Suffolk County Post Offices

Curtesy of David Roberts & LI-Rooters@aplusdata.com List droberts@us.hsanet.net

"New York Postal History: The Post Offices and First Postmasters from 1775 to 1980" by John L. Kay & Chester M. Smith, Jr. American Philatelic Society: 1982. The first post offices in Suffolk County were established in 1794 and were along a route that roughly parallels NY 25 [Jericho Turnpike/Middle Country Road], NY 24 [Riverhead-Hampton Bays Road], NY 27A [Montauk Highway] & up to Sag Harbor. The post road entered Suffolk County from Queens County along the Jericho Turnpike route: #1. Huntington [9/25/1794]. This is NOT the present Huntington. In 1799, the name was changed to Winnacomac & after about two months was changed again, this time to Dix Hills. This would place the post office on the Jericho Turnpike/Middle Country Road route. As Dix Hills, this post office lasted until it was closed in 1871. #2. Smithtown [9/25/1794]. In 1849 the name was changed to Smithtown Branch, but in 1953 was changed back to Smithtown & is still in operation. #3.Coram [9/25/1794]. Still operating as Coram. #4. Suffolk [9/25/1794]. I've seen the term "Suffolk Court House" used, but the official post office name was "Suffolk". In 1855, Suffolk was changed to Riverhead. #5. Southampton [9/25/1794]. Like Coram, it's still operating under its original name nearly 204 years later. #6. Bridgehampton [9/25/1794] ditto Coram & Southampton. #7. Sag Harbor [9/25/1794]. This would be the eastern terminus of the Long Island post road. Like Coram, S'hampton & B'hampton, Sag Harbor has been in operation under its original name nearly 204 years. You can look at a modern map and go in a line from Dix Hills to Riverhead to S & B' Hampton & up to Sag Harbor .. pretty direct line. #8. In 1795, the 8th post office was opened in Sufflk County & it was also along this same route. East of Coram, west of Suffolk, MIDDLETOWN was established in 1795. Whether this conflicted with the town in Orange County, I don't know, but in 1796 Middletown was changed to BROOKHAVEN [1/1/1796]. It kept that name until 1821, when the post office became MIDDLE ISLAND [3/24/1821]. BY TOWNS: HUNTINGTON Huntington/Winnacomac/Dix Hills SMITHTOWN Smithtown/Smithown Branch BROOKHAVEN Coram Middletown/Brookhaven/Middle Island RIVERHEAD Suffolk/Riverhead SOUTHAMPTON Southampton Bridgehampton Sag Harbor Suffolk Post Offices # 2. The first post office established off the central route [NY 25 .. Jericho Turnpike/Middle Country Road] was HUNTINGTON. This post office was established in Huntington village, north of the main post road, on 3 June 1799. The change of names must have been in the works pending the post office being established in Huntington village. The original Huntington post office on the central post road was changed to Winnacomac on 24 May 1799; a week later a new .. off the mail route .. Huntington is established. How the mail got to Huntington isn't clear ... maybe the post rider coming in from Queens County on the NY25/Jericho Turnpike route detoured up to Huntington village & then back to the central post road. So at the end of the 18th century, there were 9 post offices in Suffolk County: HUNTINGTON: Dix Hills & Huntington SMITHTOWN: Smithtown BROOKHAVEN: Coram & Brookhaven RIVERHEAD: Suffolk SOUTHAMPTON: Southampton, Bridgehampton & Sag Harbor Suffolk Post Offices # 3 Following Huntington, the next post office to be establish off the central post road was what we know today as PORT JEFFERSON. In 1801 SATUCKET was established [5/25/1801]; in 1810 the name was changed from Satucket to DROWN MEADOW, which it kept for about 25 years. In 1836, Drown Meadow was re-named PORT JEFFERSON [5/28/1836]. Port Jefferson remained a post office until 6/26/1971 when it was reduced to a branch station of the Port Jefferson Station post office. That brings us up to 10 post offices in 1801 ... the original 7 + present Middle Island, Huntington, & Port Jefferson Suffolk Post Offices #4 In 1802, two new main routes were added to Suffolk County. One coming east from Queens County along the South Shore, following NY27A Merrick Road/Montauk Highway and the other going east from Suffolk [Riverhead] along the North Fork, following NY 25 