Ockers House

Written By Dino DiPietro

Here’s a detailed overview of the history of the Jacob Ockers House—often called “Ockers House”—in Oakdale, NY:

🏡 Origins & Early Ownership

  • The house was originally constructed before 1840, and the earliest probable owner was Moses Benjamin. The Benjamin family owned it from the 1830s until 1880, expanding it during the 1860s–1870s from a 1½‑story to a 2½‑story structure

Acquisition by Jacob Ockers

  • In 1880, Jacob Ockers—a Dutch immigrant who rose to prominence in the oyster industry—purchased the property from the Benjamin family

  • Ockers had joined his father’s oyster business in 1863 and soon built it into the Bluepoint Oyster Company, at one point controlling 800 acres of oyster beds and becoming the world’s largest oyster producer by 1903

Architectural Features

  • The house, built in 1880, is a 2½-story, wood‑frame dwelling with one-story wings extending to the east and north. It’s clad in clapboard and set on a brick foundation

  • Highlighted by a verandah supported by Doric columns, it exemplifies Colonial Revival architecture

Later History & Transformation

  • Jacob Ockers, dubbed the “Oyster King,” died in 1918. His widow lived in the home into the 1930s, and their daughter Louise E. Ockers remained there until 1970

  • In the 1970s, the property was subdivided. A small lot (approximately 0.25 acre) containing the historic house was donated to the Town of Islip, and repurposed as a museum and office space

Recognition & Current Status

  • The Jacob Ockers House was officially listed on both the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places on July 10, 1992, under NRHP Reference No. 92000838

  • Maintained by the Oakdale Historical Society, the site features a “Mini‑Museum” exhibit displaying historic images of the house and neighboring estates like Peperidge Hall

Timeline Summary

Pre‑1840 Built, likely by Moses Benjamin

1830s–1880 Owned and expanded by Benjamin family

1880 Purchased by Jacob Ockers

1880s–1903 Ockers builds oyster empire, expands property

1918 Jacob Ockers passes away

1930s–1970 Widow and daughter reside at home

1970s Property subdivided; house donated to Islip; museum created

1992 Listed on State and National Historic Registers

Dino DiPietro