By Jayme Breschard Thomann
This community was the home of farmers and baymen, boat builders and other residents. There are several examples of summer homes, mostly built in the 1920s and later. 27 Astor Place is an excellent example of a traditional bungalow with wood clapboard siding, modest 1½ story height, eave front façade with an integrated screen porch and matching garage. Similar examples can be seen at 5 & 6 Library Lane, 4 Marydale Lane, 17 Ocean Place and 13 Locust Road. A larger summer residence can be seen at 260 Beaver Dam Road, a c. 1930 home which sports front and rear porches, a wood shingled outbuilding and landscaped property. A similar structure is located at 178 Old Stump Road. A classic residential bungalow is located at 269 Beaver Dam Road featuring an integrated open porch with wood pilasters, shingled apron, gabled dormer with exposed rafters and historic casement windows, framed by ornamental landscaping and a streetscape of historic trees. Another excellent example can be seen at 25 Locust Road.
Since the 1700 and 1800s baymen have lived in this unincorporated community, located near plentiful fishing grounds. Among the historic houses are the homes of baymen. On Old Stump Road lived baymen Wallace Halsey Swezey (#179), Tom Poole (#187) and Leo Cornell (#192). At 331 Beaver Dam Road lived fisherman John Warren Swezey, while at 25 Locust Road lived bayman George Reeves who also built the house. At 3 Newey Lane stands the former home of bayman Elbert Albin; boatbuilder and bayman Stanley Grodeski lived at 5 Newey Lane; during the 1800s at 14 Newey Lane lived bayman Charles Newey. Earlier boat builders included Captain Sam Newey of Brookhaven hamlet who retired in 1948, as well as the Tooker family, which operated a boatyard until 1999 which was acquired by the Post Morrow Foundation. Since then the foundation has operated a boat building workshop.
Squassux Landing in Brookhaven Hamlet is an undeveloped natural site where Native Americans had a pottery kiln. It was historically used by fishermen and baymen as a landing site. The Post Morrow Foundation site located at the foot of Newey Lane adjacent to the Carman’s River is also noted for its colonial uses, as is a New York State designated conservation area adjacent to this site.
download the Squassux Landing Cultural Landscape Report
