Part 1: History Lost: The Carll-Doscher Homestead

The Oliver Carll farmhouse was built circa 1790 on land that was part of his father's land grant from the King of England.  The Carll family ran an inn known as Platt Carll's Inn or Carll's Inn on this large tract of land on the north side of Jericho Turnpike between Manor Road and Warner Road during the 18th and 19th centuries. 

In 1937, Romanah Sammis published Huntington- Babylon Town History, in which she shares her recollections of Huntington.  She states, "Through generations, branches of the early Carll family kept the name common to the entire Dix Hills region; and conspicuous, on from the 1700s, was the old Carll homestead on the turnpike.  Facing the south…it stood on top of a hill where an extra team was often needed to help haul a heavily laden stagecoach to its door, for Carll's was a tavern of excellent reputation… Huntington's East Street was often spoken of as the 'road to Carll's,' for Carll's was not only a tavern, but a place where public meetings were held and where the local militia drilled…."

According to the Huntington Historical Society, Gilbert Carll ran the tavern from 1814 to 1866. The publication Huntington Tavern Licenses: 1783-1895 lists his name starting in 1814; from 1831 forward he is listed in conjunction with someone else.  These names include William Wickes, William Weeks, George Durea, Joel Jarvis, Charles A. Floyd and Henry Williams.  This publication, in contradiction to the Huntington Historical Society, does not list Gilbert Carll's name after 1840 as a holder of a tavern license.  Of course it is possible that he continued to run the establishment until 1866 without a license. 

When Gilbert Carll died, it appears ownership of the home passed to his son Oliver.  On December 22, 1905 the Long-Islander reported on the death of Oliver Carll.  The article makes a reference to Oliver's birthplace and current home as "the old Carll homestead, which had been in the family several generations.  For over 50 years in the last century the old house was used as a hotel and post office, it being a regular stopping place for mail coaches driven the length of the island. Deceased had only the use of the large farm, the will of his father bequeathing it to his son Gilbert." 

Oliver's daughter Hattie E. Carll continued to live in the house for just a few months after the death of her father.  Then on March 2, 1906 the Long Islander reported that she "has given up her Dix Hills home and gone to Brooklyn to live with her sister, Mrs. William Beativ."  According to Oliver's son Gilbert's obituary, published December 6, 1918 in the Long Islander, "upon the death of his father Mr. Carll inherited the farm."

This Gilbert Carll owned the home only a short while before selling it to John Slade, who is listed as owner on the 1909 map.  The March 22, 1912 Long-Islander reported that "John Slade, the new owner of the Carll farm at Dix Hills, on the Jericho Turnpike, is making many improvements.  Besides enlarging and improving the house he is having the barns moved back from the road and new ones erected."  Two months later, the Long-Islander also reported that he was erecting a new garage. 

Despite his improvements, John Slade did not live at the old Carll homestead long, and the 1917 map lists Charles Doscher, a real estate developer and sugar refiner, as owner of the homestead and 228 acres.  He purchased the farm in 1914.

According to Romanah Sammis in Huntington-Babylon Town History, when the house passed into Doscher ownership, "the substantial old dwelling was moved carefully back to a broader, open setting and, with all its fine features retained, was adapted to modern living."  Like Slade, however, Charles Doscher only lived there a short time before passing away on March 6, 1922 at the age of 52.  According to his obituaries in the New York Times (3/9/22) and the Long Islander (3/10/22), he died of heart trouble at his home in Brooklyn.  (The Dix Hills estate was a summer home.)  Funeral services were held at this Brooklyn home, and he was buried in Greenwood Cemetery.  His 42-year-old widow Alice Bechtold Doscher survived him. 

The Long Islander reported on April 7, 1922 that Alice was to receive the bulk of the large estate left behind in a trust.  She would receive the income from the estate, valued at over $1 million, as long as she remained unmarried.  Upon her remarriage, the trust would dissolve and the remaining estate divided among Charles' siblings.  She never remarried and continued to live at the Dix Hills home after Charles' death.

Visit us next week to read what happened to the Carll Homestead after Charles Doscher's death.