Historic and Natural Districts Inventory Form

Unless indicated below, this is a transcript of the original Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities/Town of Brookhaven survey form. Corrections to obvious typographical and spelling errors have been made. Corrections to factual errors, updates or comments on the information are either enclosed in [square brackets], or will be clearly indicated as updated material. Since most of the surveys were conducted in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, much of the information reflects that time period. Included in this category are sites for which some documentation may exist but are no longer extant often with little or no modern evidence at the site.

Sites which have a suffix of “S” are supplemental sites not included in the original surveys.

ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE INVENTORY FORM

Joseph Carman / Carman Lush House (now destroyed)

Archeological Site Inventory Form

Fire Place Manse or Parsonage Lands

 If checked, this is a Supplemental Form, not in the original surveys.
Inventory Code:   Br16.2-S 
Prepared Date:   2004-05-03 
Last Modified:   1970-01-01 
Submitter
Submitter Name:   John Deitz
Submitter Address:   7 Locust Rd.

Brookhaven, NY 11719  
Organization:  
Identification
1-Site Name:   Joseph Carman / Carman Lush House (now destroyed) 
2a-County:   Suffolk    2b-Town:   Brookhaven    2c-Village:   Hamlet of Brookhaven
Address:    
Ownership
   4a-Public Site    4b-Private Site
4-Present Owner:    5a-Address:  Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge
Historic and Architectural Importance

 
6- Description, Condition, Evidence of Site
 

As was the early custom, a large tracts of land (called a manse, or parsonage lands) were set aside by the Town of Brookhaven for the benefit of the ministers of the Town church, in general as a farm to provide for their sustenance. Such a tract was provided in Fire Place for the Church at the South (the South Haven Presbyterian Church).  This tract included the section north of the northern boundary of the Corwin farm (the present LIRR right-of-way), between Old Town Road/South Country road on the west, the southern boundary of the Great Division of Lots (Montauk Highway), and east to Little Neck Run. (See map).

 6a-Standing Ruins

 6b-Cellar Hole with Walls  

 6c-Surface Traces Visible  6d-Walls Without Cellar Hole
 6e-Under Cultivation  6f-Erosion
 6g-Underwater  6h-No Visible Evidence
 6i-Other It is said that the basement foundation can still be found.  
7- Collection of Material from Site
 7a- Surface Hunting By Whom:    Date:  
 7b-Testing By Whom:  Date:  
 7c-Excavation By Whom:  Date: 
 7d-None
7e-Present Repository of Materials  
8- Prehistoric Cultural Affiliation or Date
   
9-Historical Documentation of Site
From 1901-1906, the artist Frederick Kost leased the property (Patchogue Advance, 11 May 1906)

In May, 1906, the Carman estate with the adjoining Paul Cessman farm, in all 72 acres stretching over half a mile along the Carmans River, was sold to Carman R. Lush of Hempstead for $15,000. (LI Advance, "From the Archives of the Long Island Advance" One Hundred Years Ago May 25, 2006)

Mention of the "Swan Inn," a summer guest house operated by Mrs. Bernardine B. Michelsen. may be found in the Patchogue Advance from 1935 through 1948.

  
10- Possibility of Site Destruction or Disturbance
Destroyed by fire, some have said to have occurred "Easter Weekend 1965." The house was said to have "contained at that time 14 bedrooms and the piano used by Irving Berlin when he was at Camp Yaphank."

From Ron Kinsella, a former chief of the Brookhaven Fire Department: "I remember the house fire being on Easter and the chief being a James Winters. He served as chief 1966-1968.
"The fire had consumed too much of the house before the fire department was activated. No attempt was made to save the house.
"The house did have a fire prior to this one and the fire was extinguished leaving most of the house in relative good condition. I can not tell you the exact date of this event but I am quite certain that it was no more then a year before the Easter fire."

Easter occurred on April 18, 1965, April 10, 1966, March 26, 1967, and April 14, 1968. No record of this fire could be found in a search of the Patchogue Advance near these dates.  «»
11-Remarks
12- Map Location
    [If an original form, the source map images were not reproducible.]
12a- 7 1/2 Minute Quad. Name: 
12b- 15 Minute Quad. Name:   
12c- U.S.G.S Coordinates:   
12d- D.O.T. Coordinates:  (if known):   
Other Maps:   
13- Photographs
  Photos and images  
Supplemental Material

Patchogue Advance, 5 September 1946, p. 4.

"Mr. and Mrs. Dudley Hollister of Closter, N.J., who bought the Joseph Carman place on Beaver Dam road last year, spent the weekend there.  They are making arrangements to remodel the house and eventually make it their home.  Mr. Hollister is connected with the photographic division of the Fairchild Engine and Airplain company of Jamaica and he reports that George Washington, Jr., a former resident of this village, is also connected with that concern."

 

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Prepared By
  John Deitz