Surveyor in Setauket

The name “Setauket” is derived from the historic Algonquian-speaking Setalcott Indians, who had lived in the area prior to its colonial period.

In 1655, a handful of land-speculating colonists orchestrated the purchase of the Setauket area from the local natives. The region’s first European settlers were English migrants from New England. This was the first settlement in what later became the town of Brookhaven, and both the hamlet and town use the 1655 date as their origin. During the 17th century, Setauket was synonymous with the colonial town of Brookhaven.

During the 1660s the settlement was temporarily renamed “Ashford”. This change was facilitated by Captain John Scott, a professional mercenary hired to clear out the Native American Indians. He was an early settler of Setauket and an important leader in Long Island’s early history who briefly served under the title of “President of Long Island”. A crafty land speculator, Scott claimed at one point to own a third of the island, including the Setauket area. Despite the questionable nature of many of his claims, John Scott had enough power and support to rename Setauket for his ancestral homeland in England, Ashford, Kent, and to construct a stately home named Egerton.