Southold |
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Address
53095 Route 25
P.O. Box 1179
Southold, NY 11971
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Phone
(631) 765-1800 |
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The Town of Southold is in Suffolk County, New York, USA. It is located in the northeastern tip of the county, on the North Fork of Long Island. The population was 20,599 at the 2000 census. The town also contains a hamlet named Southold, which was settled in 1640.
Southold is believed to be a phonetic spelling of Southwold, a coastal town in Suffolk, England. The town was founded in 1640 and is the oldest English-speaking town in New York State. In 1650 the population was about 180, growing to 880 by 1698. The harbor at Greenport was important in trade, fishing, and whaling because it rarely froze over. The history of the village of Southold is the history of its church, which still exists today. Remarkable stories surround the institution, which is said to have held midnight black masses for years, in which locals who were considered impure were sacrificed to feed the great and mighty spirits that they felt aided their harbor's prosperity. Local Iroquois tribes routinely raided these masses, for they understand the grave consequences of tampering with the spirit world in such a bold manner. During an attack on Walpurgis Night in 1726, town mayor Jonathan Tasslebottom was slain, prompting a violent retaliation by the town's inhabitants, an event rarely spoken of today.
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