Community Corner
No. 69: Conklin Farmhouse Museum
This Colonial-era farmhouse sitting at one of the entrances to Huntington village is chock-full of items from three periods of history and offers visitors a thumbnail look at life across the centuries.
The mothership of Suffolk County museums is celebrating its 100th year at the Conklin House, 2 High St., Huntington.
The David Conklin Farmhouse and Museum offers visitors a look at life across almost three centuries of village history. It was deeded to the Huntington Historical Society in 1911 by Ella Conklin Hurd, after being in the Conklin family for more than 150 years, and is believed to be the county's first house museum.
The original wing of the house was built in 1750, and its one large room and loft housed David and Sybel Conklin and their eight children. A lean-to with a dirt floor was added at the rear of the house in the 1770s to provide more room for cooking and other chores.
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"That was huge for them," explained Cathi Horowitz, outreach coordinator for the Huntington Historical Society, who gave a tour of the property. "They were always working and this gave them a chance to get outside for some of it. When they weren't spinning they were weaving, or cooking, or doing laundry. They were tough, strong women who were busy all day."
The original section of the house had a cellar where the family stored smoked and salted meats, milk and root vegetables. A set of small, narrow steps lead up to the loft where the children slept.
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When David Conklin died in 1784 the house went to a nephew, Abel Conklin, in consideration for clearing David's debts. Abel Conklin later added the larger, two-story section of the house that now sits closer to New York Avenue. Even by the 1880s, New York Avenue was still a dirt road, based on a picture on display in the museum.
Over the years the house was modified and updated to accommodate the needs of the Conklin family, and furniture came and went. Items now on display in the house are original to the period, but not necessarily to the house, Horowitz explained. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1922 a room was added to the back of the house, then expanded in 1955. It is now used as an exhibit room to display significant portions of the society’s collections, and is where the current exhibit, "All Things Conklin," went on display on Sept. 2.
Also on the property is a barn the society uses for lectures and programs and rents to community groups. Other interesting points are a large millstone used in the Old Grist Mill in Huntington Harbor from 1752-1930; a spruce tree donated as a memorial to those from Huntington who lost their lives at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001; and a white ash sapling cloned from a 200-year-old tree on George Washington’s Mount Vernon property, a link to his 1790 visit to Long Island and Huntington.
The Conklin House is open to the public from 1 to 4 p.m. Fridays and Sundays, and is closed on holidays. Volunteer docents give guided tours when it is open; cost is $5. Visitors should call the office at 631-427-7045, Ext. 401, to confirm docent availability. Group tours may be arranged by special appointment.
Stay tuned for No. 68 next week, same time same place, as Huntington Patch explores the places and activities in town.
