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January 18, 2001 - The 'old days'• The Suffolk Times • January 18, 2001 The `old days' PURL. BY G. A. BOULB. on' Depot Lane DIAGONALLY ACROSS THE STREET from the former Barteau gas station on the corner of Pequash Avenue and the Main Road sits a brick home owned by Jim and Carol House. It was built by Dr. Howard, with an office in the front, when he was a dentist in town. We also had another dentist in town, Dr. Duchow, in the little brick building that the telephone company built and is now used as a flower shop. But back now to the south side of the road, past the Barteau garage we come to where the Fleet estate used to be, with horses that used the fenced pas- ture and were kept in the big barns. Then between the barns and the smaller white house next to the hardware store, there was the big, beautiful homestead of the Fleet family. What a place that big family home, with its large wraparound porch, would have made as an adult home or a bed and break- fast today right near the village. Many of us can remember the AH CHURCH AND SCHOOL, CUTCHOOUE, L. I. PURL. BY G. A. BOULB. on' Depot Lane DIAGONALLY ACROSS THE STREET from the former Barteau gas station on the corner of Pequash Avenue and the Main Road sits a brick home owned by Jim and Carol House. It was built by Dr. Howard, with an office in the front, when he was a dentist in town. We also had another dentist in town, Dr. Duchow, in the little brick building that the telephone company built and is now used as a flower shop. But back now to the south side of the road, past the Barteau garage we come to where the Fleet estate used to be, with horses that used the fenced pas- ture and were kept in the big barns. Then between the barns and the smaller white house next to the hardware store, there was the big, beautiful homestead of the Fleet family. What a place that big family home, with its large wraparound porch, would have made as an adult home or a bed and break- fast today right near the village. Many of us can remember the wooden wagon or cart that Bernie FOCUS Shalvey tells us the hired hand "little Joe" Miller put out just to ON THE the right of the driveway in the PAST fall, full of gladioli for sale. b Paul Across the street and down Y Depot Lane is the two -story brick and Barbara school building where my sister, Stoutenburgh Margaret, and I went to school. This is the first year it doesn't have children running up and down its halls. When we went there it was a much newer school than the East Cutchogue School, having been built in the '20s. Jean Morell Baker tells in her "Cutchogue School Memories" about going to the old Cutchogue Grammar School on the north side of the Main Road iust west of the vil- Barbara remembers when the stu- dents at East Cutchogue School would ride their bikes up to West Cutchogue to play ball after school. They would stop to get some goodies at Mrs. Gould's. Her home, recently renovated nicely, sits on the north side of the road just past the little brick building where you can buy flowers today. It is a'big house with a large classic beech tree in the front yard. What Barbara remembers is Mrs. Gould, in her long, flowered dress and apron, selling penny can- dies and Chiclets from square glass dishes in her covered candy case in the side room of her house. That room was all that was left of the dry goods business she and her husband had run successfully in their home with "ladies' muslin underwear" as one of their special- ties. In 1917 it was a flourishing busi- ness, taking orders for "furniture and mattings." When my sister and I attended West Cutchogue School in the '30s, we kids bought our school supplies there. Back on the other side of the street, just past Fisherman's Rest and the real estate office, in the next building to the west that now houses a design shop, Jack Levin of Greenport had a liquor store back in the '40s. Next door is the little clock shop today. Barbara's memories of that building go back to her child- hood, when her father took the old corn crib from the farm and made it into an office for the Russell P. It was later moved to the village and now houses the clock shop. Over time the building had additions made to it. In 1953 the business moved next door into the "Honeymoon Cottage" alongside the bank. The cottage got its name because of the number of newlyweds who lived there over the years, awaiting completion of their own permanent homes. The house was ,built prior to 1800 and was renovat- ed for the agency's use in 1953. Inside the main entrance is a nar- row stairway with a double twist. The stairway has 10 -inch risers and the bottom step is a pullout drawer. When Barbara was in high school, on Saturdays she would often watch the little office for her mother, who Madelyn Ennis, the secre- ran the business for 50 years after tary, would take care of the her father passed away in the build- phone for them. The police ing from a defective heater when had no radio until 1946, she was in fourth erade. She can remember the police lone being in the office. It also id a metal box containing a loud ;11 on the outside of the building Tony Chituk from Cutchogue o hief Otto Anrig from Mattituck ere in the village and heard the ,lone ring they would go to the ffice and answer it. If not, The `Honeymoon Cottage,' home of Russell P. Silleck Agency for many years. according to town records. There was also Pat Kelly from Southold on the police force at that time, making a total of three police officers in the town. r There were two other phones in businesses in the eastern part of town that handled calls for the police at that time, town historian Toni Booth tells us. Barbara remembers her mother receiving perfume from the police at holiday time for taking care of the phone for them. Next door to the Silleck Agency was the North Fork Bank in a build- ing that has stood on the corner for many years; we've been told it was made with bricks from Robin's Island. Some will remember back to when Mrs. Mohlfeld was there taking care of the village business for every- one. It was known then as the First National Bank of Cutchogue. Goldsmith & Tuthill had a "gen- eral merchandise" store in the build- ing prior to the bank being there. They sold coal, lumber, paints, etc., and had a large trade with "cottagers" who appreciated "goods of the best quality and prompt delivery." They also had businesses in Southold and New Suffolk. If you turn down New Suffolk Lane and go a few houses past the firehouse, you'll see where the Wm. M. Beebe's Sons had their coal business. They also ran a funeral home.Some of the buildinp-s are still there today.