Osterby House
Here’s a comprehensive history of the Osterby House in Northport (Fort Salonga), NY:
🏡 1. Origins of the Property
The site’s origins trace back to the mid-18th century when Reverend Moses Rogers (b. 1793), one of Huntington’s first Methodist ministers, purchased roughly four acres in 1854, including a large house likely associated with a Presbyterian church established nearby in the late 1700s. [huntington...istory.com], [farmingdal...ogspot.com]
2. Bernard & Bente Marie (Mary) Osterby
Danish immigrants Bernard (Niels Peter Bernhard) Osterby (b. 1834) and his wife Bente Marie (born 1847) settled in Fort Salonga around 1888. Bernard, a decorated veteran of the Danish army, and Mary purchased the property in March 1890 for $450 from Rogers’s heirs, funded partly by a $300 loan from Isaac Sammis of Northport. [huntington...istory.com], [farmingdal...ogspot.com]
3. The Osterby House as a Boarding‑and‑Beer Operation
The original large 18th‑century house became a boarding house serving workers from local brickyards. The Osterbys operated an unlicensed liquor business, frequently drawing law enforcement attention. Bernard was convicted in 1890 and fined $50, and continued to face legal issues thereafter. [huntington...istory.com], [farmingdal...ogspot.com]
4. The 1900 Fire & Rebuilding
On January 15, 1900, a gas lamp explosion sparked a devastating fire that destroyed the original house, tragically resulting in the death of one boarder. Fifteen people were lodged there at the time. [farmingdal...ogspot.com], [finditlongisland.com]
The existing brick house was constructed on the same site later that year, replacing the original structure. [hmdb.org], [farmingdal...ogspot.com]
5. Later Ownership
Bernard Osterby passed away in May 1910; he was buried in Northport Rural Cemetery. [findagrave.com], [huntington...istory.com]
Mary (Bente Marie) remarried by 1920 and sold the property in 1921 to Raymond Bloomer. [farmingdal...ogspot.com]
The house changed hands several times: it was inherited in 1948 by Jane Bloomer Goverts (from Raymond Royce Kent), then sold to Eugene Mudge in 1957, who remodeled it in the 1970s. The current owners purchased it in 2000 and updated the kitchen. [farmingdal...ogspot.com]
6. Heritage Recognition
In 2011, the Town of Huntington installed a roadside historical marker at 1063 Fort Salonga Road (Route 25A), commemorating the house’s rich history—from housing brickyard laborers to its illicit liquor trade, the tragic fire, and its 1900 brick reconstruction. [hmdb.org], [farmingdal...ogspot.com]
Summary Timeline
Pre–1854 Original 18th‑century house built, linked to early Presbyterian church
1854 Reverend Moses Rogers acquires the property
1888–1890 Establishment of the Osterby family’s presence and property purchase
1888–1890s Boardinghouse operation; illegal liquor sales; legal issues
Jan 15, 1900 Fatal fire destroys original house
1900 Brick house rebuilt on the site
1910 Bernard Osterby dies
1921 Mary Osterby sells to Raymond Bloomer
1957–1970s Eugene Mudge purchases and remodels
2000 Current owners renovate further
2011 Installation of historical marker
This small brick farmhouse, nestled at the crossroads of Route 25A and Makamah Road, remains a physical testament to a dynamic slice of local history—from early religious ties and immigrant perseverance to entrepreneurial boldness—and continues to stand as a cherished historic home.
