in
1690 John Griffin and others erected a sawmill a mile east of the tiny
.settlement (10 houses) on what was called Saw Mill Creek. On April 4,
1693, Southampton Town gave John Wick three acres on the south side of
Peconic River near Riverhead on condition that he "full" (mill) cloth
for that town and Southold .
Orient may have had earlier mills, but one windmill was known to
have been operating in 1759. There was a gristmill operated by a large
water-wheel on the dyke between East Marion and Orient. It was
remov e d at the t i m e of construction of the sea wal!.
There is a bill of sale dated 1788 in which Jonathan Conklin sells to
Orange Webb a mill on his land at Ha shamomock at 21 pounds. That was
a tidal mill and could easily be the one which caused "Tom's Creek" to
be renamed "!\lill Creek."
A mill built by Nathaniel Dominy Jr. for Moses Cleaveland in SOllthold
was later moved to Shelter Isl a nd and re-erected on the highest point of
the Sylvester [..,Ianor estate. It remained in such good condition that
during World War I its owner, Miss Cornelia Horsford, had it put in
working order to provide meal and flour to the island's residents dUring
the food conservation program. The same millwright built an 18th
century windmill on Gardiner'S Island. It replaced a much earlier one .
One of the most noted of the early tide mills, now expanded a nd turned
into a popular restaurant cal~d Old Mill, stood on Mattituck Inlet at the
point where a bridge used to s'pan the creek. An old gear wheel which
was part of the tide-operated mechanism is on display in the handhewn
beamed taproom .
An early tide mill at Goldsmith's Inlet on the Sound at Peconic failed
for lack of power. It was changed to a horse mill and then succumbed
entirely when flax growing replaced grain. Eventually, however, the
channel was narrowed to give it water power and a windmill was built
on top, providing two sources of energy and making it virtually unique.
'j
\ .{ \ '-r /~~/ "-. ')
I
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EM 6.5
December 13. 1979_Pa.:Iie_·;_18_' ._.. !__--.:.._______~----'.;_I__-=-_ jl rIDs l\rlJirlD of l\ltJrr~rilb
A WINDY WALK
f ocus 0 ture
by Paul Stoutenburgh
As the wmend approached, I was par·
ticularly glad when a (riend o( mine caUed
and asked i( I wanted to go (or an outing in
Onent A quick check on the calendar told
me the day was (ree and so plans were set
and we left early the next morning.
The day turned out to be one o( the
.... lndiest days o( the year. A cold (rant had
moved in (rom up north and was preparing
the way (or cold , clear air that was soon lD
arnve . White clouds scurried across a
bright blue sky . It looked like a great day
ahead . We hadn 't had much wind lately , as
my lawn can attest, (or it is still covered
with leaves that dropped straight down (rom
the trees above . Lucky (or us the tempera·
ture was still mild .-the cold was yet to
come.
We got a taste ol what was going to be
when we passed the town beach in Southold
along the North Road. The Sound was white
with churning "'a ves and great pillows o(
spume exploded on the beach as each wa ve
tried lD tear away its bit o( the beach. We
hoped to see some ducks along the Sound but uu. .....impol58ili~, only !be guJ.Ia hung ovu
the surl , gliding back and (orth looking to
see what the waves tossed ashore.
Picture Card Country
_Q\I,-~~Jj!QP. w~alJS"way ou\.5ide o(
Easl Marion. I like lD think o( thia area as
~ure ~rd country, lor i~nness and
__~_ navor bl!nj_so welll~&~~-.!~((ect o(
periect.nes.s. Because of the big wind the I probably the most desolately.~u.lilul area"
water w;u driven out o( Dam Pond and the
bay, leaving greal bars and exposed bottom
land. Close up under the protectIOn o( the
seawaU there were gulls thaI walked about
on the newly exposed bottom, gleaning it lor
anything edible . There were a lew scoters
oI(·shore , but they were mostly diving to get
away (roro the high wind. Under water their
world was secure and quiet.
A5 we crossed greal marshes (arther
along to the east we could see black ducks up
under the grass taking advantage o( its
protection . ~ly, how the wind howled! We
stayed in the car, (or it was almost
impossible to hold our binoculars steady out
there in the wind.
Once we got away (rom the open area and
in the sheltered streets o( Orient we didn't
notice the Wind as much, but looking up at
the tree tops reminded us a gale was still on.
