Community Corner

Weird News: Who's Buried Outside Home Depot?

Some stories are downright strange. Here's our wrap-up from around Northern Suffolk and the East End.

As a local news organization, Patch covers stories of all kinds, from heartbreaking tragedies to inspiring tales of community brotherhood. But some stories are just plain weird. Here are some of the stranger headlines from the past seven days.

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 Sporting Good 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 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. 

Today, Burr Road and Burr Intermediate School in Commack are named after the family.

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

Cemetery piece written by Amanda Lindner.


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