In early 2020, while Covid-19 was raging, I had some idle months. One day in July I took the Q36 bus down Little Neck Parkway to Floral Park, just south of Jericho Turnpike (remember when it was Jamaica Avenue on the Queens side?) and puttered around to waste an hour or two; the following year I would get a job with Who’s Who, and my midweek puttering was over.
At #116 Carnation Avenue, a bit south of the LIRR overpass, you find the Baylis House, purportedly the town’s oldest dwelling. The Baylis family house, known as the 1779 House, is still standing on the original site and is only one of the structures that made up the homestead. Pictured is actually the side of the house; the front entrance is behind a wall of vegetation, and since it’s a private home I did not go past the sidewalk. Floral Park is an attractive suburban town abutting Little Neck, itself a suburban town, but it has a je ne sais quoi that unmistakably identifies itself as New York City. The two towns have a different vibe. The house has had its original appearance obscured beneath a layer of siding. A few years ago, it sold for $900K.
The Baylis family, which has variant spellings, was a prominent Long Island family in the colonial era, with place names in Nassau and Suffolk. In Port Washington, its locales are spelled “Bayles”, but pronounced as “bay-liss.”
The historic signs, which largely match older historical markers from the 1930s in colors and type, were placed in the 1990s and are still in good condition.
Check out the ForgottenBook, take a look at the gift shop. As always, “comment…as you see fit.” I earn a small payment when you click on any ad on the site.
3/11/25