H. HUTCHINSON HOUSE

Hutchinson/Ferguson Home. North side of Middle Country Road, opposite Giove Funeral Parlor. Longwood Public Library, Thomas R. Bayles Collection CS 28A-17

Benjamin Hutchinson was born April 11, 1768 in Baiting Hollow and married Elizabeth Tuthill Jan. 24, 1791 at Cutchogue. On Feb. 20, 1804 they sold about 200 acres in Baiting Hollow and the same day paid Benjamin Brewster $2,000 for his house and about 120 acres in Middle Island situated as follows:

• South by the Country Road

• West by land of Daniel Petty

• North by land of Jonathan Edwards

• East by land of Isaac Wells

Daniel Brewster built the house that Benjamin purchased about 1750. Benjamin became postmaster in 1811 and used part of his home for the post office until 1834 when his son Benjamin T. became postmaster. It was also used as the Brookhaven Town Clerk's office when Benjamin was elected to that position. Benjamin died Nov. 29, 1849 and his wife died the same year. They had the following children with birth dates shown:

• Deborah A. Jan. 15, 1792

• Cynthia Oct. 24, 1793

• Henry Nov. 7, 1795

• Minerva Feb. 18, 1798

• Alma Apr. 21,1806

• Benjamin T. Mar. 2,1808

Benjamin T Hutchinson had a son Henry P. born Nov. 12, 1851 who married Kate Risley about 1883. Henry became owner of his grandfather's homestead where he lived with Kate and had three children. Alice Virginia, Oliver P., and Ann Raynor. Henry succeeded his father as Town Clerk in 1877 and held that position until1890. Kate died in 1891 and Henry died Aug. 13, 1894.

After Henry's death in 1894 his brother Edwin and wife Clara occupied the old homestead. Edwin and Clara sold the homestead and about 13 acres of woodland Nov. 30, 1917 to Joseph H. Randall and moved to Connecticut. Joseph Randall had previously bought 120 acres of orchids and woodland from the Hutchinson family and had a home on the south side of the highway.

Joseph Randall died in 1921 and after a short change in ownership, Donald Ferguson bought the property in 1925. The Ferguson's tore the original home down and built a new one around the Dutch oven chimney they left standing. The farm consisted of 156 acres. Thirty-five acres was used to produce fruit, mostly apples. There were 1400 trees which produced 46 varieties of apples, peaches and pears. The Ferguson's named their farm the Rainbow Ranch. Their roadside fruit stand was a popular stop for people traveling the Middle Country Road. Donald Ferguson worked the orchids of his rainbow ranch until 1943 when he enlisted in the U.S. Army. The property was sold to Leo Lentin who opened a clothing store called the "Rainbow Ranch". The house is now being operated as a soup kitchen.

Story written by,

Mr. Donald Bayles, local historian