William Floyd Estate
Forge Point, Mastic, Suffolk County, NY
613 acres
Run by the National Park Service. Mosquitoes during season.
Directions:
Take the Long Island Expressway east to exit 68 to get onto the William Floyd Parkway heading south; drive 6.2 miles and turn left (east) onto Neighborhood Road; drive 1.9 miles and turn left (north) onto Whittier Drive (which runs into Mastic Beach Road); drive 0.6 of a mile and turn right (east) onto Washington Avenue; drive 0.8 of a mile and turn right (south) into the estate entrance.
History:
The Floyd family lived in the house for eight generations. They operated a huge plantation of some 4,000 acres here. Later, the lands were used for outdoor recreational pursuits like hunting and fishing.
1724 -- Nicol Floyd builds the mansion.
1734 -- birth of son William Floyd to parents Nicoll and Tabitha Floyd. He was to be one of eight children.
1755 -- As the eldest son, William inherits the plantation at the age of 21.
1767 -- he and his first wife Hannah Jones by now have three children.
1773 -- William becomes a colonel in the militia.
1774 -- he represents New York in the First Continental Congress.
1776 -- William Floyd (born in the house in 1734) signs the Declaration of Independence. (The other signer from Long Island was of Francis Lewis of Whitestone.) He was a major-general in the Revolutionary War.
around 1777 -- William and his family leave Long Island for the period of the British occupation. (The occupying troops temporarily ruin the estate.)
1781 -- his wife Hannah dies.
1783 -- the family returns to Mastic.
1784 -- William marries Joanna Strong (they have two daughters together).
1803 -- Late in life, William moves to Westernville, New York, and builds a new estate there similar to the Mastic property. He left the Mastic estate to his son Nicoll.
1821 -- William dies.
1974 -- became part of the National Seashore.
Habitats:
fields, woods dominated by oak-hickory, salt marsh, five ponds
Facilities:
The house is open for tours from April through October.