History of Coram, NY

Coram is a small scenic hamlet located in the coastal town of Brookhaven. As a census-designated place, the hamlet was reported to have a population of over 39,000 residents during the 2010 national census. This was a significant increase from the 34,000 recorded in 2000.

Being part of Suffolk County, the residential community of Coram has a beautiful history that goes way back to before the colonial period. Just like the rest of Brookhaven, the hamlet was originally inhabited by the Unkechaug and Setauket Native American tribes. The first known English settler in the modern-day Brookhaven Town area arrived in 1640. The new English settlement that developed in the area came to be known as Setauket and later as Brookhaven. Setauket was made up of small agricultural hamlets, one of which came to be known as Coram.

History has it that Coram was the first settlement area in the central region of Brookhaven Town. The hamlet’s first European settler, William Satterly, arrived in 1677. Slattery is credited with opening the first tavern in the Coram.

There are at least four different accounts that try to explain the origin of the name Coram. The most popular version alleges that the area was named after a Native American chief, Wincoram, who lived in the area until sometimes in the early 18th century. Another version states that Wincoram was a native term for “valley”, a fitting description of Coram’s geographical location. A third and slightly different version suggests that the hamlet was named after Thomas Coram, a famous English Sea Captain and philanthropist who arrived in the area sometime in the 18th century and left an engraving of his name at the old town meeting house.

Although Coram was largely uninvolved during the American Revolution, it was the location of the apprehension and burning of 300 tons of hay belonging to the Britons. The operation was orchestrated by the Culper Ring spy organization led by the legendary Benjamin Tallmadge.

Between 1784 and 1885, Coram was the administrative center of Brookhaven Town. The Davis Town Meeting House served as the meeting point and is currently the oldest existing structure in the hamlet. Until 1984, the Coram was also the location of a small airport that served Brookhaven and most of the surrounding communities.

Having made bold strides in development during the early days, Coram is currently a laidback residential community with a well-established education system, state-of-the-art transportation system, and a fast-growing real estate industry.