Main Road. South Shore: entering Suffolk from Queens County. #1. HUNTINGTON SOUTH [Sept. 7, 1802]. Huntington South was re-named BABYLON in 1830, and except for a brief period, November 1867 to January 1868 when it was re-named SEASIDE, it has used the name Babylon since 1830. When the Town of Huntington was divided in 1872, the name of this post office was used for the new Town of Babylon, Suffolk's youngest Town. #2. ISLIP [9/7/1802]. Islip was closed 1/17/1803, but was re-established 7/1/1808 under the named Islip and has been in operation as Islip ever since. #3. PATCHOGUE. Also established 9/7/1802, Patchogue has been in operation under that name ever since. #4. FIREPLACE [9/7/1802]. Fireplace kept this odd name from 1802 until 1871, when it adopted a form of the Town name and became BROOK HAVEN [2/24/1871]. In 1924, it modified the spelling to one word & became BROOKHAVEN. This is NOT the same place as the Brookhaven now known as Middle Island. #5. MORICHES [9/7/1802] ... ditto Patchogue .. same name #5. WESTHAMPTON [9/7/1802]. This post office remained in operation about 25 years and was closed April 8, 1828. This South Shore route along NY 27A merged with the old Central Route at Southampton. Logically, due to the formation of the North Fork route at this same time, it would seem that the mail to S'hampton, B'hampton & Sag Harbor would have been carried on this South Shore route. NORTH FORK ROUTE: from Suffolk/Riverhead #1. MATTITUCK [9/7/1802]. Still in operation. #2. SOUTHOLD [9/7/1802]. Still in operation. It would appear that these two were added to the Central Route after it hit Suffolk/Riverhead & the mail could go out the North Fork & end at Southold . this sortta follows the NY 25 number adopted a century+ later. #3. An additional post office was added to the North Fork route in 1814 CUTCHOGUE [8/13/1814] .. east of Mattituck & west of Southold. Suffolk Post Offices # 5 SETAUKET was established in 1807. Like Huntington & Port Jefferson, it wasn't on a direct route from New York City to the East End. SETAUKET started off as STONY BROOK [7/1/1807]. In 1810, it took the name SATUCKET, which was given up at the time by the new Drown Meadow [present day Port Jefferson] post office. In 1821, Satucket changed its spelling to SETAUKET, its current name. Post Office reorganization closed Setauket 8/23/1968, and merged it with East Setauket. The present post office name for the area is East Setauket. It's interesting that Setauket lost its colonial name of BROOKHAVEN [it was the original colonial era seat of Brookhaven Town] to present-day Middle Island in 1796. You wonder why it didn't re-adopt it in 1821 when Middle Island adopted Middle Island. Today, Brookhaven is across the Island, on the South Shore [old Fireplace], some miles from its home-base. The South Shore route added a new post office in 1816. EAST HAMPTON was established 10/28/1816 and is still in operation under that name. I'm not sure, but it seems logical that the mail route went east from B'hampton to East Hampton, then looped back up to Sag Harbor. As the port, Sag Harbor would be the logical place to send & receive mail. That's it, up to the end of the 1810's. HUNTINGTON: Huntington, Dix Hills, Huntington South SMITHTOWN: Smithtown ISLIP: Islip BROOKHAVEN: Satucket, Drown Meadow, Brookhaven, Coram, Fireplace, Moriches, Patchogue SOUTHAMPTON: Southampton, Westhampton, Bridgehampton, Sag Harbor EAST HAMPTON: East Hampton RIVERHEAD: Suffolk SOUTHOLD: Mattituck, Cutchogue, Southold Only the Town of Shelter Island lacked a post office by 1820. Aquebogue: 1/14/1828 to 7/16/1842; closed; re-opened 3/15/1886 to present Cold Spring Harbor: 1/7/1825 to present; Coldspring Harbor 1895-1905 Farms: 10/4/1824-3/13/1832 when the name was changed to Greenport Good Ground: 7/28/1829-2/16/1922 when the name was changed to Hampton Bays Miller's Place: 4/7/1825-3/23/1894 when the name was changed to Miller Place Oyster Ponds: 3/20/1821-3/8/1838 when the name was changed to Orient Quogue:4/8/1828 to present Speonk: 4/8/1828-1/19/1861; closed; 2/17/1862-7/27/1895; closed again; 7/9/1897 to present Stoney Brook: 3/21/1826-3/10/1884 when the spelling was changed to Stony Brook to present except 1895-1905 when it was