Community Corner

A Cemetery In the Most Unsuspecting Place

A Home Depot parking lot is the last place one would expect to find a cemetery, but sure enough, it exists in Commack.

Within the parking lot on Jericho Turnpike, which is also shared with Modell's and Old Navy, is a fenced-in area with several 19th Century headstones.

The site is a burial plot for the Burr family. According to the Huntington Historical Society, the Burr family arrived from England in 1630. They established themselves in the Commack area and purchased 166 acres of land. The Burr family farm once encompassed today's shopping center at the intersection of Larkfield Road and Jericho Turnpike. The family cemetery appears to have been used up until 1878, but the grave markings are so worn that they are almost unreadable.

The site isn't just unique for its historical cemetery though. The site was also turned into Brindley Field during World War I. The field was a 90-acre training facility for pilots. The field was deactivated in 1919.

The cemetery is open to visitors who want to check out a small piece of Commack's history.




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