THE SWEZEY HOUSE IN MIDDLE ISLAND

Swezey House, located north of Middle Country Road, opposite Spring Lake. Longwood Public Library, Thomas R. Bayles Collection C 2-12

Swezey House and Middle Island Museum. Location currently occupied by Reliable Garden and Fence. Photo Courtesy of Longwood Public Library, Thomas R. Bayles Collection CS 17-2

Joshua Swezey. Photo from the Donald Bayles Collection.

This house was located on the north side of Middle Country Road about 500 feet east of the Presbyterian church. In 1737 John Howell of Mattituck moved here and built this house. It later became the property of his son Reeve Howell who probably sold it to Joshua Swezey Sr. before 1802. Joshua Swezey died Feb. 9,1843 with the property going to his son Daniel who deeded it to his brother Joshua, Jr. on March 4, 1844. The deed described the property as about 90 acres of farm land bounded on the north by the Country Road, on the east by a fence and ditch running south to Buckingham's pond, then along the west side of Buckingham's pond, then west by a fence and land of John Buckingham, and then north by a fence and land of Isaac Swezey to the Country road. Also included was the house and lot of about 3/4 acre on the north side of the road where Joshua Swezey Sr. had lived.

Joshua Swezey Jr. and wife shared this house with their son Edward A. Swezey and family. Edward's sister Harmony had married Richard Bayles who died in 1846 leaving three sons Albert, Edward and Richard. Harmony died Jan. 15, 1860 and in 1862 Albert and Edward enlisted in the army. They were killed at Cold Harbor, Virginia on June 2, 1864. Their younger brother Richard lived in the house with his uncle Edward and his grandfather Joshua and their families. Joshua died in 1876 and Edward in 1890. Richard lived there until he married in 1893 and built a home of his own which is described later.

The 1917 atlas shows Howard C. Swezey ( 1868 - 1944 ) as owner on the south side of the highway. He was the grandson of Isaac Swezey who owned adjacent land half a mile to the west and on the south side of the Country Road. By 1930 the house was owned by Charles Diffenbach and in the 1950s and 1960s by Emil Lengyal. The house finally burned about 1997.

Swezey house after the fire. The building on the left served as a small museum operated by Emil Lengyel. Photo from the Longwood Public Library

The following pictures are of the interior of the Swezey house.

Interior shot of the Swezey home before the fire, notice the hand hewn beams. Photo from the Longwood Public Library

Photo from the Longwood Public Library

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Written by
Mr. Donald Bayles

Click here to see the Howell genealogy

Click here to see a map of the Howell property