Stonybrook Wading River: 2/26/1825 to present West Hills 5/27/1826 - 1/9/1840; 4/11/1840-12/10/1859; closed; mail to Woodbury, Town of Oyster Bay, Queens County HUNTINGTON: Huntington, Dix Hills, Huntington South SMITHTOWN: Smithtown ISLIP: Islip BROOKHAVEN: Satucket, Drown Meadow, Brookhaven, Coram, Fireplace, Moriches, Patchogue SOUTHAMPTON: Southampton, Westhampton, Bridgehampton, Sag Harbor EAST HAMPTON: East Hampton RIVERHEAD: Suffolk SOUTHOLD: Mattituck, Cutchogue, Southold Only the Town of Shelter Island lacked a post office by 1820. List for 1829 HUNTINGTON: Cold Spring Harbor, Crab Meadow, Dix Hills, Huntington, Huntington South, West Hills SMITHTOWN: Smithtown ISLIP: Islip BROOKHAVEN: Coram, Drown Meadow, Fireplace, Middle Island, Miller's Place; Moriches, Patchogue, Setauket, Stoney Brook SOUTHAMPTON: Bridgehampton, Good Ground, Quogue, Sag Harbor, Southampton,Speonk EAST HAMPTON: East Hampton RIVERHEAD: Aquebogue, Suffolk, Wading River SOUTHOLD: Cutchogue, Farms, Mattituck, Oyster Ponds, Southold Still no post office in the Town of Shelter Island by the end of the 1820's. Notes: Satucket became Setauket in 1821. Brookhaven became Middle Island in 1821. Westhampton was closed in 1828. 1830's... Amagansett: 11/11/1835 to present Babylon: 5/6/1830 ... name change from Hunington South Baiting Hollow: 1/12/1838 to 5/31/1912 Bellport: 3/8/1834 to present Cow Harbor: 3/10/1831; name changed to Centreport 10/30/1835; to Centerport 10/25/1893 Commack: 7/19/1839 to present Greenport: 3/13/1832 ... name change from Farms Flanders: 5/8/1834 to 11/30/1929 New Village: 12/22/1831 to 4/25/1832; re-opened 3/5/1833 to 1/31/1886 Orient: 3/8/1838 ... name change from Oyster Ponds Port Jefferson 5/28/1836 to 6/26/1971 ... name change from Drown Meadow Sayville: 3/22/1837 to present Success: 1/24/1838 to 3/29/1880 [mail taken over 1880 by Upper Aquebogue] Upper Aquebogue: 1/24/1831-3/15/1886 List for 1839 HUNTINGTON: Babylon, Centreport, Cold Spring Harbor, Commack, Crab Meadow, Dix Hills, Huntington, West Hills SMITHTOWN: Smithtown ISLIP: Islip, Sayville BROOKHAVEN: Bellport, Coram, Fireplace, Middle Island, Miller's Place, Moriches, New Village, Patchogue, Port Jefferson, Setauket, Stoney Brook SOUTHAMPTON: Bridgehampton, Flanders, Good Ground, Quogue, Sag Harbor, Southampton, Speonk EAST HAMPTON: Amagansett, East Hampton RIVERHEAD: Aquebogue, Baiting Hollow, Success, Suffolk, Upper Aquebogue, Wading River SOUTHOLD: Cutchogue, Greenport, Mattituck, Orient, Southold Still no post office in the Town of Shelter Island by the end of the 1830's. Anyone have any idea on what "Success" might be today? Its mail was shifted to Upper Aquebogue, which became Aquebogue in 1886. It would seem that modern-day Aquebogue alias Upper Aquebogue is not the same as the Aquebogue that had its own postoffice 1828-1842. At one point all 3 had post-offices: Aquebogue, Upper Aquebogue & Success. From the book it looks like only one, Aquebogue formerly Upper Aquebogue [1831-1886], has a postoffice today. Also note the spelling of Commack from 1839. For much of the 19th century, the spelling "Comac" was used, but it would seem not by the post office. 1850s LAKELAND est. 1/24/1851. The name was changed to RONKONKOMA 4/25/1870. My DeLorme atlas shows a current community called "Lakeland" in that immediate area, right on the Main Line of the LIRR & a Lakeland Ave. running from the area near the LIRR south through Bohemia to Sayville. List of 1859: ISLIP: Fire Island, Islip, Lakeland, Penataquit, Sayville, Suffolk/Suffolk Station; Thompson's Station New & changed postoffices in Suffolk County during the 1860's ... Atlanticville: 6/8/1868; name changed to East Quogue 3/25/1891; to present under that name Bay Shore ... name change from Penataquit 4/30/1868; to present [1895-1905: Bayshore] Calverton: 5/4/1868 to present East Setauket: 3/25/1863 to 8/23/1968; merge w/ Setauket under name "East Setauket" Holbrook: 2/10/1862 to present Holtsville: 6/7/1860 to present Oakdale Station: 10/14/1868; name changed 8/1/1946 to Oakdale; to present Ronkonkoma ... name change from New Village 1/31/1866; named changed again to Lake Grove 4/25/1870; to present under Lake Grove [1895-1905: Lakegrove] SMITHVILLE SOUTH opened in