By Danny McCarthy
According to the Southold Historical Society Guide to Historic Markers, which was first published in 1960, on page 50, there is this entry:
“54. FORMER JEFFERSON STORE 1855
Peconic Hall, Post Office
(Peconic Food Market, Paul Orlowski, owner, Peconic Lane, Peconic)
The Jefferson Store was built by Captain Horace F. Prince who owned a lumber yard at Hermitage, and a sloop which brought his lumber across the Sound fr0m Connecticut. James Fanning and James Richmond kept {the} store there but Robert and Lewis Jefferson were the owners long associated with it, Those were the days of the pot-bellied stove and of tall tales told by the Peconic-ers.
During the Cleveland administration{,} Jesse Lewis Case was Postmaster. The Post Office at different periods was located there. Frank D. Smith before he became ‘The Man Milliner of Peconic’ had a little shop at the rear. The upper floor was a hall for entertainments, dances, sociables, Sunday School classes and dancing classes, with well-remembered teachers, Fannie Case and Charis Carroll. For years this was the fames community center of Hermitage-Peconic society. Nostalgic memories!”
I’ve been able to learn over the years and exchanged information with patrons of the SPLIA {Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities} volumes regarding the Town of Southold.
Peconic Hall is found with a photo and background/description within the SPLIA PE 38 where it reads and I quote:
“ … This store stands on Peconic Lane which is the main road of the Hamlet of Peconic, known as Hermitage in the nineteenth century. It is a historic district. …
2 ½-story, gable roof commercial building 5 bays deep with scallops along eaves and gables. 6/6 windows survive on north elevation. …
HISTORICAL AND ARCHITECTURAL IMPORTANCE:
R. Jefferson & Co., in 1873
Plaque says: Former Jefferson Store 1855
PECONIC HALL, POST OFFICE
This store was built by Capt. Horace F. Prince in 1855.
The post office was located here from time to time.
The upper floor was a hall called Peconic Hall which
was the Community Center.
SOURCES:
Joy Bear. Historic Homes of the North Fork
and Shelter Island. 1981.
Beers, Comstock, Cline. Atlas of Long Island. 1873
R.C. Newell. A Rose of the Nineties. 1962
Guide to Historic Markers. Southold Hist. Soc. #54, 1960
My Article that I Titled “These Carrolls Sang a Different Tune”
The article was in the September 2012 edition of the Peconic Bay Shopper.
I’ve “cut-and-pasted” some paragraphs from the original copy as a word document. ~
“March 2001, the Southold Historical Society held a Hidden Treasures exhibit that included Dr. Joseph Hartranft’s and Dr. Harry Stevens’ instruments plus a fine collection of Frank Smith’s popular hats. Frank Smith lived in Peconic all his life, 1860 to 1945. Curator Tommie Mayne remarked that ladies would travel great distances for one of his fashionable hats.”
I Think Before I Link
This link regards my composed item on both Dr. Joseph Hartranft and Dr. Harry Stevens:
https://patch.com/new-york/nor...
Gladys Matthews Mott gave an old-fashioned Peconic Sociable as part of the Summer of History in August 1965. Rosalind Case Newell introduced the acts with reminisces of the Sociables she remembered and performed in. She told about the people who came from Southold and Cutchogue as well as Peconic in carriages and how they hitched their horses in the carriage sheds behind the Peconic Railroad Station. She also shared about where the Sociables were held in Peconic Hall.
Admission to the Peconic Sociable was 25 cents. Late in the evening ice cream was served for 10 cents a brick with a big piece of homemade cake for nothing. There was plenty of amateur talent. Anyone who could sing or act or recite or even play an instrument was called on to make up the program which preceded the dancing.”
Checking The Suffolk Historic Newspapers Website …
There were 91 matches typesetting keywords Peconic Hall within the Search section on the Suffolk Historic Newspapers website. I’ve gone ahead and selected just some clippings that I found ~
“Nobody Is Going To Rain On Their {Parade}!”
The Long Traveler dated December 11, 1885 carried an ad featuring this:
“HOLIDAY FESTIVAL at PECONIC HALL. Tuesday, Ev’ng. Dec. 15. Under the direction of the LADIES’ SOCIETY of the Universalist Church. Entertainment, commencing at 8, with MUSIC – Vocal and Instrumental. READINGS. RECITATIONS, etc. A variety of EARLY ARTICLES, including some choice hand-painted Pastels, Placques and Cards, suitable for Christmas presents will be offered for sale.
The REFRESHMENTS will consist of Oyster Stews, Meats & Coffee Cakes tea at reasonable prices.
FRUITS AND CONFECTIONERY will be for sale
Doors open at 6:30. Admission 15 cents.
If Tuesday evening is stormy, Festival on Wednesday evening. If stormy Wednesday also, the Festival will be held Thursday evening – rain or shine.
“At The Service”
The Long Island Traveler dated August 12, 1887 shared:
“Rev. Abram Conklin will occupy the pulpit of the Universalist Church next Sunday. The evening service will be held at Peconic Hall.”
Cheers! – Well Maybe!
The Long Island Traveler dated March 22, 1895 had its Peconic column begin with:
“A temperance meeting will be held in Peconic Hall on Saturday evening of this week. An address will be given by Mrs. Bailey, who has been speaking in various parts of the county. She is an earnest worker and speaker … There will be a good musical program and possibly other brief addresses. All are invited. A collection will be taken.”
Dan-ce On!
The County Review dated January 26, 1917 had these two individual paragraphs in the Peconic column:
“ … A dance was given in Peconic Hall Wednesday evening, January 17, for the purpose of organizing a dancing club. Music was furnished by Reeve and King.”
The Men’s club gave another dance at Peconic Hall Friday evening, January 19, Music was furnished by Reeve and King. There were about seventy-five present.”
Hopefully “Dealing With A Full Deck!”
The County review dated October 1, 1925 included this;
“A card party will be held in Peconic Hall for benefit of the E. L. I. Hospital next Tuesday, October 6, at 8 pm. The admission fee will be 50 cents, including refreshments.”
Peconic Hall Was So Definitely NOT An Anti-Social Place-To-Be!
The September 19, 1946 The Long Island Traveler-Mattituck Watchman “reported” what ends being a continuing page from an earlier page carrying the initial portion of that issue’s Peconic column. This continuing portion says that:
“ … Any history of Peconic however sketchy, must make some mention of those neighborhood activities that have been so distinctive a feature of Peconic life.
In the Eighties{,} the Peconic Social Club, made up of the Peconic young folks, with their friends and sweethearts from other villages, was about the liveliest social group on the East End, meeting regularly in Peconic Hall for parties, dances, masquerade balls and theatricals.”
Music To Their Ears To “Boogie-To” In Those Times!
The Long Island Traveler-Mattituck Watchman dated August 17, 1950 included the obituary for Mrs. Josiah Case:
“Older residents will recall Mrs. Case’s ability as a musician, whose talent at the piano was one of the underlying reasons for the success of the old-time ‘socials’ in Peconic Hall.”
The October 22, 1964 The Long Island Traveler-Mattituck Watchman shared in the Fifty Years Ago column:
“ … Two new dance steps were to be introduced at the Hallowe’en Dance in Peconic Hall, the ‘Salvation Glide’ and the ‘Ragtime Doll."'