Vaudeville family's 19th century house lists for $799,000

A 19th century Colonial on a ½-acre in Stony Brook village that was once home to a vaudeville family is on the market for $799,000, a $26,000 reduction from its original listing price.

The four-bedroom, 2½-bathroom home on Terrell Lane bears a weathered, decades-old plaque from the Three Village Historical Society that says: "Terrell-Ely House, circa 1860-1868, Home of Frank & Sadie Ely, Vaudeville Artistes."

It was not unusual for vaudevillians who would perform at Port Jefferson's Athena Hall (now Theatre Three) to have homes in Stony Brook, St. James and Setauket, according to Brookhaven Town Historian Barbara M. Russell. The 1910 census has vaudevillian brothers Edgar and Frank Ely living on Youngs Lane, which later become Terrell Lane, Russell said.

Built around 1860, the 1,900-square-foot house has been renovated. “The whole house is incredibly comfortable and impeccably maintained,” said listing agent Sue Parlatore of Realty Connect USA LI in Setauket.

The kitchen has high-end appliances, including a four-burner gas stove, an extra sink in the island, Corian countertops, skylights and an attached laundry room.

The living room has wood ceiling beams and a brick wood-burning fireplace. Original details include “gleaming” wood floors, Parlatore said. There is a full, unfinished basement.

The en-suite primary bedroom is on the main floor, with built-in bookcases and a bathroom with marble shower and a sliding barn door. The other two bedrooms and full bath are on the second floor.

Wood from an original barn on the property that fell during Superstorm Sandy was used to build a small shed in the backyard, Parlatore said.

A screened-in porch overlooks the backyard. The house has a year-old roof and a whole-house generator.

The home is within Three Village School District and in walking distance to shops and restaurants and Sand Street Beach on Stony Brook Harbor. Annual real estate taxes are $10,990.