Society Members Step Up to Preserve Local History

Standing out among the homes and businesses of Long Island’s sprawling communities are gems of historic significance that serve as reminders of the area’s early settlers. Without the efforts of volunteers dedicated to keeping local history alive, many of these structures would be long gone.

Thankfully, the centuries-old Hawkins House on Montauk Highway in Moriches has such a devoted crew, the members of the Mastic Beach Peninsula Historical Society. They have adopted the centuries-old house and are working tirelessly toward its restoration.

Built in stages starting in the early 1800s, the home rests on nearly five acres at the headwaters of Ely Creek, a tributary of Forge River, and is part of the town-designated historic district. “We had been keeping an eye on the property and when it came up for sale, we approached Suffolk County about acquiring it,” said Ed DeGennaro, president of the historical society. “They were able to secure grant money through the Clean Water Act since the property is the starting point of the creek.”

Mastic Peninsula Historical Society members, from left: Gary Ollett, Ed DeGennaro and Mike Lubrano go over plans for the restoration of the Hawkins House in Moriches. File Photo

The nearby James Hawkins Road should be named after Ezra Hawkins since he was the original family member who built the home and settled in the area, according to the society’s vice president, Gary Ollett. The family, originally from England, came to Long Island via Boston in the 1600s, and many generations of Hawkins can be traced to them. The historic Hawkins-Downs Cemetery on James Hawkins Road is the resting place of various family members, including those who fought in the Revolutionary War.

It was during the war that Zachary Hawkins took in the cattle of Col. William Tangier Smith when the Manor of St. George in Mastic was occupied by British troops, recounted the society’s secretary, Mike Lubrano.

Although wooded now, the land was farmed by the Hawkins family until the 1960s and still contains out buildings which the society is also looking to preserve as part of an early history museum including a loom room and cow pens, Lubrano said. A major crop was flax seed, which was used to make linseed oil. A Hawkins son, Zackary, ran a mill at Carman’s River.

The property was previously shared with an old school house which was moved further down Montauk Highway where it was used by the Center Moriches district. The historic site was purchased from the sisters of a man who had purchased it from an original Hawkins family member.

The Mastic Peninsula Historical Society was founded in 1999 by Rita Rech, a local dynamo who pushed for the preservation of the Petty House on Montauk Highway in Shirley. It is historically-minded individuals such as Rita Rech, Ed DeGennaro, Gary Olett, and Mike Lubrano who spend their time and energy to make sure these treasures are around for many years to come.

For more information or to make a donation, go to www.mphistorical.org