Setauket-East Setauket: Historic preservation, modern convenience draw buyers

THE SCOOP A storied site of the Revolutionary War, the conjoined hamlets of Setauket-East Setauket take particular pride in their historical heritage, going back to the original settlers, the Native American Setalcott Nation.

"There's a strong historical component," said Town of Brookhaven council member Jonathan Kornreich, 54, whose district includes the Setaukets. "There are a number of historic properties that date back to the Revolutionary War. We also celebrate our community's pre-Colonial period," with the Setalcotts hosting the annual Corn Festival Powwow, with Native American culture and crafts, on the grounds of Setauket Elementary School.

The Setaukets are among the Three Villages, an area actually encompassing four communities: Setauket-East Setauket, the villages of Old Field and Poquott and the hamlet of Stony Brook. And some of the most well-versed locals can't say for sure where Setauket ends and East Setauket begins.

"No one knows where that border is," stated Kornreich. Longtime community leader Herb Mones, 72, agreed.

"That is a question we ask ourselves all the time," said Mones, co-founder and president of the Three Village Community Trust, and past president of the Three Village Civic Association, where he has been a board member for more than 30 years. "I don't have an answer to that."

But that's geography. Setauket-East Setauket is all about history. A plaque on Dyke Road marks the home site of Abraham Woodhull, the pioneering American espionage agent and heart of the AMC TV series "Turn: Washington's Spies." The Battle of Setauket between Colonial and British forces was fought in 1777 at what is now the Patriots Rock Historic Site. On Main Street stand three tiny worker houses from a long-since-demolished rubber factory.

Modern conveniences include two big-box stores, Kohl's and Walmart; a Stop & Shop supermarket and a Wild by Nature natural foods marketplace; the Laurel Ridge Setauket Woods Nature Preserve, primarily used for mountain biking; the 18-hole St. George's Golf and Country Club; and the Setauket Greenway Trail hiking path. The Stony Brook Long Island Rail Road station stands just over the southeast border.

In Setauket-East Setauket, "There is always something going on," observed Mones. "Events, activities and things to do for people of all ages, all year round" — from the Chicken Hill Country Picnic and Barbecue to youth programs and a summer music series at Frank Melville Memorial Park to the end-of-year Three Village Holiday Electric Parade.

Most of the Setauket Harbor and Little Bay waterfront belongs to private residences but there is a Brookhaven Town Beach on Shore Road. "It's very, very small, but there is a pier there," said Kornreich. "One of the projects I just did was to have a little picnic area built at the end of the pier. There are a couple of tables and [it's] just a great place to sit and watch the sunset."

CONDOS AND CO-OPS There are six condos, priced between $599,000 and $749,000, on the market.

SETAUKET SALE PRICES Between June 26, 2023, and June 25, 2024, there were 90 home sales with a median sale price of $755,000, according to OneKey MLS. During that period a year earlier, there were 107 home sales with a median sale price of $720,000.

EAST SETAUKET SALE PRICES Between Aug. 9, 2023 and Aug. 8, 2024, there were 74 home sales with a median sale price of $672,500, according to OneKey MLS. During that period a year earlier, there were 78 home sales with a median sale price of $599,750.

OTHER STATS

Population 13,973

Median age Setauket, 39.2; East Setauket, 45.9

Median home value Setauket, $797,000; East Setauket, $698,000

Monthly LIRR ticket from Port Jefferson $378

School district, graduation rate Three Village (97.3%)

Library Emma S. Clark Memorial

Transit Suffolk County Transit Route 51

Sources: 2022 American Community Survey; OneKey MLS via InfoSparks by ShowingTime; LIRR, data.nysed.gov

ON THE MARKET

$3.9 million

This waterfront estate where Setauket and Port Jefferson harbors meet rests on 1.22 secluded acres. The 4,887-square-foot abode built in 2012 has five bedrooms, two fireplaces, a foyer with a marble floor and geothermal heating and cooling. The kitchen has marble countertops and a Sub-Zero refrigerator-freezer. A back patio pergola contains a second kitchen. Miriam Ainbinder, Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty, 631-988-9200

$799,990

In addition to five bedrooms and 3½ baths, this 1968 construction boasts a den with fireplace. The bathrooms are renovated and the electric panel upgraded. In addition to an eat-in kitchen, a formal dining room and a fenced in-ground pool, the home, with proper permits, can include an accessory apartment. Annual taxes are $14,433. David Giuffrida, Independence Realty Group, 631-551-5098

$479,990

Sitting on 0.35 acre, this 1963 high ranch has a first-floor bedroom, den and eat-in kitchen with adjacent dining area. Upstairs are three more bedrooms, one of which is convertible to a living room. The master bedroom has a balcony overlooking the backyard. There is single-car garage. Taxes are $11,580 annually. Lina Lopes, Douglas Elliman Real Estate, 631-487-3113

RECENTLY SOLD

$1.275 million

Old Field Road

Style Ranch

Bedrooms 3

Bathrooms 1

Built 1930

Lot size 5.37 acres

Taxes $20,261

+/- List price -$625,000

Days on market 282 

$880,000

Setalcott Place

Style Colonial

Bedrooms 4

Bathrooms 2½

Built 1962

Lot size 0.37 acre

Taxes $17,432

+/- List price +$80,001

Days on market 52 

$650,000

Park Street

Style Cape

Bedrooms 4

Bathrooms 2

Built 1920

Lot size 0.6 acre

Taxes $9,105

+/- List -$49,000

Days on market 83

ON ONEKEY MLS

Number of listings 42

Price range $574,990 to $9.95 million

Tax range $8,064 to $146,309