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The Jones Settlement and Dispersion
The Jones Settlement and Dispersion
(1696) 🏘️
(1696) 🏘️
The settlement of European families marked the final displacement of the Indigenous communities in Massapequa.
First Settlers: Despite purchasing the Fort Massapeag site in 1693, the first permanent European settlers, Major Thomas and Freelove Jones, arrived in 1696. They established a home built on land given to them for their marriage by Freelove's father, Thomas Townsend. The house sat north of the Fort Massapeag Site and Native American burial ground, and village.
Indigenous Dispersion: Records indicate a Native American village nearby in the 1680s, but by the end of the 17th century, no Indigenous people resided in Massapequa. European colonization—through disease, conflict, and land deals—led to the displacement of the Lenape and Matinecock tribes, who moved eastward or upstate.
Lasting Impact: Though dispersed, the Algonquian culture remains a vital element of Long Island's heritage.
Jones Memoir
Jones Memoir
This excerpt from the 1906 family history by Thomas Floyd-Jones describes the land ownership of Major Thomas Jones and his wife Freelove. It tells of the brick house home and the stories of signs of haunted spirits. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.
Major Thomas and Freelove Townsend Jones Oyster Bay home in Massapeag, 1696 - Old Brick House
Major Thomas and Freelove Townsend Jones Oyster Bay home in Massapeag, 1696 - Old Brick House
This image shows the first European estate in South Oyster Bay. A wedding gift from Freelove's father Thomas Townsend. According to the Massapequa Historical Society, the house was located on the south side of Merrick Road in present day Biltmore Shores, in close proximity to the remains of Fort Massapeag. The image was taken from the 1906 book "The Jones Family of Long Island; Descendants of Major Thomas Jones (1665-1726) and Allied Families" Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.
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