Old Commack
Winnecomac — the pleasant lands, from 1789 church to lost arena.
Before the turnpike traffic, this was Winnecomac — Secatogue for "pleasant lands." Five stops through what survives: the 1789 Methodist church (one of the oldest in New York still standing), a farm one family kept for generations, a colonial homestead in a 133-acre preserve, and the vanished arena where the Ducks brawled and the brand-new Nets played their first season. Driving hunt.
The stops
Where it all crossed. Team photo at the corner + one teammate pronounces "Winnecomac" on video and says what it means.
One of the oldest Methodist church buildings in New York, raised in 1789. Photo at the historic marker; find the oldest legible date in the churchyard — respectfully.
A working farm one family held for generations, willed to the schools of Commack. Farmstead photo from the roadside gate — the property is preserved, so it's a no-entry stop.
The 1700s Wicks-Hoyt homestead inside the preserve. Photo at the farmhouse; +5 for finding the apple orchard rows.
A shopping center now — but this ground held the Long Island Ducks and the 1968-69 New York Nets' home ice-turned-court. Photo on the spot + one fact about who played here. The ghosts skate on.