Caroline Church and Cemetery
Why it's listed
Caroline Church and its cemetery occupy a six-acre parcel beside the village green in Setauket, on Long Island's north shore. The church was built about 1729 by John Sears for an Anglican congregation that had been left without a place of worship. It is a three by four-bay building of heavy hewn timber framing, sheathed in wide wood shingles, with a central tower and narthex. A gallery was added in 1744, and a parish hall followed in 1905. In 1937 the parish hall was moved and joined to the church by an open passage, and the interior was restored in a Colonial Revival manner. The cemetery, established in 1734, holds nearly 900 markers showing changing funerary motifs from winged effigies to Gothic Revival designs. The property was recognized as a rare surviving example of settlement-era building tradition and as the oldest Episcopal church building on Long Island. Its significance period runs from 1729 to 1940.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the church is a rare surviving example of early eighteenth-century settlement-era ecclesiastical architecture on Long Island, and the oldest extant Episcopal church building there. The cemetery, with nearly 900 markers, is significant for its funerary art. The property also reflects one of the region's oldest Episcopal congregations, established in 1715.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 91001148, listed September 9, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of Dyke and Bates Rds., Brookhaven |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | September 9, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91001148 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1729 - 1940 |
| Architect / builder | John Sears (builder) |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Church and cemetery remain in current use; the cemetery is described as in good repair and still in use. |
| Acreage | 6 |
| Coordinates | 40.94695, -73.11226 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 91001148.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5045018
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.