The local signer of the Declaration of Independence, William Floyd, was not the family’s original settler on the Mastic Peninsula. That honor falls to his grandfather, Richard Floyd, who bought 4,400 acres from Col. William Tangier Smith, another historic figure in the founding of our country.
In 1718, Richard gave the property to his youngest son, Nicoll Floyd I, who built the first part of the estate known as “The Old Mastic Home.” He was married to Tabitha Smith and had William, along with his siblings Ruth, Charity, and Charles. At the age of 20, William inherited the land and started on a course of life that helped change history.
Taking time out from running a thriving plantation, Floyd joined the Suffolk County Militia and rose to the rank of Major General. He married Hannah Jones in 1769 and had three children. Following her death, he married Joanna Strong and expanded his family to five. In 1776, he risked everything in putting his name to the document that declared that “these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, Free and Independent States.”
The Revolution behind them, the Floyd family branched out and established some of the magnificent estates that are central parts of the area's heritage. William’s son, Nicoll Floyd II, built a mansion known as “Taupeonk” on what is now known as the Dana Estate. The editor-in-chief of Vogue Magazine, Anna Wintour, famously uses the stately home as a country retreat.
A cousin to William, Richard Floyd IV, sided with the King of England as a Tory during the conflict. He owned a vast estate known as “Pattersquas,” 3,000 acres containing a considerable part of the Mastic Peninsula. As Britain began losing the war, Richard fled to Canada’s New Brunswick, living out his life in exile. His land was taken over by the “Commission of Fortified Estates” and eventually bought by his brother, Benjamin Floyd. The property changed hands a few more times, with a portion of it going to Dr. Frank Calabro, Sr. He operated Bayview Hospital out of a large home there, and after many years, it was donated by the Calabro Family to Brookhaven Town for the creation of Bayview Park. (A previous South Shore Press story had the land donated by Dr. Erol Caypinar, which is incorrect.)
The extensive Taupeonk Estate was distributed among the Floyd family members in an arrangement brokered by William “Buck” Dana, the husband of William Floyd’s great-granddaughter, Katherine “Kitty” Floyd Dana. They built what is called “Moss Lots” on the estate that bears their name, where Kitty, an accomplished artist, created early scenes of the area under the pseudonym “Olive A. Wadsworth.”
A great-grandson of William Floyd, Augustus Floyd, built a mansion and farm on his share of the estate bordered by Lons Creek and Home Creek. He gained considerable wealth trading in the stock market and was one of the founders of the Suffolk County Historical Society. John Floyd Gelston, another descendant, was a judge and served as a state senator and congressman from Suffolk County. Passing away in 1881, he is buried in the family cemetery at the William Floyd Estate, a national heritage site managed by the U.S. Park Service.
The William Floyd Estate was deeded to the people of the United States by its last inhabitant, Cornelia Floyd Nichols, a direct descendant of the famous Patriot. She wed John Treadwell Nichols at the estate and passed away in 1977. The parks service is under local pressure to revitalize the estate and open the home again to the public. It will be featured in an effort by the Tri-Hamlet Committee to publicize the area’s rich historical history.
With information from "A Who's Who of Tri-Hamlet History," presented by the Mastic Peninsula Historical Society made possible through a grant from Legislator James Mazzarella.