From Cockfights to Opera: Cutchogue Changes Over Time

Meandering the country roads of Cutchogue’s farmstands and wineries — or stuck in traffic headed to a pumpkin patch or corn maze — you’d hardly know that this is only the most recent version of the hamlet’s past.

“Cutchogue has a deep and rich history,” says Mark MacNish, executive director of the Cutchogue-New Suffolk Historical Council. The council has been instrumental in preserving this past.

The North Fork was inhabited as long as 10,000 years ago by nomadic hunters, the Paleo Indians.

Before the first colonizers arrived in 1640 as part of the Puritan Great Migration, there were 13 tribes on all of Long Island, and four on the East End. These were the Montauketts (Montauk), Shinnecocks (Southampton), Manhansets (Shelter Island) and the Corchaugs, who inhabited the North Fork from Wading River to Orient Point.

Corchaug, which became the name Cutchogue, may be derived from the Algonquin word “kehchauke,” meaning greatest or principal place.

What is this “principal place?” Many historians believe it could be the fort on Downs Farm in Cutchogue. Local archeologist Ralph Solecki called Fort Corchaug “the best preserved historic Indian site on the eastern seaboard,” according to the Historical Council. Built in the 1630s, it hadn’t been disturbed in 340 years.

MacNish credits the community for preserving the site. “Thanks to the efforts of community members, this site is now preserved in perpetuity at Downs Preserve because of their over 30 years of hard work and dedication.”

Much of the 51-acre Downs Farm Preserve is open to public enjoyment. But according to Peconic Land Trust Stewardship Manager Brendan Minogue, the most delicate areas are off limits, to keep them safe for further archeological study.

A census taken in 1698 lists only 40 “Indian” people in the town of Southold. By 1745, the tribe was gone, their lands entirely in the hands of new settlers.

Cutchogue has some of the most fertile soil in the world. Potatoes, cauliflower and other vegetables were grown here for centuries. Many farmers were recent immigrants from Poland. There is still a Polish-language Mass at the Catholic church, Our Lady of Ostrabrama, built in 1919.

The potato fields have shrunk, often yielding to vineyards. The first North Fork vineyard, Hargrave Vineyard, arrived in Cutchogue in 1973. Cutchogue is still the heart of Long Island winemaking, with some 13 wineries in the small hamlet.

MacNish grew up here in the 1960s, so he has witnessed this agricultural and cultural shift firsthand.

“I remember marveling that in the ’90s I could walk from my house to an opera being held in the middle of a sunflower field, where just 20 years before the local farmer used to hold cockfights.”

The wineries helped foster the agrotourism movement, which created another major change in the area.

Still, some institutions have stood the test of time: Wickham’s Fruit Farm dates to 1661, and Braun Seafood Company was founded in 1928. And the fire department’s Chicken Barbecue has been held annually since 1956.

Cutchogue is about 10 square miles, with a current population of 3,200. The hamlet is tiny, even by North Fork standards. The post office, library, diner and handful of shops are all within a short walk, and the volunteer fire department is around the corner.

The Village Green on Main Road is the historic heart of Cutchogue. It features three centuries of historic buildings. The Historical Council has been active in preserving historic buildings in danger of demolition and moving them to this site.

“Historic places are a tangible reminder of our shared heritage,” says MacNish. “They provide a connection to the past.”

Across from the Village Green is the Cutchogue-New Suffolk Free Library. This striking building blends the original 1862 church with a spacious addition. It is a symbol, perhaps, of beautifully blending the storied past with the pace and needs of today.

The Old House, a National Historic Landmark, dates to 1649. The Wickham farmhouse was built in 1704. The Old Schoolhouse, built in 1840, was Cutchogue’s first district school. There is also a 19th-century barn and a Carriage House that serves as the information center for the Historic Council.

What does the future hold for Cutchogue? Like many North Fork hamlets, it is struggling with the pressure of development and the need for affordable housing while protecting what is irreplaceable.

Says MacNish, “We are struggling to try to make sure we don’t become overdeveloped and that the farmland, pristine coastline and beauty of the area are not destroyed.”