A New View

The Potter-Williams House

An artistic and photographic look into a historic home in Huntington.

Located at 165 Wall Street, the Potter-Williams house shows true history. The home was built in 1827 by Nathaniel Potter and is one of the few buildings in Huntington that incorporate the four-bay plan. The home is an excellent example of settlement architecture of the early 19th century. The clapboard house sits on the side of a steep hill quite close to the street. It has a central chimney, three-pane frieze windows and a gable roof. The home also has a number of six over six double hung windows and an elevated porch which was replaced for a more decorative structure in 1870 with a lattice base, posts and a balustrade.   Both entrances as well as the windows have a simple wood trim and a rear one story addition was constructed midcentury…

•  3 Comments
• Photos (7)

Melissa O'Connor

9:28 am on Wednesday, January 5, 2011

It was hard for me to see the address on the house but legal documents say it is the Potter - Williams House with that address. Sometimes things can get a little weird with historical homes and locations.   more ›

A New View

Old First Presbyterian Church

An artistic and photographic look into the history of the first church in Huntington.

The Old First Presbyterian Church of Huntington was originally organized in 1658.  At that time it was considered a congregational church with its first minister being the Rev. William Leverich.   In addition to working with the church he was also the town's first miller.  He came to Long Island with a small group of men from Sandwich, Mass.  They bought Oyster Bay from the Matinecock Indians and soon purchased Huntington as well.  Built in 1665, the church location was called Meeting House Brook, what is now Prime Avenue. According to Duke's Laws it was mandatory to have a house that can be used for public worship and it had to hold up to 200 people.  So in 1715, it was decided that a new church building would be built on the East Hill on…

• Photos (15)

A New View

Reverend Prime House

An artistic and photographic look into Rev. Prime's historic home in Huntington.

Still standing at 18 Spring Road, Reverend Ebenezer Prime's second home was his sanctuary during the later years of his life.  Originally, the house faced the south but after several generations, new owners turned the main entrance facing west.    The home has the usual colonial style clapboard structure of that time.  Its geometric design somewhat resembles the Prime House down the street with the placement of its windows.  The main entrance also features two vintage porch lights that seem to be true to the house. Although, the home looks updated, there is a clear history to the structure that one cannot miss. Ebenezer Prime was born in 1700 in Connecticut.  He graduated from Yale College when he was 18,  came to Huntington in 1719, and …

• Photos (7)

A New View

Prime House and Octagon House

An artistic and photographic look into Ezra Prime's historic homes in Huntington.

One of the prominent families in the history of Huntington were the Primes. Ezra C. Prime, son of Ebenezer Prime II, played an important part in the town's industrial history with the business of his thimble factory. He returned from New York City in the 1840s where he owned a silver and jewelry business. Upon his arrival, he built his shop on Main Street and soon after moved the location across the street.   By 1860, Prime owned a significant amount of land from both sides of Main Street. His original house on Prime Avenue, built in 1855, sits across from Heckscher Park where Prime built his dam. The clapboard home is two stories high with a low sloped roof in the back. The rooms were fairly large and inside the home there was a common …

• Photos (9)

A New View

David Conklin Farm House

An artistic and photographic perspective of Huntington on Huntington Patch.

My visit to the David Conklin Farm House was not only peaceful and beautiful, but a unique experience as well. Upon your arrival to this property, you can instantly feel the history. This home is a great example of how the early settlers lived and I loved how easy it was to explore. Located at 2 High Street, this brilliant piece of architecture still exudes life, comfort and a wonderful style. The Conklins were an important family when it came to the growth of Huntington as they were among its first settlers. The farm house was built in 1750 by Thomas Conklin and stood on 105 acres. It was surrounded by apple and peach orchards and took up the area from New York Avenue to Oakwood Road.   Member of the Conklin family were patriots and …

• Photos (21)

Huntington Hotel Has Public Hearing

The applicant of the proposed project is requesting the property be placed in the historic overlay district.

The Huntington Town Board held a public hearing Tuesday to consider applying a historic overlay district to the old Town Hall building at Main Street and Stewart Avenue. The owners of the building—a conglomerate of companies with Emerson Dobbs as the principal—have submitted an application to develop the property in to a 55-room boutique hotel. Attorney James Margolin of Margolin & Margolin said that architect Joseph Scarpulla has worked with Town Historian Robert Hughes and the Historical Preservation Committee on the exterior design. In April, the town Planning Board unanimously approved a recommendation that the Town Board allow the property to be placed in the historic overlay district and that a public hearing be scheduled. The Town …

•  5 Comments
• Photos (4)
• Videos (1)
• Documents (1)

A New View

Civil War Memories

An artistic and photographic perspective of Huntington.

The historic Soldiers and Sailors building is one of the most noticeable on Main Street. It sits on Old Burial Hill, which is sometimes also called Old Burying Ground.  Established sometime in the 17th century, Old Burial Hill is the earliest known public cemetery in Huntington and bears witness to war, violence and hardship for almost seven years.  Starting in 1776, Huntington was occupied by the British troops and the residents experienced change like you wouldn't believe.  Upon this land stood Fort Golgotha. It was built by the British with wood from the Old First Presbyterian Church which was torn down against the towns wishes. Colonel Benjamin Thompson ordered this construction and forced local residents to help. Even the Huntington …

• Photos (10)

A New View: The Old Town Green Series - The Arsenal

An artistic and photographic perspective of Huntington.

Built in 1740 with an oak and pine frame, the Huntington Arsenal on Park Avenue just south of Main, is thought to be the only one left of its kind on Long Island.  Joseph Wickes built the original portion of the house, which sat on 1.5 acres of land, and used it to store grain.   Severn years later, Wickes sold the building to Gershom Sexton who remodeled and converted it into a livable dwelling. The six-foot extension included a room with a fireplace and another to the back of the house. Sexton plastered the interior walls as well. Not only was the arsenal used during the American Revolution but it was also the residence of Job Sammis and his family from 1748 to 1789.  A weaver by trade, Sammis settled in the home with his wife Elizabeth …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (6)