Lake View Cemetery

A Brief History: You cannot tell the history of Lakeview Cemetery without first discussing Patchogue’s “Four Sisters”. They were born in a house that was built in 1812 that still stands today. The four sisters Augusta, Betsy Ann, Charlotte, and Ruth Smith have a long history in Patchogue that reaches to the Lakeview Cemetery grounds. Ruth Smith originally owned the grounds that is now the cemetery and it was donated by her to the Episcopal Church to use as a cemetery. The four sisters left their legacy in Lakeview Cemetery by having 4 large columns and a large monument erected to honor her family. Standing at 22 feet high and weighing over 5 tons the monument has 4 statues that represent Charity, Faith, Hope, and Liberty. It also tells the genealogical history of the Smith family going back to “Rock John” Smith one of the original settlers of the town of Brookhaven. The Four Sisters also donated a plot to the cemetery for the sailors of Louis V. Place, a boat that crashed on Fire Island during a winter storm and all but 2 survived. All the bodies recovered were buried here. Also nationally known poet and lecturer Elizabeth Oakes Smith is also buried here. The cemetery is still there today and is located at Main St and Waverly Ave, in Patchogue.

Although no longer there on the grounds, to the left of the gate is a plaque where Hart’s Tavern was located. This plaque acknowledges that George Washington had stop to rest here before heading to Setauket. Some say that Washington stopped here to thank his Culper (Spy ring) in Setauket for there work and met with Austin Roe who later moved to Patchogue from Setauket and opened another tavern along with owning stores, mills, and hotels in town.

Haunted History: There have been numerous unconfirmed reports over the years of glowing ghostly figures seen moving through the cemetery. The only confirmed encounter with a ghost at this cemetery is from another paranormal group based on Long Island. The story goes as they were investigating this site they felt some cold spots and thought they saw something by one of the tombstones. When they went over by the tombstone, they thought they saw a face in the stone looking at them! But when they called other people over to look it had disappeared.