Post Addition to Chapel Property – 1903
Richard A. Thomas ~ August 2009

Sometime before 14 October 1903, a road was “newly opened” through the property of Louise Goodall. In October 1903, Louise Goodall was the owner of the property on the north, east, and south sides of the Chapel property, which was owned by the South Haven Presbyterian Church. The west boundary of the Chapel lot was South Country Road, which, in 1903, was called Main Street.

The new road, now Chapel Avenue, was apparently put in so that the northern side of Chapel Avenue was along the southern boundary of the Chapel property, and some must have felt that the Chapel building itself now needed to be moved back from the new road, but there wasn’t enough room on the original lot to move it very far.

In order to have a lot that was large enough to allow the Chapel to be moved, James Howell Post purchased land from Louise Goodall along the northern boundary of the Chapel property. He extended the Chapel lot 50 feet along South Country Road and also extended the lot to a 100-foot depth.

The property description in the deed makes it clear that the original Chapel lot must have been less than 100 feet deep, but the exact depth of the original lot is not given.

On 28 October 1903 , James Post donated more land to the church to allow the Chapel House to be moved. This move probably took place in the year 1904, but it might have taken place anytime between the date of the deed, 28 October 1903, and the Annual Meeting of 1903 and June 25, 1904.

At the Annual Parish Meeting held on Saturday June 25th 1904 Mr. Augustus Floyd was chosen chairman.

Treasurer’s report read and excepted [sic].

Mr. Augustus Hawkins & Mr. James H. Post were elected Trustees to hold Office until the last Sat in June 1907.

Mr. Augustus Floyd was elected President of the Board of Trustees for 1 yr. But declining to serve, owing to so much personal business, and Mr. Augustus Hawkins was elected in his place.

George Miller was elected Clerk and Treasurer for 1 yr.

Henry Ghoday, Mr. Emmett Hawkins were elected returning officers.

A vote of thanks was given to Mr. James H. Post for his generosity in giving more land, and, moving the Chapel at Brookhaven.

Deed Books, Riverhead, Liber 533, p. 409.
Summary
Louise Goodall to James H. Post, $100. 14 October 1903. The description of the property is identical to the property description in the deed beginning on page 414.

the United States, paid by the parties of the second part, do hereby grant and release unto the said parties of the second part, and to their heirs and assigns forever. All that Tract or Parcel of Land, situate in the Village of Brookhaven, County of Suffolk, and State of New York, bound and described as follows:– Commencing on the east side of Main Street and the Northwest point of property of the Presbyterian Church and running thence Northerly by and with the said road fifty (50) feet, thence Easterly on a line parallel with the road newly opened through the property of the party of the first part one hundred (100) feet, then Southerly on a line parallel with Main Street to a point on the said New Road one hundred (100) feet from the Main Road; then Westerly to the said Church property, thence Northerly with the said Church property and thence again Westerly with the said Church property to the point or place of beginning. Being the property conveyed to James Howell Post one of the parties of the first part, by Deed of Louisa Goodall dated the 14th day of October 1903. Together with the appurtenances and all the estate and rights of the parties of the first part in and to said premises. To Have and to Hold the above granted premises unto the said parties of the second part, their heirs and assigns forever. And the said James H. Post & Louisa Wells Post do covenant that they have not done or suffered anything whereby the said premises have been encumbered in any way whatever.

In Witness Whereof the said parties of the first part have hereunto set their hands and seals the day and year first above written.

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In Presence of James Howell Post L.S.

E. J. Camberlon Louisa Wells Post L.S.

State of New York, City of New York, County of New York. SS. On the 29th day of October in the year nineteen hundred and three before me personally came James Howell Post and Louisa Wells Post, his wife, to me known and known to me to be the individuals described in, and who executed the foregoing instrument and, they acknowledged that they executed the same. LS. C. C. Ryder, Notary Public, Notary Public Kings Co., Certificate filed in N.Y.Co.

Recorded 30 October 1903 @ 12 M.

Solomon Ketcham Clerk

Deed, Richard Corwin Jr. and wife to the Fireplace Congregational Church, Liber 55, beginning on p. 244.

Deed written 11 April 1848 by which Richard Corwin and his wife Dency convey the Lecture Room “with the land where it stands” to the Congregational Society of Fire Place.

This deed was examined in the Suffolk County Historic Documents Room at Riverhead on 14 August 2009. The ink used is of a poor quality, and has turned a light reddish brown.

The property description was not entirely legible — at least, it was not entirely decipherable within the time given to its examination. The location of the Lecture Room and the size of the property could not be determined, but it may be possible to do so with a more extended study of the faded handwriting.

The deed lists all the contributions toward the purchase by each of the members of the little group: Nathaniel Hawkins $25.00, James Rider $10.00, etc. Here are a few excerpts of phrases in the deed:

. . . the village meeting house, called the Lecture Room by them, with the land where it stands lying and being on the west side of the Fire Place neck as the county road 18 ?????? as follows

on the south running easterly by the land of Isaac Ketcham until it shall be ten feet east of the house then Northerly to the land of Richard Corwin Jr. Ten feet south of the house thence Easterly Ten feet from the house to the ???? north??? then Southerly by the County Road to the first named bound.

To have and to Hold the above house and land as a free Congregational Meeting House with the appurtenances and all the estate, l???? and interest therein.

The deed says the Lecture Room was on the west side of Fire Place neck, which is definitely true, since it is not far from the east bank of Beaver Dam Creek, but the word which probably gave its position relative to “county road 18″ was not decipherable.

The description of the boundary does not include enough “westerlies,” suggesting that “westerly” or its equivalent is at least one of the faded words that could not be read. (Although, it is possible to complete a perimeter of a property without using the word “westerly” if the County Road started northerly soon after crossing Beaver Dam Creek and curved easterly, so the direction “southerly by the County Road to the first named bound” would actually be “southwesterly.” This seems unlikely even though it is probably true that South Country Road, after crossing Beaver Dam Creek, did not curve to the north as gradually in 1848 as it does today. In the eighteenth century, and perhaps later, this northerly part of South Country Road was, along with Fireplace Neck Road, an extension of Old Town Road, and the road from the west terminated at Old Town Road immediately after the upper crossing.)

By the term “free Congregational Meeting House” the deed means that the congregation could neither sell nor rent pews to support the church, a common practice in the nineteenth century. The Religious Corporation Law of New York State even had different provisions for the incorporation of “free” religious societies as compared to the ones that rented or sold pews.

Deed of Lecture Room and Property Where It Stands to South Haven Presbyterian Church

At some point after March 27, 1874 , the South Haven Presbyterians received the Lecture Room, probably from Mr. Booth. The transfer would probably have taken place after 1874 and before 1899. This deed has not yet been located.