by Lizbeth Halsey White
We often wonder what has become of our old houses for they
were built to last for generations, but having no fire protection, except
buckets and a well sweep, very many of them were reduced to ashes. The old
David Jagger homestead on the North Sea road, built in 1707, was burned
February 8, 1891. This farm was allotted to John Jagger I, before 1667, and
some of the land is still owned by his descendents. For many years a lane
opened this farm out to the North End of Main Street. The road passed just to
the south of the Samuel Bishop homestead but it was closed some years ago. The
Revolutionary Patriot of the Jagger family was Ebenezer Jagger and it was his
son, Ebenezer, who in 1805 bought from the estate of Isaac Post the farm now
owned by Hubert A. Jagger.
This frontage extended as far north as the road to Seven
Ponds. In many of the records this road is known as Bishop’s Lane, but the
name seems to have fallen into disuse. Let us see to it that the old names of
our streets are retained.
The Albert Jagger farm across the street descended from his
grandfather, Deacon Moses Culver. In 1799, Daniel Foster and his wife, Phebe,
sell to Moses Culver, Blacksmith, his house and home lot, bounded north by
Samuel Bishop, south and west by land of Samuel Post. Mr. Albert Jagger also
was a “Fortyniner” and his letters written during this adventure have preserved
to us the story of the Sabina and the ensuring experiences in the gold fields.
He is also noted in the village for the daguerreotypes which he made so
successfully and which have preserved for us the likenesses of his
contemporaries.
Next north to the home of John Bishop were those of Daniel
Sayre and his brother Francis. These were sons of Thomas and brothers of Job,
for whom Job’s Lane was named. The home lots of Francis and Daniel Sayre would
extend today from Mrs. Wilmun Halsey’s north and would include Roe’s Hotel.
There is a curious record dated June 2, 1701: “It is ordered by the trustees
that John Foster Jr. and Isaac Halsey Jr. shall go to Daniel Sayre and give him
legal warning to throw out the Town’s land that he has taken in upon ye front
of his home lot adjoining to ye Main St. within one month or expect to be sued
by the Town for trespass.” Daniel Sayre moved to Bridgehampton and as he died
only six years after this incident he must have moved soon after he had set
back his fence. The property of Daniel Sayre is known to us as “Charles
Selden’s” and is now the home of his son, Charles R. Halsey, and his daughter
Mrs. Anthony Wilde. The place has descended to them from the Great-Grand-Sire,
Paul Halsey, whose name is among the Patriots of the Revolution. Layton Avenue
was laid out through this farm and the let on the north was originally a part
of it. This for some time was owned by Joshua Halsey, whose name is also on the
honor roll of the Revolution. The house now standing on the property was built
in the 70s by the Eldredge brothers of Sag Harbor but for a number of years it
was associated with the name of Daniel Y. Bellows who with his family made it
their home. The house when built was an innovation, for it was close on the
street with a basement entrance, and steps on either side leading up to the
main floor. Its builders had visions of a city block, which even yet has not
materialized.
On the land to the north occupied by Francis Sayre his
descendants lived for one hundred and seventy years.
In 1822, Stephen Sayre and his wife Elizabeth sold to Moses
Culver a “tract of land with dwelling house and buildings” 20 acres, price
$1,000. This is the quaint old Cape Cod house still standing, given to Phebe Culver
by her father. Phebe married Samuel Sanford who in 1843 was one of a committee
to purchase land for the Methodist Church in Good Ground. In 1851, they sold
the place to Septa Jackson who moved here from East Hampton. It is from the
lips of his daughter, Mrs. Sarah Terry, that we have heard much delightful
reminiscence of the neighborhood she knew as a girl. Their nearest neighbor on
the south was Cabel Halsey, and on the north Peter Fournier. Across the street
was only open fields from Lewis Sandford’s (whose home was where Leon Terry now
lives) as far as Albert Reeves (now owned by Albert Roger). This field was
known as Post’s Lot, as it was owned by Capt. George Post, and here Edward
White says he drove the cows to pasture when a boy.
It was in the early 70s that Capt. Daniel Havens built the
house on the hill which was his home for many years. With its terraced garden
it has always been an attractive landmark. Here, Principal John G. Peck lived
for several years when he first came to Southampton. The hill, still vacant,
was purchased by the Catholic Society with the intent that their church would
be built there. It is still owned by them and the North End children have a
coasting place in winter.
John Rogers built his home at the foot of the hill and in
the late 70s the Thompson Bros. built for a boarding house the building, which
for some time has been owned by the family of the late Henry N. Clark.
