Originally built around 1730 as a lean-to salt box dwelling, the Sherwood-Jayne House and agricultural setting were maintained as an operational farmstead for over 150 years by members of the Jayne family. The structure notably features original late 18th century, hand-painted wall decorations and maintains its agrarian context with hayfields, meadows, woodlot, orchard, and pasture.
In 1908, Preservation Long Island’s founder, Howard C. Sherwood (1871–1957), acquired the property to showcase his interest in collecting and living with early American antiques. Today, the house is furnished to reflect both the Jayne family’s life there in the post-Revolutionary period and Sherwood’s residency as an early 20th century collector.
Scope of Collection
This collection contains images and descriptive data for 48 objects, mostly from the 18th century. Some of the furnishings are not from New York State but reflect Sherwood’s interests in early American decorative arts and interiors.
This collection was digitized as part of Preservation Long Island’s Long Island Furniture Project. This initiative aims to reexamine furniture made and used locally and enhance its accessibility to 21st-century researchers and the public. The digitization of Preservation Long Island’s furniture collection was supported by a grant provided by the Long Island Library Resources Council in 2025.
