Former Home of Valentine Hicks & Stop on the Underground Railroad (Now One North Restaurant)

Now home to an elegant restaurant, the historic structure on Old Jericho Turnpike was originally home to Valentine and Abigail Hicks who were prominent members of the Quaker faith and who founded the town of Jericho. The new hamlet was far removed from many established settlementts, and the Hicks family used the remote location to support enslaved persons on their journey from slavery to freedom. In addition to playing an outsized role in the early years of Jericho’s history, Valentine Hicks was also a leading abolitionist, and the son-in-law of nationally known preacher, Elias Hicks. The home of Valentine Hicks was a stop on the Underground Railroad. The Oyster Bay Town Board gave the building which was then known as the Maine Maid Inn landmark status in 2012.

Though small, the Long Island hamlet of Jericho played a significant role on the Underground Railroad. This was largely because a number of Jericho residents were Quakers, who were opposed to slavery. Many Quakers were active abolitionists and involved in assisting runaway slaves through the Underground Railroad.

The Hicks family was an especially prominent and active family both in the history of Jericho as well as in abolitionist circles. Elias Hicks was involved in the Jericho area at least as far back as 1778, when he helped to build a Quaker meeting house, which is still in use. Quakers in Jericho were among the earliest people in New York to manumit their slaves and became outspoken supporters of abolition. Elias Hicks was one of the founders of a Quaker charity that was created to provide aid to poor African Americans in the area as well as to offer education to their children. He also proposed boycotting any produce grown by slave labor.

One of Elias’s daughters, Abigail, married Valentine Hicks, who was also a cousin. Valentine was an integral figure in the early history of the area, as he was the founder of Jericho, as well as an early Postmaster of the town. Historians believe that Jericho’s post office was likely located in the front parlor of the Hicks home. To help develop Jericho’s economic ties to the surrounding areas, Hicks was also instrumental in bringing the railroad to the area and was elected president of the Long Island Railroad in 1837.

Like his father-in-law, Valentine Hicks was also a committed abolitionist. He belonged to the Manumission Society and was involved in the establishment of the one of the earliest African Free Schools. According to local lore, Hicks once looked out his window and saw a slave running down the road towards his home, with a slave catcher in pursuit. Hicks opened the door, and the enslaved man ran inside, where Hicks hid him. The home was built with a large removable panel inside a linen closet that could be pulled aside to reveal a hidden staircase to the attic. When the panel was in place, no one was any the wiser. Hicks and his family later took the man to Long Island Sound, where he boarded a boat to Canada. It is believed that, although Long Island was not on a direct route to Canada for runaway slaves, the area—and the Hicks house, in particular—was a significant stop on the Underground Railroad and that the family helped numerous enslaved people escape to freedom.

Over the years, the former Hicks home changed hands several times. It was known as the Maine Maid Inn for many years and was a popular restaurant and event space. Most recently, the building was purchased and renovated by Anthony Scotto, who open One North restaurant there. Before Scotto purchased the building, it had fallen into disrepair and there was concern among locals that it might not be able to be saved. In 2012, the town of Oyster Bay granted the Hicks home landmark status, a move that would ensure its preservation.

Ketcham, Diane . About Long Island: First Families, a Fount of Heritage and Humor , New York Times . November 8th 1992. Accessed June 9th 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/1992/11/08/nyregion/about-long-island-first-families-a-fount-of-heritage-and-humor.html.

History of Hicksville, Hicksville Historical Society . Accessed June 12th 2021. https://hicksvillehistoricalsociety.wordpress.com/about/history-of-hicksville/.

Dowd, Joe . TOBAY Lectured on Jericho Landmark , Patch. November 15th 2011. Accessed June 12th 2021. https://patch.com/new-york/plainview/tobay-board-lectured-on-jericho-landmark.

Valentine Hicks House/Maine Maid Inn, Old Long Island . August 6th 2008. Accessed June 12th 2021. http://www.oldlongisland.com/2008/08/valentine-hicks-house-maine-maid-inn.html.