History Moves in on Main Street

History has moved into the Three Village Community Trust's back yard.

Setauket’s three historic rubber factory houses were successfully moved Wednesday – a project that the Trust tried for years to execute – from the Setauket Fire District property on Old Town Road to 148 Main Street.

Traffic was blocked on Old Town Road for a little more than an hour while the houses were being prepared, and then sporadically on Route 25A as they crossed over. LIPA, Verizon, Suffolk County Police Department, , and Dawn House Builders and Moving, and the Setauket Fire Department all had a role in the transfer.

Special care was taken with the houses as red bows were placed on them. Trucks moved slowly with the 120-year-old buildings, carefully taking them to their new destination.

Cynthia Barnes, president of the Trust, was happy to finally see the houses transferred after many years.

"It means we’ll have an artifact of history," she said. "An artifact of what the 19th century was like to live in.”

New York State Assemb. Steve Englebright, a supporter of the project, was also present at the move.

"An important part of our heritage is being preserved," he said. "We're a nation of immigrants; the families found their way from the New York City harbor and their first job in Setauket. We should honor the immigrants and entrepreneurs by protecting some of their structures."

The short route took the houses from Old Town Road heading south, west on South Jersey Ave., and north on Jersey Ave., crossing over Route 25A behind the building on Main Street. By the end of the day, the first house was on cribs over the foundation and the two others were on trailers waiting to be moved the last few yards. That's expected to take place on Thursday, weather permitting.

Once the houses are completely moved onto the foundation, Barnes said they would begin the restoration. She was unsure of how long the restoration would take and indicated that the Trust has not decided on the building's function aside from the historical value.

A few dozen members of the community came out to watch the event. Tutor Time's preschool class came out for a field trip to witness it. The school’s owner, Janine Kyritsis, was happy that the children got to participate.

"We're trying to teach them history and what came before us," Kyritsis said. "Also, some of the boys really liked the trucks."

Norman Torgersen stopped by to see the house he once lived in one last time in the spot where he spent his teenage years. Torgersen moved there in 1988 and stayed sporadically until the fire department bought the houses in 2000.

"There's a lot of history in those houses, a lot of family gatherings," he said. "It was small, not the most comfortable but it was affordable. I'm glad they didn't get torn down."