The large neck of land on the north side of Setauket was once American Indian farming ground. The Setalcott tribe sold the land to settlers around 1655, referring to it as their “old fields.” Toward the turn of the century, wealthy businessmen were attracted to the high bluffs overlooking the Long Island Sound, and began buying up large plots of land and building summer estates. Among them were Thomas Hodgkins, Eversley Childs, and Frank Melville Jr., all three of whom were philanthropists who wanted to preserve the future character of the village. This led to incorporating the village of Old Field in 1927. To this day, the character of the area remains evident in its two-acre private lots and tree-lined streets, and in its wildlife and bird sanctuaries. Homeowners have access to private beaches and the Flax Pond tidal estuary. You’ll also want to visit the Old Field Point Lighthouse, a serene setting to picnic and catch amazing views of the water.

Old Field South, established by the Suffolk County Development Corporation in 1929, encompasses the area just east of West Meadow Beach and just south Old Field. The charming community consists of 136 households, all of which follow covenants to keep the appearance in harmony with nature as it was intended—there are no fences, no commercial properties, and all the houses are white. The homes, many built over a half century ago as summer retreats, are sheltered within a park-like environment, filled with mature plants. Ward Melville developed the OFS Property Association to oversee the development and maintain the original aesthetic principles of the community.