Building-Structure Inventory Form

Historical Sites

Building Inventory Form

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

Building-Structure Inventory Form

Theodosia Carman house

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

Inventory Code: SH09

Prepared Date: 07-15-1982

Last Modified: 01-01-1970

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Photo

People

Submitter

Submitter Name:

Town of Brookhaven/SPLIA

Submitter Address:

Town Hall
205 S. Ocean Ave.
Patchogue, NY 11772
631-634-7806

Organization:Brookhaven Community Development Agency

Identification

1-Building/Site Name:Theodosia Carman house

2a-County:Suffolk

2b-Town:Brookhaven

2c-Village:Hamlet of Southaven

If checked, this site is within the Fire Place (Brookhaven Hamlet) Historic District

Ownership

4a-Public Site

4b-Private Site

5a-Owner (at original survey date):Carlo Cestra

5b-Address:2777 Montauk Highway

Use

6a-Original: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:

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:

Photo & Map

12-Photo:

13-Map:
View Larger Map

Threats

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 structure is located in Southaven, which was first settled in the eighteenth century.

Other Notable Features of Building and Site

18-Notable Features: The property on wehich nthe house sits was gifted to Theodosie (Carman) Smith by her father Samuel Carmen, Sr.. in 1821. The house was said to have been built for her as a wedding present by her father, Samuel Carman, Sr., who owned Carman's Mills. The 1797 Hulse Map of the Town of Brookhaven indicates a dwelling house at a location near that which on later maps is identified as belonging to Theodocia, If this house was a wedding present, it is unlikely the same one shown on the 1797 map. See Richard Thomas' history in Other Documents section.

Significance

19-Initial Const Date: perhaps before 1797, more likely early 19th century, say 1818-1821

19-Architect:

19-Builder: Samuel Carman Sr.

Historic and Architectural Importance

20-Importance: 2 1/2 story, 3 bay, gable roof, brick, Greek Revival house with 4 bay, 1 1/2 story, brick, gable roof wing on west with 4 small windows under the eaves. Brick pilasters on main house. Wide-frieze cornice with returns. Dentiles under gable eaves, and 4 low-level windows in the frieze.
The "block and wing" style was popular from the late eighteenth century into the middle of the nineteenth.The "block" or "upright" section is called a "two-story, three-bay, half house" and is a common Long Island house type.
It's called a "half-house" because of the asymmetrical arrangement of three bays. Instead of being a five-bay house with a center entrance and hall, the entrance is at one side. (It should really be called a 3/5ths house.) A "half house" has a side hall instead of a central hall. Like a full house, the long axis, rather than a gabled end, of the half house faces the road.
The "two-story, three-bay, half-house" was popular during the late colonial, Georgian, and Federal periods.
Brick houses of this era are unusual on Long Island, being considerably more expensive to build than wood framed structures.

Sources

21-Sources: "U.S. Coast Survey Map," No. 58, 1836-38. Repository: Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
"U.S. Census for 1850," p. 202, repository: Library, SUNY at Stony Brook. [See this site for transcript.
1797 Isaac Hulse Map of the Town of Brookhaven

Theme

22-Theme: residential

Prepared By

Ellen Williams, research assistant. Revised J. Deitz

Supplemental Material

Photo from Pratt Album. Theodosia Carman house now owned by Cestra family taken from SW, front.