[A "S. Rhode" editorship of the Brooklyn Eagle has not been confirmed. Through much of the 20th century, the house was owned by the Rohde/Gwynne family. "S. Rhode" could be a reference to Sophia Rohde, grandmother to Florence Rohde Gwynne. See Hamlet People database.]

["Mrs. J. M. Hodges" is shown on the 1888 Wendelken map.]

[W. W. Nicoll shown on the 1873 Beers map was also found in the 1870 census of Fire Place. He was not found in Brookhaven Hamlet 1n 1880. See the Hamlet People database.]

[The following undated clipping (microfilmed in 1972) is from the Patchogue, L.I. Advance.
"Seamen's" House Belonged to Rohde, Not John Seamen
BROOKHAVEN – Mrs. Florence Gwynne's home on the corner of Beaver Dam road and Fire Place Neck road never was John Seamen's house, as was stated in a story on the Union Dime club in last week's Advance.
The house was bought by Mrs. Gwynne's father, Freeman J. Rohde, from the Riverhead bank in 1901, and it is thought to have served as the parish house for St. James Episcopal church before that.

Mr. Rohde had ridden out from New York city on his bicycle and spent the night at Starke's hotel on Bay road. He was so favorably impressed with Brookhaven village that, before he left, he bought the house and property from Sydney Hawkins. He did not occupy it but rented it for several years to the Misses Jessie and Emma Robinson. John Seamen, who drove a stage-coach, made his home with them and hence the property was often referred to as "John Seamen's place."]

An article in the Suffolk County News (Sayville), 15 Nov, 1901, suggests that the property was purchased from William Sidney Hawkins and his wife in 1901 for a consideration of $1,500 , not from the Riverhead Bank. William Sidney (Sid) Hawkins was a real estate dealer whose residence and office was on South Country road, Brookhaven hamlet, NY.