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Country Corner: A Landmark
The landmark Country Corner restaurant and bar in East Setauket, on the corner of Route 25A and Gnarled Hollow Road, has been operating continuously since around 1900 as a gathering place for residents of the community. It may be the oldest continuously operating tavern in the county. The earliest records we have indicate it was owned by the McDowell family by 1909 and remained in their family until about 1926.
Since 1987, the building has been owned by Sahak Saraydarian who took personal charge of the restaurant and bar in 1990. Saraydarian, a Turkish immigrant, born in Istanbul, is very pleased to be operating such an historic building and takes great pride in the menu which includes a number of Armenian specialties in addition to the traditional bar food, pasta, burgers, and pizza.
When it was still McDowell's, the saloon in East Setauket was the scene of a confrontation that must have been discussed again and again around the pot belly stove after it occurred on November 19, 1917. The depositions concerning the incident, taken by Justice of the Peace Clinton West, are in the Three Village Historical Society's Local History Collection at the Emma S. Clark Memorial Library.
One of the witnesses, Frank Terrell, who historian William Minuse remembers as living with his wife on the second floor of the old shipyard carpenter's shop along Shore Road in East Setauket, gave this statement about the incident.
While in McDowell's Saloon this morning Patrick McCarthy said he was going to do the Hudson brothers up! He went out twice.[ came] in the back door with a 20 ga. single bbl. shotgun and sat down by the stove...
Now McCarthy was 54 years old, he was married, could read and write and was listed as a laborer according to county records taken later. The Hudson brothers were Edward, age 31, and his brother William who was 4 1/2 years older. The Hudson family also included an older brother John Henry and a sister Carolyn Bayles Hudson but they were not involved in the incident except that Carolyn was married to Justice of the Peace Clinton West.
Terrell's deposition continued. Hudson went out the front door and started up the hill, then McCarthy went out the same door—on the sidewall put up the gun and shot Hudson. McCarthy then ran in the saloon and out the back door saying he would get the other brother and then give himself up as he supposed he would get 20 years.
Another witness, Henry Christie of East Setauket said in another deposition, I was at Pat's home with Arthur Gerrard. Pat McCarthy said I am going out to get the Hudson brothers. Pat went out with a gun 20 ga. and later came back toward the house and I met him, he said, I have shot Ed Hudson in back of legs and am going to get Will Hudson too.
Justice West, after receiving the depositions—all still the same day—turned McCarthy over to the Suffolk County Sheriff's office.
Records of the sheriff*#39;s department in Riverhead—archive research done by Under Sheriff Allan Croce—indicate that McCarthy was jailed the same day. He appeared before Country Court Judge Vuiek and remained in jail until release on June 11, 1918. The same records indicate that McCarthy had eleven previous commitments in the county jail.
Events continued to have an exciting edge for Ed Hudson in the months to follow as told by Justice West's son Forrest as occurred in his father's house on Bayview Avenue in East Setauket.
FIRE! The large oil lamp in the middle of the dining room table tipped over as someone moved the table, bursting into flames as the oil spilled. Dad grabbed the lamp, rushed for the back door and threw the lamp onto the hard crusted snow—without even breaking the chimney! The dented lamp is still at the 'farm.' No serious results from the fire, but it was scary for Uncle Ed Hudson who was seated at the table. He was staying with us recovering from being shot in the legs by some drunk with a shotgun. (The Three Village Historian—March 1987)
The real story here may be about Justice West who seems to have carried out his duties and responsibilities to both family and community with speed and efficiency.
— by Beverly C. Tyler
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