PINE LAKE

Pine Lake, north of Middle Island, in 1900. Longwood Public LIbrary, Thomas R. Bayles Collection CS 28A-15

Pine Lake

The pond on Half-mile road has had many names. It has been called Davis pond, Half-mile pond and Pine lake. The name Pine lake, was given by the Pine Lake Farms, a reality concern, which developed a tract of property in the vicinity of the pond in the 1920's.

The 1797 Hulse map shows a road leading to the pond, and that a home owned by S. Swezey was located north west of the pond.

Records of the Town of Brookhaven show that the road called Half Mile Road was built at the request of Stephen Swezey who lived north of the lake.

Brookhaven September ye 25th anno dom 1752. We ye commissioners of ye Town by ye request of Stephen, James and Christopher Swezey have laid out a road begining from ye land of James and Stephen Swezey by the Chestnot pound and running eastward to ye northwest end of certain pond called ye half mile pond twenty foots wide.

This was seven years after Stephen Swezey bought his first land in
Middle Island. The road would pass by Christopher's home which was about 1000 ft. west of the pond. The record for December 10, 1749 concerning a request by the inhabitants of "Corom" refers to Joshua Smith's "fifty acre lot commonly called ye Chusnot pound". Evidently Stephen Swezey had not bought this land at that time but had by 1752.

The road just to the east of the pond has been known variously as Half-mile road, Swezeytown-Mt. Sinai road, Lake avenue and Church lane. It extends northward from Middle Country road, beginning at a point immediately west of the site of Middle Island Presbyterian Church.

A copy of the minutes of a meeting on March 29th 1735, of the Town trustees, which set aside a six-rod or 991/2 foot wide right of way around all ponds and other bodies of water in what is described as the third division of Brookhaven town.

Referring to the third division, the 1735 minutes read in part as follows:

"Reserving all the brooks & Runes of water wethin any parte or parsell thereof, together with all pons and swomps and plases whare water useally stands for the use of ye proprietor & inhabitants of ye towne in jenerall, for the benefit of publik warting places for them and there eaires forever, and alsoe reserving the lande six rods wide rounde all the sd. Brookes, Runes, Pons, Swomps & places whare water ussalys standes, to remainee in comens & to lie unappoparated and vacant forever for ye grater convenience & benefit of ye watering places aforesayd, and allsoe reserveing & excepting all the highwayes and Rodes thar are all reddy layd out, through or across any part or parsell thareof, by such person or persons ass ware or is apointed…"

Records of the town show a copy of a quit claim deed by Selah Brown of Brookhaven to the Town trustees in 1776 covering the site of Middle Island Presbyterian church. This deed mentions Half Mile pond.

Written by
Travis Gast
June, 2000
Town records researched by,
Mr. Donald Bayles

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