Edwards House, The
Why it's listed
Believed to be the oldest surviving residence in Sayville, the Edwards Homestead at 39 Edwards Street is a shingled, L-shaped house with a brick foundation that resembles a Cape Cod dwelling. Its earliest portion dates to 1785, built by Matthew Edwards on land associated with his father John, a French and Indian War veteran who settled near the Great South Bay in 1761. Matthew's son, Captain James Edwards, a sea captain, expanded the house in 1838 with a west parlor, a new center staircase, and a single-story kitchen addition. The exterior kept its colonial look while the new parlor received fashionable Greek Revival moldings. The family held the property until 1945, when Clarissa Edwards gave it to the Sayville Historical Society. It now serves as a house museum alongside several smaller support buildings. The property was listed for its role in local settlement and as a rare example of Long Island vernacular farmhouse architecture.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is significant under Criterion A for settlement as the surviving residence of a family descended from one of Sayville's first colonial-era settlers, John Edwards. It is also significant under Criterion C as an excellent example of an early Long Island farmstead that began as a small New England Colonial house and was enlarged over time, with Greek Revival interior details added in 1838. It is believed to be the oldest extant residence in Sayville.
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 10000988, listed December 7, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 39 Edwards St, Sayville |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | December 7, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000988 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1785-1944 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | New England Colonial |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Operated as a house museum by the Sayville Historical Society, which received it as a gift in 1945; the nomination reports a high degree of integrity although much of the original setting has been lost to residential development. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.73341, -73.07902 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 10000988.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137302765
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.