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Southold Town Milestone Tour

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This is a contributing entry for Southold Town Milestone Tour and only appears as part of that tour.Learn More.
The western most milestone in the Town of Southold, the number#7 denotes that the border of Southold was seven miles from the county offices, which were located on the corner of Roanoke Avenue and West Main Street in Riverhead. The community around the stone was originally known as Franklinville, named after Benjamin Franklin, however in 1898, the hamlet petitioned to have their own post office. Unfortunately for the residents, there already was a Franklinville post office in Cattaraugus County. Having two places in New York State with the same name was already causing confusion, so the post office application was denied. The community finally got a post office after they voted to rename themselves Laurel after the lake just to the north of the Main Road.

Southold Town Milestone #7

Southold Town Milestone #7

Southold Town has across the length of the town a series of granite milestones. In 1829, New York State mandated that, “It shall be the duty of the commissioners of highways of each town, to cause mile-boards or stones, to be erected, where not already erected, on the post-roads, and such other public roads in their town, so they may think proper, at the distance of one mile from each other, with such fair and legible inscriptions as they may think proper.” (New York State. The Revised Statutes of the State of New York. Albany, New York: Packard and van Benthuysen, 1829. 503)

Since Southold only had one road that ran from west to east, the stones were installed along the length of the town on what was then the King’s Highway. The miles on the stone indicated the distance between the stone and the county offices in what was then Suffolk Courthouse (Suffolk CH), now known as Riverhead. 

 

All of the stones were originally set up on the south side or east bound side of the road. Today the majority of the stones remain where they were originally set. While the stones are interesting in themselves – after saying that the stones are made from granite and weigh about 450 pounds each – there is not a lot to say about them.

 

Some of the stones sit in places that are dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists. Please be aware of traffic! Also most of the stones are on the edge of private property, please be respectful. 

Mile Markers of Southold Town. Kasuga Folk, Amy. Lecture.

Studenroth, Zackary N. Southold's Historic Milestones: the Legacy of a Bygone Era. Cutchogue, New York . Cutchogue New Suffolk Historical Council, 2017.

New York State. The Revised Statutes of the State of New York. Albany, New York. Packard and van Benthuysen, 1829.

Tuthill, Seth H. Southold Town Records Liber E. Southold, New York : unpublished, 1829.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Amy Kasuga Folk