A New View: The Old Town Green Series - The Arsenal

Built in 1740 with an oak and pine frame, the Huntington Arsenal on Park Avenue just south of Main, is thought to be the only one left of its kind on Long Island. 

Joseph Wickes built the original portion of the house, which sat on 1.5 acres of land, and used it to store grain.  

Severn years later, Wickes sold the building to Gershom Sexton who remodeled and converted it into a livable dwelling. The six-foot extension included a room with a fireplace and another to the back of the house. Sexton plastered the interior walls as well.

Not only was the arsenal used during the American Revolution but it was also the residence of Job Sammis and his family from 1748 to 1789.  A weaver by trade, Sammis settled in the home with his wife Elizabeth Kellum and many children. His son David married Deborah Ketchum in the late 1700s. 

In 1765 Sammis made additions of his own to the house to make it larger. He added another small room on the north side and built a second story which was accessed from the fire room by ladder. It is said he helped the Suffolk County Militia by storing weapons and gun powder in the added space. 

When repairs were made to the building in 1930, a small cache of colonial muskets were found in the original walls, most likely hidden by Sammis prior to the British occupation of Huntington on September 1, 1776.

Sammis died in 1792 and Elizabeth passed away four years later.

The architecture of the home is a clear expression of the English and Federal design with the gabled roof and simple lines. The arsenal was restored to its original condition in 1992. 

You can see the original structure including ceiling and floor boards and the clay-filled walls Sammis built that have the wood framing exposed.  You will also find the box lock on the front door and the original back door.

Having owned the arsenal since 1974, the Town of Huntington has done a great job at its restoration and allows tours every first Sunday, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.,  from June to October. 

Trained costumed docents provide visitors with an explanation of the many original artifacts on display, including typical household furnishings, spinning and weaving equipment, and military equipment.

As in Colonial times, the arsenal is also the mustering site for the Huntington Militia, the contemporary members of which are the official ceremonial honor guard of the Town of Huntington and regularly participate in colonial-era encampments and other historical reenactments on the adjacent Village Green.