We stopped at our (avorite spots along the
way to check the wildli(e and birds but (ound
them all grounded and hiding (rom the high
wind . It see med as i( the natural world had
given in to the northwester.
Know ing Orient State Park would o((er a
haven along its lee shore, we headed out
there in hopes o( (inding that some protec
tion had lured the sea ducks in, but even
here "'e (ound the same story. Here and
there we'd (ind a small group o( surf scoters,
or white-winged scoters (eeding, but the sea
was in such rath a (ew hundred yards out
we could nothing but white. The dark
green waler blended with the (ury o(
the
l)..ol,le, Ileauli(ul Area
When we arrived at the parking 101 Ihere
sn't a car around . One lone mocking bird
hopped on the bare ground in Ihe lee 01 a
beach plum bush . He W85 our only wel come.
But we had come 10 walk and so we bundled
up and headed oul. This in my mind is
~ we have on the-whcileof1he North Fork'. .--~
As soon as we were past the relreshment
stand the wind ripped at us in all its lury . We
had to bend against it and as we walked
ahead sand slung our laces and lashed at
our legs . Here too the water was extremely
low , exposing a pattern o( bars and bare
bottom land that I'd never seen before.
Down low a group o( gulls had taken
shelter below the beach. Our glasses
MOON SNAIL--The sand buried this beautiful shell of the moon snail
that the sea tossed on the beach. It is common throughout our waters .
scanned Ihem, bul Ihe wind blew Ihe waler
out o( our eyes and made it impossible (or us
10 see. We had hoped 10 (ind one o( the rare
northern gulls that occasionally are blown
0(( course and are (ound along our shores,
but no, there was nothing but black-backed
It was a day to remember,
, a day when nature
showed her wrath-not
only to man but to the
natural world as well.
and herring gulls seeking shelter (rom the
wind.
l( we could get behind the cedars up ahead
it would allord us some protection (rom the
Wind, and so, WIth heads down, we pushed
Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh
A Glorious, Wild !lay ~
What a glorious, wild day! And to think
Ralph and I were the only ones enjoying its
splendor out here. By now we had gained the
protection o( the cedars and our glasses
could be put into use . Ha ha, there waS a
shore bird . One lonely ruddy turnstone_ 1I0w
out o( place he seemed! Most o( his
companions had gone south months ago.
Wha.\ made him linger on? Now a group o(
ten black ducks burst out o( the shoals, only
to peel 0((, showing their whitish under·
wings in the bright sun.
By the time we reached the old lish
lactory area it was almost noon and t ime to
turn back. but first we'd have to look 10 the
north where the wind was screaming across
the bay . Not a duck did we see.
Underfoot were the shriveled remains o(
the beauti(u.1 prickly pear cactus that has a
most eJegant yellow nower in the summer .
on . The beach is one o( the best shell beachesl, Also in the gravel were the still greeOlsh ·
allQuj, ~lipeer shells-or quarterdecks were I gray leaves o( the horned poppy that
eve,,?,where and I kicked myself (or not
; havlOg a kOl(e along so that I could pry them
loose and enjoy these tasty snails . The beach
was strewn with j ingle s hells, scallop shells,
razor clam shells, mussels and conchs were
everywhere.
At one point on the south shore o( the
beach we came across great platforms o(
bog that through the realm o( time had once
been on the north side. But like all barrier
beaches, sand overwashes the bayside
marsh and as time pa sses what was a marsh
10 the bay then becomes sand-Iii led and
eventually , as the sandy beach migrates
shoreward, is exposed dead and brown on
the seaward side. Wit h thi s extremely low
tide we cou ld also see the remains o( cedar
~.~_mps along the seaward side "'hiCli gave
credence to our theory o( beaches such as
this m igrating shoreward .
exquisite yellow POppy that is (ound only on
the beaches of Orient and Gardiners Island. ; ,
Up the beach we could see hundreds o(
gulls gliding over the water's edge , and our
curiosily wondered what they were search.
ing (or and eating. A short walk down the
beach soon told the story. It was scallops -.
baby scallops. Bugs , as the baymen call
them . They were everywhere. Blown ashore
by the great w in d . Thousands o( them an
inch or so across . These were the harvest
Ihe gulls were gleaning. This is why, when
nature produces her young, it is done in
extra amounts so that pit(alls such as this
storm can take their toll and the species can
still survive .
The walk back with the wind behind us
was no problem . It was a day to remember .
A day when nature showed her wrath .-not
only taman but to the natural world as well .
•
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