The Construction of Brecknock Hall
Detail of the Stonework
David Gelston Floyd acquired about 100 acres on the north side of The Kings Highway from Joshua P. Younges, the great-great grandson of the Reverend John Younges, founder of Southold Town. Construction of Brecknock Hall began in 1851 and was completed in 1857 (though interior work continued through 1858) at a purported cost of $30,000. The overall design was a distinct re-iteration of General Floyd’s manor house in Mastic, NY, but with a heavier, more formidable Italianate articulation and grander interpretation.
The majority of the glacial stone used to construct Brecknock Hall was quarried on the northeast section of the property. Stonemasons from Scotland, earning $2/day, cut the stone into ashlars (square shaped stones) and erected the random-patterned walls. The stone lintels above the door and windows, the steps and the table line (long rocks) around the hall were brought across Long Island Sound from Connecticut by schooner. The stone cutting firm founded by noted headstone carver Ithuel Hill (1769-1821) of Sag Harbor is said to have possibly overseen this work. The stone for the house was supposedly cut over the course of anywhere from 6 to 11 years while the Floyds lived next door in an older, remodeled house.
The outside woodwork utilized the highest quality white pine and the large molding in the cornices was hand-wrought. The chimneys were lined with brick and faced with stone, and the original tin roof lasted until the Hurricane of 1938.
The interior design shows distinct planning for the future. The bearing walls are 3 feet thick, and each room has 8-inch brick walls that run from basement to attic. Gas pipes were installed but never used. Every room included a tin speaking tube, and ahead of his time, Floyd had iron registers for a central hot-air heating plant set into the walls. All the main rooms have carved Italianate marble fireplaces, pink in the dining room and white in all others. Each fireplace was lined in brick and held grates for wood-burning that were later converted to coal. Water was supplied by two rain collecting cisterns, one in the attic made of wood and lined with tin, and a well with a pump.
The walls are plastered to an inch or more in thickness and the moldings and window valances are finely crafted. Each window of the Hall has hand-made hardwood shutters that recess into the surround. In the fall of 2006 the discovery of the one of the original plasterer's tools was made. This unique find allowed us to learn more about those who worked on the construction of the Hall.
Huge mirrors and chandeliers grace the parlors and central hall, some of which are said to have been Floyd or Smith family heirlooms. Heavy double wood doors face each other across the expanse of the center hall.
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The back door lead to the magnificent planting fields of Lydia Smith Floyd, an avid and scientific gardener. Floyd was a practical man, and any excess harvests from his well-managed farm were sold. His only indulgence was allowing his wife her garden, which evolved into acres of flowers, fruit trees, exotic shrubs, topiary fantasies, grand allees, and graceful fountains, all acclaimed to New York horticultural circles.
Floor Plans
