Lots were laid out for the Cutchogue division of land between the original settlers in 1667, making it what Southold Town’s first historian, African-American Wayland Jefferson, called “Southold’s first colony.”
The hamlet took its name from the Corchaug Indians who were living on what is now called the North Fork at the time of Southold’s founding in 1640. Corchaug meant “principal place” in the Indians’ language.
Perhaps the principal place to which the Corchaugs were referring was the ancient Native American palisade fortification we know as Fort Corchaug.
Archeologist Ralph Solecki, who first brought the Fort Corchaug site to public attention, called it “without peer on the whole Atlantic seaboard.” The rendition of Fort Corchaug, which appears here, is on The National Register of Historic Places, was done by artist Theresa Shaw.
In July of 1997, after decades of effort, state, county, and town officials together with the Peconic Land Trust worked out an arrangement for over one million dollars to preserve the Fort Corchaug site.
Another point of historical interest is the Cutchogue-New Suffolk Historical Council at Case’s Lane and Route 25 with the Old House, one of the oldest English-style houses in New York State, the Wickham farmhouse, circa 1740; and Cutchogue’s early Schoolhouse.
The Cutchogue-New Suffolk Library, stands nearby and is distinctive because it was built in 1862 as a Congregational Church
The John Budd House was built in Southold by John Budd in 1649. He gave it to his daughter Anna when she married Benjamin Horton. It was moved to Cutchogue in 1661 and is official designated a national historic landmark. (Photo courtesy of Mr. Ralph Pugliese Jr.)