Principal Place Has a Principal Place in History

It would make sense that Southold's first colony would be known as "Principal Place." This was the name that the Indians had given to what is now known as Cutchogue, which was derived from an Algonquin word that meant principle. The Corchaugs lived in the area that eventually became Cutchogue and were one of thirteen tribes on Long Island. They arrived in approximately 1000 B.C. The tribe was aligned with four other tribes on Eastern Long Island.

Each of the tribes had a fort, where their chiefs would communicate with one another by using smoke signals. Three of the forts have vanished without a trace of their existence remaining. But one still remains. Fort Corchaug in Cutchogue is relatively untouched centuries later.

The presence of the English is still felt in Cutchogue as well. The Old House, which was built in Southold in 1649 and moved to Cutchogue in 1661, is the oldest English-style home in Cutchogue. It has been named a National Historic Landmark due to being one of the last and best remaining examples of domestic English architecture in the United States. It is located on the Cutchogue Village Green. The 1840 Old Schoolhouse, the 1704 Wickham Farmhouse, a 19^th century carriage house, and the Old Burying Ground to 1717 are all also located on the Cutchogue Village Green.

Not only are there historic sites in Cutchogue, it has also been the site of history. Albert Einstein rented a cottage on Old Cove Road, which is now known as West Cove Road, in the summers or 1938 and 1939.

The colony was settled by the English in 1677.