Setauket Archives | Girlie Motorcycle Blog

Then and Now: East-Setauket Post Office and Rubber Factory Homes

By Fuzzygalore | July 14, 2010 | Comments 6 comments

This former East Setauket post office building was built in the 1880s. It used to stand on Main St. next to Setauket’s downtown rubber factory. The post office building moved to it’s current location on Shore Rd. in the 1920’s.

Historical Photos from The Setaukets, Old Field, and Poquott By Three Village Historical Society

The Setauket rubber factories provided work for many at the turn of the 20th century. Known locally as the Rubber Factory Houses, these 1 1/2 story structures housed factory workers. The 3 attached units are still intact on Old Town Rd. and are slated to be moved and for preservation.

Historical Photos from The Setaukets, Old Field, and Poquot By Three Village Historical Society

It’s funny that I’ve ridden by the rubber factory houses and the little post office building hundreds of times never noticing them or knowing their history. It wasn’t until I began looking for information on the Setauket area that their presence was made known to me. The history of the area is like an onion. You peel back one layer only to discover something else. It’s fun to give my inner nerd a workout.

Suburban Exploring – Local Long Island:
As I continue to learn, Long Island has some lovely and interesting places that are rich in history, some of which are hiding in plain sight. What better way to explore these historical gems than by motorcycle? This post is part of a series of motorcycle rides that focus on local Long Island history.

Sights from the Road: The Tiny Setauket Post Office

By Fuzzygalore | June 26, 2010 | Comments 4 comments

The town of Setauket (seh-taw-ket) sits on the north shore of Long Island. First settled in the 1650’s, Setauket has a large number of historical buildings interspersed with its more modern residences.

Often as you ride through some of the town’s small shady lanes, you get the distinct feeling that you are somewhere else. This town doesn’t fit the popular Long Island stereotype; strip malls, tons of traffic and women who sound like Fran Drescher on The Nanny.

One of my favorite buildings that I pass when traveling along the North Shore through towns like Saint James, Nissequogue, Stony Brook and on to Port Jefferson is the delightfully tiny Setauket Post Office. Built in 1941, this quaint little Greek revival building was designed by Richard Haviland Smythe. It features 4 columns whose capitals are topped with cornstalks in the spirit of those found in our nation’s Capitol building, designed by Benjamin Latrobe.