Powell, Thomas Underhill

The Thomas Underhill Powell house, most recently known as the apartment house owned by Mickey Simmons, was built about 1854 by Charles Powell at what was then the southeast corner of the family estate. It was only a one story house and was built using tree trunks as floor beams.

To put the Powell line inperspective, the Thomas Powell who lived in this house, was the 6th generation after the original Thomas Powell who made the Bethpage Purchase in 1695. Charles Powell (5th generation after the original Thomas) who built the house died in 1860 and he left the house to Thomas Underhill Powell. After Thomas Underhill Powell died in 1902 the house was rented for a few years and then purchased by Dr. Magilligan.

A two story wooden addition and a three story clapboard addition were added by Dr. Magilligan in 1906. He used it as a summer house. It was again rented for a few years and the oldest section damaged by fire in 1912. In 1937, Mr. Kelly, Mickey Simmon's father bought the house and removed the 1854 part and replaced it with a three story brick section and also enlarged the 1906 addition to a full three stories.

Mickey Simmons has told the story that some of the original beams were reused during the 1937 construction. Since the building will be demolished when the new housing project on this site is complete, if some of these beams can be saved, perhaps some of the wood could be used in some future Historical Society project. (unfortunately, the CPHS was not informed of this)

Information provided by Jack Gifford and appeared in the CPHS NEWSLETTER - November 1995 Additional information can be found in the Encyclopedia under Architecture: Rathcabbin Apartments