Oyster Bay recognizing Black Civil War veteran David Carll with new historical marker
Iris Williams (from left), Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino, Deputy Supervisor Gregory Carman Jr. and Denice Evans-Sheppard are pictured with a new historical marker the Town of Oyster Bay will erect shortly to recognize Black Civil War veteran David Carll on a local road named for him. Williams and Evans-Sheppard are his great, great granddaughters. Credit: Town of Oyster Bay
The Town of Oyster Bay later this week will unveil a historical marker on Carll Hill Road honoring its namesake, David Carll — a Black Civil War veteran whose family still lives where he settled after his military service.
Carll was from a second generation of free Blacks and voluntarily enlisted at 18. He served in the 26th regiment of the U.S. Colored Troops.
Denice Evans-Sheppard, the great-great-granddaughter of Carll and executive director of Oyster Bay Historical Society, commended the town for moving forward with a plan to create and install the marker.
“I’m quite sure that David Carll is looking down on us and is very pleased that we have been able to tell his story,” she said in an interview.
The inconspicuous Carll Hill Road is located off Pine Hollow Road in Oyster Bay. It's where Carll and his wife built a home on land he bought following his discharge from the military in 1865 and currently has no street sign.
Sometimes deliveries are sent elsewhere by mistake, according to Evans-Sheppard, who said the block’s historical significance isn't apparent right now.
Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino said in a statement that Carll's legacy is “an important chapter in the history of Oyster Bay and the nation.”
He added: “This historic marker is emblematic of our rich history and the major contributions of African American soldiers in the fight for liberty during the Civil War.”
Town officials plan to unveil the marker, which will be placed on the east side of Pine Hollow Road at Carll Hill Road, at a Black History Month celebration at Town Hall on Thursday, according to an Oyster Bay spokesman.
The Town of Oyster Bay later this week will unveil a historical marker on Carll Hill Road honoring its namesake, David Carll — a Black Civil War veteran whose family still lives where he settled after his military service.
Carll was from a second generation of free Blacks and voluntarily enlisted at 18. He served in the 26th regiment of the U.S. Colored Troops.
Denice Evans-Sheppard, the great-great-granddaughter of Carll and executive director of Oyster Bay Historical Society, commended the town for moving forward with a plan to create and install the marker.
“I’m quite sure that David Carll is looking down on us and is very pleased that we have been able to tell his story,” she said in an interview.
The inconspicuous Carll Hill Road is located off Pine Hollow Road in Oyster Bay. It's where Carll and his wife built a home on land he bought following his discharge from the military in 1865 and currently has no street sign.
Sometimes deliveries are sent elsewhere by mistake, according to Evans-Sheppard, who said the block’s historical significance isn't apparent right now.
Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino said in a statement that Carll's legacy is “an important chapter in the history of Oyster Bay and the nation.”
He added: “This historic marker is emblematic of our rich history and the major contributions of African American soldiers in the fight for liberty during the Civil War.”
Town officials plan to unveil the marker, which will be placed on the east side of Pine Hollow Road at Carll Hill Road, at a Black History Month celebration at Town Hall on Thursday, according to an Oyster Bay spokesman.
Joseph Ostapiuk covers the Town of Oyster Bay and the City of Glen Cove. He joined Newsday in 2023 after spending more than six years at the Staten Island Advance/SILive.com.