The store at the north was added to accommodate The Sea-Side Times, Southampton’s first
newspaper. This paper was established in 1881 by Walter R. Burling, who
established local newspapers in several other villages and he was known as the
veteran newspaper editor of Long Island. Two of his sons remain in Southampton
to carry on his important contribution to the community.
The Sea-Side Times after
a time became the property of Charles A. Jagger, who was its editor at the time
of his death in 1914. Dr. Jagger edited also a series of periodicals known as
the Southampton Magazine, which has preserved to us many incidents of early and
more recent local happenings which otherwise would have been lost to the
future.
The home of Peter Fournier is now a part of the south wing
of Ree’s Hotel. The grandfather of Peter Fournier came to this country about
1750 and settled in Southold. He went as a Refugee to Connecticut during the
Revolution and fought in the third line. His name is signed—Francis Fournier,
Frenchman. So we know that he was one of the many gallant representatives of
that country who gave not only their sympathies but their service also to the
struggling colonists in their efforts to achieve independence.
After the war he settled in Red Creek and he was known for
his vineyards. Of the large family of Peter Fournier, only two remained in
Southampton. John Fournier built the house next north and nearest the Railroad
Station and “Arabella” will be long remembered for her quaint eccentricities.
It was Mrs. Sarah Terry who told us of the building of Mr.
Wm. R. Post’s house, which she said was called a mansion because it had a
cupola.
As long ago as 1836, a piece of land of several acres on the
north side of the Pelletreau property was sold to Captain James Parker, who was
a whaling captain. In 1849, he went with the Sabina to California, where he
died April 29, 1851. His stone is in the old North End Cemetery with that of
his four wives, the last of whom we knew as “Aunt Milly Parker.”
Captain Parker’s daughter Charlotte became the wife of Wm.
R. Post who bought the property of the estate of his father-in-law and built
the palatial home which was the wonder of its day and still remains one of the
most beautiful homes of the village.
Wm. R. Post was born in the South End—the son of Captain
James Post and his wife Hannah Rogers. He was a man of excellent business
ability and became the leading citizen of the community. He was Supervisor of
the Town, Elder in the Presbyterian Church, and Superintendent of its Sunday
School. If there was anything anybody wanted to know they went to Mr. Post. He
was very tall and well proportioned and carried himself with the dignity, which
befitted his position in the community.
He was very fond of young people and had a way of asking
questions about things in our geography or arithmetic, which we ought to know
and didn’t know. The writer remembers sitting upon the high stool before his
office desk and one of the questions asked she has never forgotten. She had
never to her knowledge heard anyone say, in school or out, how many towns there
are in Suffolk County, but it didn’t take her long to find out. Many children
thought him stern but our mother’s children knew him for his kindly smile and
friendly greeting as he came to the back door each morning for the milk.
Mr. Post married for his second wife, Mary, one of the five
daughters of Jonathan Fithian. Squire Fithian came to Southampton as a very
young man (1818) and taught first in the District School and afterwards in the
Academy. He was born in East Hampton, where his ancestors had settled early in
its history. He married Abigail, daughter of Thomas Sayre, and their home was
built upon the lot now occupied by Willis Corwin. The large acreage next north
now owned by Edgar Hildreth was for many years known as the “Fithian Lot.” Five
lively girls and a genial father and mother made their home a popular social
center and the name of the “Fithian Girls” became a synonym for life and mirth
and wholesome fun. They all married except one, but this is another tragedy of
the California gold-lure.
Squire Fithian filled the office of Town Clerk in
Southampton for twenty years. He was Justice of the Peace from 1828 until his
death in 1865. He also served several terms as Supervisor of the Town. In
Volume IV page 288 of the Town Records, Wm. S. Pelletreau, who at that time was
Town Clerk, has included a memorial to the memory of Jonathan Fithian. In the published
address of Mr. Pelletreau, delivered at the 250th anniversary of the
settling of the town (1876) after eulogizing the soldiers of the Civil War, he
concludes, “Let the greenest wreath and the fairest flower of today be brought
as a tribute to the memory of Jonathan Fithian, the incorruptible magistrate,
who living enjoyed the confidence of this citizens and dying left no nobler
soul behind.”
After the death of her husband, “Aunt Abbie” went to live
with her daughters “up the river” in Newburgh. As her life went out there was
born across the street from her old home in the North End, a baby girl and
Abigail Fithian lives on, a reminder of the neighbor and friend so greatly
beloved.
Courtesy Lizbeth Halsey White Files,
Southampton Historical Museum Archives and Research Center
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