Old House (Cutchogue) facts for kids
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The Old House
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Village Green, Cutchogue, New York |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1699 |
| Architectural style | English domestic |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000573 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | November 5, 1961 |
The Old House is a very old and special home located on State Route 25 in Cutchogue, Suffolk County, New York. It is famous because it is one of the best examples of old English house styles still standing in America. This house helps us understand what homes looked like hundreds of years ago.
Contents
Exploring The Old House
How The House Looks
The Old House is a two-story building made of wood. It measures about 36 feet long and 20 feet wide. The outside walls are covered with overlapping wooden boards called clapboards. The roof has a pointed shape, known as a gabled roof.
The front of the house faces south. It has a main entrance in the middle. This door has a simple frame with a slightly arched top. On both sides of the door, there are three-part windows that open outwards. These same types of windows are also on the second floor. The back of the house, facing north, has three similar windows. These are carefully made copies of the original windows.
Inside The Old House
Inside, the house has four main rooms, with two rooms on each floor. A large brick chimney stands in the middle, separating the rooms on each floor. It also divides the attic into two parts.
To get to the upper floors, you use narrow, winding staircases. The kitchen on the ground floor has a very large fireplace. It is over 9 feet long and 3 feet deep! At some point, probably in the 1700s, smaller fireplaces were built inside the larger ones. The extra space around these new, smaller fireplaces was covered with wooden panels. It is likely that other walls in the house were covered with plaster.
The Story of The Old House
When Was The House Built?
Scientists used a special method called dendrochronology to figure out when The Old House was built. This method studies the growth rings in wood. In 2003, a study showed the house was built around 1699. The Cutchogue-New Suffolk Historical Council, which owns the house, asked for another study in 2017. It confirmed the same date.
Before 2017, people thought the house was built by a man named John Budd. They believed it was first located near a pond called Budd Pond. John Budd's daughter, Anna, and her husband, Benjamin Horton, received a house as a wedding gift in 1658. They then moved it to the village of Cutchogue. Benjamin's brother, John, later inherited the house. He sold it to Joseph Wickham in 1699. These events and sales are well-recorded in old documents.
Later Years of The House
A man named Parker Wickham (born in 1727, died in 1785) owned and lived in The Old House. He was a politician who supported the British during the American Revolution. He faced difficulties and was asked to leave state of New York.
In 1938, a big hurricane damaged the house. It blew away many trees around it, making the house easy to see from the street. This brought the house to public attention. It was repaired in 1940 and again in 1968.
In 1961, The Old House was named a National Historic Landmark. This means it is a very important historical place in the United States.
Today, The Old House is on the Cutchogue Village Green. Other historic buildings are also there, like the 1840 Old Schoolhouse and the 1704 Wickham Farmhouse. There is also a barn, the Cutchogue New Suffolk Free Library, a 19th-century carriage house, and an old cemetery from 1717. The Cutchogue-New Suffolk Historical Council owns and takes care of all these buildings. They offer guided tours during the summer so people can learn about the history of the area.
See also
- List of the oldest buildings in New York
