19th century Port Jefferson home belonged to shipbuilding family
This Port Jefferson has been owned by members or descendants of the Bayles shipbuilding family since the late 1800s. Credit: Douglas Elliman Real Estate
On a 0.75-acre lot overlooking Port Jefferson Harbor stands a home that has been inhabited by five generations of the locally renowned Bayles family. The house was built circa 1880 and was recently listed for $635,000.
The home retains much of its 19th century character. Credit: Douglas Elliman Real Estate
Brothers Charles and James Bayles founded the Bayles Shipyard on the current site of Harborfront Park in 1835 and delivered more than 100 vessels — accounting for about 40% of Suffolk’s 19th century shipbuilding output, according to Ship Building History’s Tim Colton — before ceasing operations in 1918.
Inside the Port Jefferson house. Credit: Douglas Elliman Real Estate
Remarkably, annual property taxes for the three-story, four-bedroom home are just $8,015.
“The Town of Brookhaven is the governing township, and their assessment is based on the age of the home to encourage people to purchase and maintain older homes,” says Alexia Poulos of Douglas Elliman Real Estate, who shares the listing with Carol Acker. “So they assess the houses much lower than they would a newer home.”
