Old House of Cutchogue - Cutchogue New Suffolk Historical Council

Introduction

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The Old House of Cutchogue is probably the oldest house in the town and has two origin stories. Some say it was built in Southold hamlet for the Budd family and moved to Cutchogue by the Horton family. Others say scientific evidence shows the building remains on its original site and was built by the Wickham family. Today the structure is part of the holdings of the Cutchogue New Suffolk Historical Council and is the only early house in the area that can help visitors experience what life was like in Southold before the American Revolution.

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Old House Cutchogue

Backstory and Context

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Built between 1649 and 1690, the Old House is among the oldest houses in New York State. Owned by a variety of families over the years, the most infamous owner in local history was Parker Wickham, a former Town Supervisor of Southold. Wickham, who had served as Town Supervisor from 1767-1774 and again in 1777. Wickham was an ardent Loyalist. His actions while in office had earned the enmity of most of the residents of the Town during the Revolution. The Old House has the distinction of being one of the few properties in New York that was seized by the new state government and auctioned off to pay the war debts. The house gradually fell into disrepair, eventually becoming a barn. During the 1930's its great age was recognized and the structure was restored and opened as a historic house during Southold Town's tricentenary.

Sources

Case, J. Wickham. Southold Town Records vol I. Southold, New York: Town of Southold, 1882.

Case, J. Wickham, ed. Southold Town Records volume II, Liber "C". Southold, New York: Town of Southold, 1884.

Holbrook, Dwight. The Wickham Claim. Riverhead, New York: Suffolk County Historical Society, 1986.

Mather, Frederic Gregory. The Refugees of 1776 from Long Island to Connecticut. Albany, New York: J.B. Lyon Company, 1913.

Onderdonk, Henry Jr. Revolutionary Incidents of Suffolk and Kings Counties. New York City, New York: Leavitt & Company, 1849.

Studenroth, Zachary N. Images of America Cutchogue and New Suffolk. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2013.

"Town Historian's Files." Town Historian's Office, Southold, New York , n.d.

Town of Southold, & SPLIA. Inventory of Southold Town Landmarks = GR3 Osman Brickyard. New York State Historic Archaeological Site Inventory Form, Southold, New York: New York State, 1987.

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Additional Information

Cutchogue New Suffolk Historical Council