Blog
Historic Ltn. Moses Case House On the Move to Cleo’s Corner
photo by Cyndi Zaweski for the Suffolk Times
By Bridget Micieli-Martinez
On a clear and brisk January morning, the historic Lieutenant Moses Case House began its coordinated and gradual move from its previous home on Route 48 just east of Young’s Avenue, to its new permanent home, known locally as Cleo’s Corner. The Case House will now be located at the intersection of Route 48 and Hortons Lane in Southold, expanding the offerings of the Trust’s Agricultural Center at Charnew’s Farm.
Prior to the colossal move a new foundation was poured and allowed to cure at the Cleo’s Corner parcel. This specific site was intentionally chosen due to the nature of the location - the area sits adjacent to a 5-acre field, that is part of the Trust’s Farms for the Future Initiative. The Initiative provides access to affordable farmland and mentorship from skillful members of the Trust’s staff for aspiring farmers looking to focus on growing food. Farmers involved in Farms for the Future may one day call the historic Case House home, as once completed the house will be available for lease.
Moving from east of Young’s Avenue, the house was positioned for a careful and well-orchestrated effort on all accounts. This proved no easy feat, considering that on the first of February the morning temperatures hovered around 13 degrees. Crews from PSEG, Verizon, and Altice/Cablevision worked in careful cadence to drop utility wires so the house was able to cross Young’s Avenue. What many thought would take hours, happened in a matter of minutes. The house crossed the road with ease and continued its careful pace, nearly 3 miles per hour, through the farm fields of the Peconic Land Trust’s Agricultural Center. Weighing in at 120,000 pounds, the home slid across the frozen ground gracefully, using a hydraulic dolly system, with special attention given to the steadiness of the dual chimneys. Any slight disturbance of the central interior hearths could mean a loss of structural integrity.
The move across the 16 acres was complete in just over two hours under the adept expertise of the Kazel family, owners of Dawn House Movers. The next step, to cross Hortons Lane, will take place sometime in late-February. After the second crossing, the 1747 Case House will be painstaking placed onto its new and permanent foundation where it will, once again, become part of local history.
The Peconic Land Trust hopes to complete the final phase, which is to renovate the home in a historically accurate fashion by the Spring of 2020. Your help is needed. To learn more about supporting the Lt. Moses Case house, now at Cleo’s Corner, contact Holly Sanford, Project Manager at HSanford@PeconicLandTrust.org or Alison Delaney, Development Officer at ADelaney@PeconicLandTrust.org.
