Herman H. and Lillian
Harries Sweetwater Farm Preserve
Location: Hauppauge,
NY
Size: 7 acres
Date of hike: May 19,
2019
The Herman H. and Lillian Harries Sweetwater Farm Preserve is a small parcel comprised of unmarked hiking trails and the headwaters of the 8.3-mile-long Nissequogue River. I'd glimpsed its sign a few weeks earlier as I drove along NY Route 347, and I knew it was new because I live nearby and had never noticed it before. Well, with a a couple of hours to kill on a sunny Sunday, I chose to check out the tiny tract. With a name like Sweetwater, I knew it would be a sweet spot to explore. And sweet it was!
Prior to hiking, I did some research to learn more about the preserve's history and habitats. The Harries family apparently purchased the property as a homestead farm around 1940 in hopes of preserving its local history, according to the Suffolk County Legislature's website. In 2017, Herman and Lillian's 93-year-old daughter Janice Brandt – who was the last of the family's lineage – parted with the farmland through a handwritten promise by Legis. Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset) that the county would uphold and honor her parents' wishes for it. "The parcel was designated as part of a 'master list' used by the county for acquisition of environmentally sensitive properties during the tenure of Suffolk County Legislator Donald Blydenburgh (1986-1996)," the legislature's website said. "While serving under Legislator Blydenburgh, Leslie had firsthand prior experience working on this issue and now had the opportunity to see it come to fruition during her first term as a Suffolk County Legislator."
The preserve's entrance is located on the south side of NY Route 347, directly across from the Suffolk County Police Department's Fourth Precinct. There is no parking lot, so visitors have two options: parking in the precinct's lot and using the crosswalk to reach the preserve, or parking on Northfield Road and then walking a block along the shoulder on NY Route 347. The initial trail was overgrown, but it became more manageable a stone's throw into the hike after passing a wetland, which the legislature's website referred to as "Hauppauge Springs." Speaking of Hauppauge, it's actually an Indian word for "land of sweet water," which helps explain the farm's name. Another important tidbit is the pond and wetland have the last indigenous trout found in a freshwater river on Long Island, according to the legislature.
The hike's highlights for me included evidence of old pavement, the remnants of some steps, and the foundation of a defunct structure – all of which were likely part of the Harries' estate. Random trails branched off every few minutes, but there was no fear of getting lost since the property is bordered by the backyards of homes on MacKay Drive, Ridgefield Road and Old Willets Path. There was also a bunch of bamboo along the preserve's southeastern section, which was an unexpected sight, as well as a creepy red barrel with the words "Ashes Only." I can't imagine what was inside of it, or how it got there, but it was a odd object to observe.
My soundtrack was Queensrÿche's 1994 album Promised Land, which is my all-time favorite album and the group's highest-charting disc to date. The songs are all tied together through the themes of success and aging, along with how society can shape our goals and dreams. Vocalist Geoff Tate gives one of his best performances on the album's title track and on the closing piano ballad, "Someone Else?" The album still gives me chills even after 25 years.
All in all, I'd say that Sweetwater Farm Preserve is a nice spot for a little escape into nature. It has some downsides – such as the inconvenient parking situation and overgrown trails – but it also has its fair share of untouched beauty. And, of course, it has that sweet water!
Map: Herman H. and Lillian Harries Sweetwater Farm Preserve (Google Maps image)
Parking: 40°49'28.0"N 73°13'50.1"W
Great walk, had no idea that was so close to home. We were able to see some ducks in the water too. Just an fyi, do a check when you ger out, I had a tick on me.
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ReplyDeleteThe park has always been a nice place, in the neighborhood, to walk the dog and look for wildlife but quads and dirtbikes are ripping the place apart!
I Am so glad this treasure of my childhood still exists. My parent bought a house at 37 Mackey Drive in 1961. My sister and I attended Honey Hollow Elementary School. I still to this day remember my friends and I exploring this area long before it was a park. The adventures we had. Jumping over what used to be a small wooden walkway. This as our youth. His was our “Stand by me”. I long to return and walk the path of yourh again.
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