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Miller Place History -
The Miller Place Civic Association would like to thank our friends at theMiller Place was originally a part of the Old Mans territory purchased in
1664 by the Town of Brookhaven which was in what is today Setauket. The name
Miller Place derives from the first permanent settler in the area, Andrew
Miller,
the name took hold some time around 1700. In those days, roads did not have
a
name such as North Country Rd, but were referred to as the road from one place
to
another. In this instance the road was from Town (Setauket) to Andrew Miller's
Place, eventually the Andrew was dropped, and finally the 's was dropped in
the
early 1900s. The primary occupation was farming, however many young men went
to
sea, some for a few years, some for their entire career. Others were businessmen,
there being a general store in the area since at least the 1790s. Several
doctors
over the centuries settled in Miller Place. Carpenters were some of the craftsmen
who lived here.
The home of the minister of the Congregational Church of Old Mans (Mt Sinai),
Miller Place, and Rocky Point is located on No. Country Rd.
The Academy was a private school established in 1834 to provide education
for those willing to pay extra to have their children receive more than the
basics
provided by the local public school. One hundred shares were sold to members
of
the community. Students came from the community and other parts of Long Island.
As the shareholders were from the Congregational Church, they sought teachers
from
Yale University, a Congregational school at the time. The Academy lasted until
the 1860s. It has since been used as a public school, meeting place, polling
place and library. It still owned by descendants of the original shareholders.
Miller Place became one of the many vacation areas on Long Island for those
of the middle class and working class looking for respite from the NYC heat.
Many
people boarded with local families. In the 1890s until after WWII there was
a
place known as The Holiday House which provided rooms for young women. They
were
able to take walks, ride, play lawn games, go bathing, and spend quiet evenings
on
the porch. There were dances in the barn were to which the entire community
was
invited, with music provided by local "orchestras."
Starting with the Bicentennial, several members of the community worked to
get an Historic District Ordinance passed in the Town of Brookhaven. When
this
task was completed, they sought and received Historic District designation
in
1979, the first one in the Town of Brookhaven. The Historic District goes
from
the William Miller House on the west end of No. Country Rd east to just beyond
the
Vassilaris house, and along Lower Rocky Point Rd till it reaches Gully Landing
Rd. This district is also on the National Register of Historic Places.
Edna Davis Giffen, President
Miller Place-Mount Sinai Historical Society
Listing of historical locations in Miller Place
William Miller House (1720)
Woodhull House (1740) built by patriot John Woodhull and the birthplace of Caleb Woodhull, Mayor of New York, from 1848-50
Ebenezer Miller House (1760)
Academy (1834) – now used as a library
Timothy Miller House (1790)
Samuel Hopkins House (1816) – on Pipe Stave Hollow Road
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