The Middle Island post office, the Hutchinson house.
MIDDLE
ISLAND—This year makes 150 years that two families, Hutchinson
and Pfeiffer, have been postmasters of the Middle Island post
office, except for two years.
Benjamin
Hutchinson was appointed postmaster in 1811, and it continued in
the Hutchinson family until 1901. Edward Pfeiffer was appointed
postmaster March 5, 1901 and moved the office up the hill to his
general store, where it is still located. Mr. Pfeiffer retired
as postmaster in 1939, and his son, Everett, was appointed and
conducted the office until his death in March 1957, after which
his widow was appointed and now conducts the office in the west
end of the Pfeiffer homestead.
The whole end
of the building is now used for post office work, as a lot of
room is needed. Modern fixtures of all kinds have been
installed and the operation of the office is up to date in every
way.
The Middle
Island post office was the first one established in Brookhaven
town, and was opened in 1796, with Apollus Wetmore as
postmaster. This locality was called Middletown then, and a few
years later the name of the post office was changed to
Brookhaven, and about 1820 changed to <idle Island.
Benjamin
Hutchinson kept the post office in his home in 1811, which was
located on the site of the present home of Leo Lentin. His son,
Benjamin T. Hutchinson, was appointed postmaster in 1834 and
moved the office down the hill to the old Brewster homestead on
the farm he purchased in that year. This house was built about
1750 and was torn down several years ago, and Kogel’s sand and
cement plant is located there now. Mr. Hutchinson’s daughter,
Miss Cynthia, was appointed in 1877 and kept the office in the
old home until her death in 1901, after which Edward Pfeiffer
was appointed.
Miss Cynthia Hutchinson
Skinner’s New
York State Register for 1830 shows mail being dispatched from
New York on Monday and Friday for Coram, Middle Island and
Suffolk Court House (Riverhead). The mail was very light in
those days and only a handful of letters were received or sent
out in one mail. Rates on letters were 6 cents up to 30 miles,
10 cents up to 80 miles, sheet of paper cost 25 cents, and two
sheets of paper was double that rate, so present rates look
cheap in comparison. The report of the post office for 1811
shows receipts for that year of $17.92. In 1943 this had
increased to $757 and in 1959 it was $9,374, which shows the
tremendous growth of the postal business in this area. A post
office was opened at Ridge in 1949, which had been served by the
Middle Island office before that time. There are about 600
boxes on the rural free delivery route, which covers 47 miles
with George Wilgeroth as carrier. This was established in 1953
with 148 boxes. The office was raised to a second class rating
July 1, 1960.
The old
Hutchinson homestead was in public service for many years, and
in addition to being the post office, was a stage coach stop in
the years before the railroad was opened through to Greenport in
1844. It was here the passenger on the mail stages stopped for
meals and sometimes to stay over night. The town clerk’s office
for Brookhaven Town was located here for over 30 years, and
Benjamin T. Hutchinson was elected town clerk in 1848 and kept
the office most of the time until his death in 1877. His son
Henry P. Hutchinson was then elected to the office and kept it
until 1890.
In those years
it was the custom for the elected town clerk to keep the office
in his home. For many years this old house also served as
polling place for Middle Island, Ridge, Yaphank, and Coram, and
all the Spring and Fall elections were held here. At six
o’clock the inspector of elections would step to the front door
and call out, “Hear ye; hear ye; I now declare these polls
closed.” Election Day was a social event in those days and
dinner was served by the Hutchinson's for 50 cents.
Edward
Pfeiffer kept the post office in his country general store after
his appointment in 1901. This old store has had a long and
colorful history. Built about 1735, it was conducted as a
country store for over 100 years before the post office was
located in it. The country store was an important place in the
years gone by and supplied most of the wants of the people
living for miles around. It was also a social center for the
men and boys of the neighborhood, and around the old pot-bellied
stove in the rear of the store was the scene of many a checker
game, and here were discussed the events of the day and the fate
of the nation argued.
After the
death of Everett Pfeiffer in 1957 the store was closed, and this
ended the long years this store has served the public. The old
country store has disappeared from the scene with the march of
progress, and has been taken over by the super markets and
specialty stores. The good old days when it was the center of
neighborhood life have gone forever.