THE HAMMOND-HIGBE HOUSE
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This home was built by the Reverend Noah Hammond
around 1750. The home still stands on the West side of
Mill Road. About 1745 a breach occurred in the church in the North Parish of New London (now Montville Conn.) under the pastorate of Rev. David Jewett and among the seceeders were Isaac Hammond his wife and their son Noah. They were known first as Congregational Separatists, but in 1748 a great revival occurred and the Howard Baptist Church was organized near the town site of New London, and Noah Hammond was ordained Elder with Zadoc Damon as Deacon. An attempt was made to erect a church, but the building was never completed, and the society was soon united with the earlier one, over which Elder Hammond was called to preach and Zodiac Daemon became Deacon of the United Churches. Elder Hammond preached at other places also, and was soon called to Long Island where he was invited to preach to the society founded at Coram in 1749. Here he built a church over which he presided until his death from smallpox. He traveled all over the southeastern portion of New York and Northern New Jersey preaching the Baptist doctrine and gathering church societies. The building which he erected was used by the British as a stable during their occupation of Long Island, during which time the Hammond's and others were finding refuge in Connecticut. After the evacuation of the British, the sons of Rev. Noah Hammond returned to Coram and the building was used as a church again until 1847 when it was taken down and removed to Port Jefferson where it was converted into a dwelling house. It is said that the old floor showed the marks of the horse's hoofs until the building was removed. Priest Hammond as he was often called was a man of more than ordinary ability as a speaker was, fluent and convincing in his arguments. He was fairly educated and in addition to his ministerial labors he kept a school at Coram. Mr. Lewis Edwards of Middle Island, a gentleman (now 1902) aged over 90 years, whose mother was one of his pupils, relates many interesting anecdotes of Rev. Noah Hammond and the ancient meeting house. His descendants have been essentially religious, and a very large percentage of clergymen are found among their number. The families have been universally large, and his descendants have become very numerous, probably far exceeding in numbers those of any other Hammonds of the same period. The will of Rev. Noah Hammond dated June 15, proved Nov. 18, 1774, is on file in the Surrogate's office at Riverhead L.I. (Vol.27 p.235) In it he mentions daughter Betsey, sons Noah, Elisha, Joshua, Ezra and John, they and each of them paying to their sisters Eunice, and Lucretia three pounds apiece. My son Daniel having received his part of my farm. It is not known just how many were children of the 2nd wife. The children were - (Hammond Genealogy pages
273, 274, 275.) Caleb H. Hammond - age 63-
farmer The 1900 census lists the
occupants as Samuel Higbie age 60, and his wife Francis
age 58. The current owners of the farm are the Manzoni's who had a dairy farm. Click here to read Elsie Manzoni's "Growing up in Coram" .
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