Town of Huntington - First Purchase
Here’s a detailed overview of the First Purchase—the foundational land acquisition that led to the establishment of Huntington, NY:
🗓️ The First Purchase – April 2, 1653
Date & Signatories
On April 2, 1653, three English settlers from Oyster Bay—Richard Holbrook, Robert Williams, and Daniel Whitehead—secured a deed from Raseokan, sachem of the Matinecock tribe. [huntingtonny.gov], [huntingtonny.gov]Land Description
The deed covered about 36 square miles, stretching:North: Long Island Sound
South: Old Country Road (modern alignment)
West: Cold Spring Harbor
East: Northport Harbor. [huntingtonny.gov], [huntington...istory.com]
Terms of Exchange
Payment included:“Six coats, six hoes, six kettles, six hatchets, six shirts, ten knives, six fathoms of wampum, three muxes, and thirty needles.” [huntingtonny.gov], [huntington...istory.com]
Transfer to Settlers
Immediately after the transaction, Holbrook, Williams, and Whitehead transferred the land to local settlers already living in the area. [huntingtonny.gov], [huntingtonny.gov]
📜 Significance & Growth
Town Governance
This land purchase officially established the Town of Huntington, which was governed via town meeting, a system reminiscent of New England practices. [huntingtonny.gov], [huntingtonny.gov]Name Origins
The town name “Huntington” likely honors Oliver Cromwell’s birthplace, Huntington in England, reflecting the founders’ origins and political sympathies of the era. [huntingtonny.gov], [en.wikipedia.org]Second Purchase (1656)
In 1656, a Second Purchase from the Matinecock expanded the township eastward to the Nissequogue River, though this boundary later overlapped with nearby Smithtown and was settled through legal measures. [huntingtonny.gov], [huntington...istory.com]
📈 Subsequent Developments
1657: First school founded; Jonas Houldsworth hired as schoolmaster. [huntingtonny.gov], [huntingtonny.gov]
1658: Establishment of Old First Church, the town’s initial minister and miller was Rev. William Leverich. [huntingtonny.gov], [huntingtonny.gov]
1670s–1680s: Governance consolidated under Duke’s Laws after British takeover, along with institutional growth such as town clerk, constable, and later, electoral trustees. [huntingtonny.gov], [en.wikipedia.org]
In summary, the First Purchase of 1653 was pivotal—anchoring Huntington’s formal establishment through a land exchange with the Matinecock—and paved the way for community governance, education, and church institutions that shaped the town’s early trajectory.
