Floyd Murray Petty House

Written By Dino DiPietro

Here’s a detailed history of the Floyd‑Murray Petty House (also known as the William Floyd Estates Floyd‑Murray Home) in Shirley, New York:

🌳 Origins & Early Ownership

  • The site originally hosted a house built in the 1830s, serving as the home of Charles and Charity Petty Havens Murray, employees of the nearby William Floyd Estate.

  • Over time, ownership remained within the Murray family through six generations, until 1881, when it passed from Charles and Charity’s daughter, Anne Murray.

Later Transfers & Decline

  • After Anne’s death in 1923, the property was sold by Suffolk County Treasurer in 1929, likely at auction. It then changed hands several times before being acquired by the Lerner-Heidenberg development company, which also owned the local Southport Shopping Center.

Historic Recognition

  • On July 17, 2012, Brookhaven Town (via Councilman Dan Panico) officially designated the site a Historic Landmark, recognizing its deep ties to the William Floyd Estate and local heritage.

  • By July 2013, celebrations marked the first anniversary of this designation, honoring decades of local preservation efforts by civic groups and historians.

Current Structure & Preservation

  • The present one‑and‑a‑half‑story house stands on the original site and incorporates approximately 60% of the original timber framing. The rest is a faithful recreation of the exterior based on historic designs, with the exception of the chimneys.

  • Its significance lies in both its historic location and its associative connection to the William Floyd Estate, a site of national historic importance.

Dino DiPietro