Unless indicated below, this is a transcript of the original Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities/Town of Brookhaven survey form. Since most of the surveys were conducted in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, much of the information reflects that time period.

Corrections to obvious typographical and spelling errors have been made. Corrections to factual errors in the original surveys, and updates or comments on the information are either enclosed in [square brackets], or are clearly indicated as updated material from the context of the comments.

Sites with an Inventory Code suffix of “S” are supplemental sites not included in the original surveys.

BUILDING-STRUCTURE INVENTORY FORM

Nelson house [Albin Store]

 If checked, this is a Supplemental Form, not in the original surveys.

Inventory Code:   Br18 
Prepared Date:   1982-08-16 
Last Modified:   1970-01-01 
Original Submitter
Submitter Name:   Town of Brookhaven/SPLIA
Submitter Address:   Town Hall
205 S. Ocean Ave.
Patchogue, NY 11772  
Organization:   Brookhaven Community Development Agency
Identification
1-Building/Site Name:   Nelson house [Albin Store] 
2a-County:   Suffolk    2b-Town:   Brookhaven    2c-Village:   Hamlet of Brookhaven
3-Street Location:    
Ownership
 4a-Public    4b-Private
5a-Present Owner:   Alfred Nelson 5b-Address:   340 Beaver Dam Rd., Brookhaven
Use

6a-Original:   store/residence

6b-Present:   residence

Accessibility
 7a-Visible From Road

 7b-Interior Accessible
7b-Interior Comment:   by appointment
Building Materials
 8a-Clapboard

 8b-Stone

 8c-Brick

 8d-Board & Batten

 8e-Cobblestone

 8f-Shingles

 8g-Stucco
8-Other:   asphalt shingles
Structural System
 9a-Wood Frame Interlocking Joints    9b-Wood Frame Light Members:   9c-Masonry:
 9d-Metal
9d-Metal Comment:   
 9e-Other
 9e-Other Comment:   
Condition
   10a-Excellent   10b-Good   10c-Fair    10d-Deteriorated
Integrity
  11a-Original Site  11b-Moved If so, when?
11c-Alterations:   Front porch enclosed.
During the Winter of 2004-2005, the Nelson's restored the exterior of the house to the original clapboard (removing cement-asbestos shingles which covered the old board), and renovated much of the interior, including replacing the old south-facing kitchen with a new kitchen structure on the old footprint.  «»
Photo & Map
12-Photo Photos and images
13-Map
Threats
[Threats were not evaluated in the original South Shore Estuary Survey.  They are an evaluation by J. Deitz]
  14a-None Known:   14b-Zoning   14c-Roads
  14d-Developers   14e-Deterioration
14f-Other:   
14-Comment:   
Related Outbuildings and Property
 15a-Barn  15b-Carriage House  15c-Garage
 15d-Privy  15e-Shed   15f-Greenhouse
 15g-Shop  15h-Gardens   15i-Landscape Features
15i-Landscape Features:   
15j-Other:   
15-Comment:   
Surroundings of the Building
 16a-Open Land  16b-Woodland  16c-Scattered Bldgs.
 16d-Densely Built-up  16e-Commercial  16f-Industrial
 16g-Residential 16h-Other:   
Interrelationship of Building and Surroundings
17-Interrelationships:  This house is located on Beaver Dam Road, which was first opened in 1735  
Other Notable Features of Building and Site
18-Notable Features:    The house was owned by R. [Skip] Albin in1873. In 1915, C. Newey owned it and ran a store in it.  «»
Significance
19-Initial Const Date:   before 1873 after 1858  
19-Architect:  
19-Builder:  
Historic and Architectural Importance
20-Importance:   2 2/2 story, 2 bay, gable roof house with gable end to street and 2 1/2 story, 3 bay wing on east. Four sawn brackets under eaves on wing section. 6/6 windows. Brick foundation. First floor front façade obscured by enclosed porch.

In 1873, this was Albin's grocery store and residence. In 1915, the Newey's ran a store here. It was known as the "Downstreet Store" and also carried some fishing and boating supplies.

[The last person to operate a store there was Julien Rose, date uncertain.]

  «»
Sources
21-Sources: "Atlas of Long Island, N.Y.," by F. W. Beers, New York: Beers, Comstock & Cline, 1873, inset, pl. 171. Interview: Alfred Nelson, present owner.

Patchogue Advance, 12 Feb 1937, p. 7: "The one-story building on Beaver Dam road at the head of Meadow lane which has been occupied as a store for many years, is being remodeled into a dwelling. The owner, Mrs. Sherman Hawkins of Southampton, is having Samuel Bumstead do the carpentry work. The last person to operate a store there was Julien Rose." «»

Theme
22-Theme:   residential/commercial  
Prepared By: 
  Ellen Williams, research assistant  
Supplemental Material:
  Excerpt from Email, Lucia Nelson, 17 Jun 2004: My parents, Alice and Alfred Nelson, bought the house in 1944 for: $7,500. (!) I regret to say that I have yet to search the records for previous owners and so forth. My mother told of taking my brother Norm down to the Albin Store in the summer of 1936 - this to buy an ice cream cone. She and my father were staying with his parents, Norman and Matilda in the house now belonging to the dentist, Dr. Andors. I do know some bits and pieces about the history of the store and others he appears to have run. The original house was just a 'box'. Over time additions were added - to the west is a bedroom and bath and on the east 2 bedrooms and a bath. You can see the old roof in the attic. At some point the kitchen was moved from Camp Upton and attached to the house. Said kitchen always had a sloping floor, it was kind of a joke. The wooden counter top in the kitchen came from the store. The enclosed porch was there in 1944. The telepone was, for some reason, on that porch. That was when our Tel # was '206'. My mother could pick up the phone and ask for Jane Corrigan O'Rourke who lived across the street or Betty Puleston who lived on Meadow Lane. By the by we still have that number sixty years later.