Opening from On This Site - Native Long Island

Nassakeag (South Setauket)

Nassakeag is connected with the southwest border of Setauket in Brookhaven town, in the locality later known as South Setauket. The name is tied both to a swamp and to Nassakeag, a Nissequogue sachem whose name appears in regional land records. Nassakeag belongs to the Setauket, South Setauket, and Nissequogue regional landscape. Time-specific land and swamp-name evidence is handled through Historic Moments. Recorded forms include Nassakeag, Nassekege, Nasseceage, Nesakaks swamp, Nasakakes swamp, Nasakeges swamp, and Naskeague. Tooker suggests the name may relate to being in the middle of a swamp, while also leaving open whether the swamp was named for the sachem or the sachem for the swamp. Why Place Names Matter “To name a place can simply be to index that location, but depending on the cultural context, naming a place can also convey the story, and any meanings that story can...