Farmingville, NY - Supervisor Ed Romaine and Councilman Dan Panico have announced that the Town-owned Mary E. Bell House was nominated to be listed on the State and National Registers of Historical Places. Currently a museum, the two-story house located at 66 Railroad Avenue in Center Moriches was built in 1872 by an African American family and reflects the history of Long Island’s African American community. The home fell out of family ownership in the 1990s and was threatened with demolition in 2009 before the Town of Brookhaven took ownership.
Supervisor Romaine said, “I am proud that the Town has been very active in preserving our historic sites. The Mary E. Bell House is another treasured landmark that has a story to tell about our community and the people who have called it home.”
Councilman Panico said, “Once history is gone you cannot replace it and not everything old can be saved, but this property was certainly deserving. Thanks to Bert Seides and the folks at the Ketcham Inn Foundation for their stewardship and to everyone who helped in the restoration.”
The State and National Registers are the official lists of buildings, structures, districts, landscapes, objects, and sites significant in the history, architecture, archaeology and culture of New York State and the nation. There are more than 120,000 historic properties throughout the state listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For more information, go to the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation website.