March 1867. Elbert H. Walters was first postmaster. It operated as Smithville South until March 1920, when the named was changed to NORTH BELLMORE. North Bellmore operated until 1949, when it was reduced from an independent postoffice to a station/branch of the Bellmore postoffice. There never was a Great Meadows postoffice in Queens or Nassau counties. Water Mill: 7/25/1866-10/30/1866 closed; re-opened 7/6/1867 to present West Hampton 1/19/1861; name changed to Westhampton 8/1/1932 to present List of 1869: HUNTINGTON: Amityville, Babylon, Centreport, Cold Spring Harbor, Commack, Deer Park; Dix Hills, Fresh Pond, Huntington, Northport SMITHTOWN: Hauppauge, Saint James, Smithtown, Smithtown Branch ISLIP: Bay Shore, Fire Island, Holbrook, Islip, Lakeland, Oakdale Station, Sayville, Suffolk/Suffolk Station, Thompson's Station BROOKHAVEN: Bellport, Blue Point, Centre Moriches, Coram, East Moriches, East Setauket, Fireplace, Holtsville, Manorville, Middle Island, Miller's Place, Mount Sinai, Patchogue, Port Jefferson, Ronkonkoma, Selden, Setauket, Stoney Brook, South Haven, Yaphank SOUTHAMPTON: Atlanticville, Bridgehampton, Flanders, Good Ground, Quogue, Sag Harbor, Southampton, Speonk, Water Mill, West Hampton EAST HAMPTON: Amagansett, East Hampton, Springs RIVERHEAD: Baiting Hollow, Calverton, Jamesport, Riverhead, Success, Upper Aquebogue, Wading River SOUTHOLD: Cutchogue, East Marion, Greenport, Mattituck, Orient, Peconic, Southold SHELTER ISLAND: Shelter Island New & changed postoffices in Suffolk County during the 1870's ... Bay Port: 3/9/1870-5/4/1870; name changed from & then back to Blue Point Bay Port: 2/8/1871 to present; spelling changed to Bayport 6/15/1894 Brentwood ... name change from Thompson's Station 1/17/1870; to present Breslau: 12/22/1870; name changed to Lindenhurst 6/24/1891; to present Brook Haven ... name change from Fire Place 2/24/1871; spelling changed to Brookhaven 10/1/1924; to present Central Islip ... name change from Suffolk or Suffolk Station 1/7/1874; to present East Patchogue: 10/31/1878 to 4/30/1958 Eastport: 9/16/1872 to present Elwood: 6/7/1870 to 10/31/1902 Green Lawn: 5/9/1872 to present; spelling changed to Greenlawn 12/21/1914 Lake Grove .. name change from Ronkonkoma [ex-New Village] 4/25/1870; to present [1895-1905: Lakegrove] Manhansett House: 7/14/1879; spelling changed to Manhanset House 9/6/1889; named changed to Manhanset Manor 2/16/1904; closed 7/31/1912 Melville: 7/7/1876 to 3/16/1906 Promised Land: 5/14/1879 to 1/2/1907 Roanoke: 12/9/1870 to 7/23/1872 Rocky Point: 3/6/1872 to present; [1895-1905: Rockypoint] Ronkonkoma ... name change from Lakeland 4/25/1870 to present Sagg: 4/23/1878; named changed to Sagaponack 2/21/1890 to present Saint Johnland: 5/4/1876; name changed to Kings Park 11/22/1890 to present West Deer Park: 8/23/1875; name changed to Wyandance 12/10/1888; spelling changed to Wyandanch 2/11/1903 to present Note: Huntington was divided in 1872. The southern 1/3 became the Town of Babylon. Thus Babylon shows on this list as a Town of its own & no longer the southern part of Huntington Town. List for 1879: HUNTINGTON: Centreport, Cold Spring Harbor, Commack, Elwood, Fresh Pond, Green Lawn, Huntington, Melville, Northport BABYLON; Amityville, Babylon, Breslau, Deer Park, West Deer Park SMITHTOWN: Hauppauge, Saint James, Saint Johnland, Smithtown, Smithtown Branch ISLIP: Bay Port, Bay Shore, Brentwood, Central Islip, Fire Island, Holbrook, Islip, Oakdale Station, Ronkonkoma, Sayville BROOKHAVEN: Bellport, Blue Point, Brook Haven, Centre Moriches, East Moriches, East Patchogue, East Setauket, Eastport, Holtsville, Lake Grove, Manorville, Middle Island, Miller's Place, Mount Sinai, Patchogue, Port Jefferson, Rocky Point, Selden, Setauket, Stoney Brook, South Haven, Yaphank SOUTHAMPTON: Atlanticville, Bridgehampton, Flanders, Good Ground, Quogue, Sag Harbor, Sagg, Southampton, Speonk, Water Mill, West Hampton EAST HAMPTON: Amagansett. East Hampton, Promised Land, Springs RIVERHEAD: Baiting Hollow, Calverton, Jamesport, Riverhead, Success, Upper Aquebogue, Wading River SOUTHOLD: Cutchogue, East Marion, Greenport, Mattituck, Orient, Southold SHELTER ISLAND: Manhansett House, Shelter Island Back To CIVIL Back To BROOKLYN