Vinyl removal reveals Civil War-era facade

The newest addition to Riverhead's downtown historic district -- a Civil War-era house -- almost saw its past overtaken by a layer of vinyl siding.

"It had been covered in white vinyl for so many years that no one had any idea what was beneath it," said Richard Wines, chairman of the Riverhead Landmarks Preservation Commission. "When it came off, there was a beautiful Civil War house under there. . . . There was great detail. It was built by someone who clearly tried to show their taste and wealth in a very prominent spot in Riverhead's nicest neighborhood."

Now, people can see it again, because the current owner -- the Suffolk Association for the Help of Retarded Children -- agreed to restore the building rather than replace the siding, and because some local groups agreed to help cover the extra costs.

Eight disabled adults live in the house, a group home that is one of 27 the association runs across the county. Agency officials had no idea what it would look like when they decided to renovate it.

The agency had been in the house since 1979, although it only took title about 15 years ago. The siding was worn, and until a contractor removed it, agency officials did not know the condition of the underlying wood and trim.

As a not-for-profit agency, the association was concerned about spending money that should go to patient care on renovations, but William Leonardi, chief executive of the Association for the Help of Retarded Children, said Riverhead Building Supply donated materials and Wayne and Liz Kogel, whose brother lives in the home, donated paint.

"The cost of the house came in to where it would have been had we re-sided it," Leonardi said. "We've always prided ourselves on being good neighbors in any community where we have a home."

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The house is on the corner of Griffing Avenue and Lincoln Street, in an area which town officials say is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

Over the decades, the home's residents had a prominent role in Riverhead's growth. The building, 126 Lincoln St., was constructed just after the Civil War by John Downs, a wealthy produce broker who was born in Aquebogue and farmed there until he moved to Riverhead and became one of its leading citizens.

At the start of the 20th century, the house was owned by Elijah Griswold, a cigar maker whose old factory still stands on the north side of Lincoln Street east of Washington Avenue.

He and his son, Oliver Edmund Griswold, were among the first commissioners of the Riverhead Water District, and were founding members of the Riverhead Savings Bank and the Suffolk County Trust Company.

"I didn't know any of this history when we started out," Wines said. "It's these historic buildings that give downtown Riverhead its character."

Did you know?

When it was built in the 1860s, Griffing Avenue was filled with impressive estates of the new merchant class, and was called "the best street in Riverhead," according to Richard Wines, chairman of the Riverhead Landmarks Preservation Commission.

John Downs, the home's original owner, built one of the first brick commercial buildings on Main Street, and for a while the Riverhead Town Board met in it.

The property was included in the downtown Riverhead Historic District in 2008.