"In the fall of 1813, the Navy had moved its hospital off a ship and was temporarily renting the non-denominational meeting house from settler and preacher Edmund Luff." (
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"EDMUND LUFF HOUSE IN SACKETS HARBOR
One of the most historic* houses in the village of
Sackets Harbor is that which Edmund Luff built on the
northeast corner of Broad and Washington streets, some
time after 1805 and prior to the War of 1812. It was the
first house of Christian worship in that village. There
Mr. Luff, an Englishman, preached for a number of years
before his death in 1822 and he accepted no remuneration.
Mr. Luff was one of four sons of Samuel Luff to
come to Sackets Harbor with the latter as part of an
English colony in 1805. Edmund, a clergyman, called
himself a Restorationist, his creed being similar to that
of the Universalis ts. This little house, which he used as a
church, he also threw open to the use of any other
Christian faith whether Protestant or Catholic. During
the War of 1812 the house was turned over for use as a
hospital or other humanitarian services.
It was on Oct. 4, 1805, that Augustus Sacket, founder
of the village, and wife, Minerva, sold Mr. Luff his first
plot of land in Sackets. On Dec. 21 and 22, 1808, Mr. Luff
bought three other parcels,of land in the village. In the
next six years he bought several other parcels.
From July 24, 1845, to March 30, 1850, Mrs. Mary
Ann Dickey, wife of John O. Dickey, acquired the interests
of the Luff heirs in this little house described in the deeds
as the "meeting house" property. On April 5, 1864, Mrs.
Dickey, then of Clinton county, la., sold the. place to
Ellen Harlow and on ^larch 27, 1872, she disposed of it to
Perry Knowlton, Hounsfield, for $1,000. He conveyed
it to John T. and Emma J. Lee on Oct. 2, 1878, and it
remained in; the ownership of that family for 25 years.
Mr. Lee operated a store in Sackets Harbor for some
years, and on Nov. 11,1903, his widow, Emma J. Lee, sold
it to Mrs. Carrie A. Stearrie who, on June 17, 1909, transferred
it to her son, Clarke M. Stearne. Prominent Democrat,
Mr. Stearne was long one of the most prominent
residents of Sackets Harbor. There he operated a store
for a long time, was president of the village, for several
years was postmaster, was collector of customs of the
port, was a number of times Democrat candidate for
fmblic office, and for some time was president of the vil-age
education board.
Born at Sackets Harbor Aug. 15, 1866, Mr. Stearne
was the son of Aaron and Carrie L. Morseman Stearne,
his mother having been a member of the well known
Morseman family. In 1887 Mr. Stearne married Miss
Louise M. Metcalf, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Albert H.
Metcalf, another prominent early Sackets Harbor family,
Mr. Metcalf having taken command of the United States
naval station there in 1866 and after his death was
succeeded by his widow, who served as long as the station
was maintained.
Clarke M. Stearne died on May 20, 1944, at the age
of 77 and the house, which had been considerably altered
and improved under the Stearne ownership, passed to the
possession of his daughter, Mrs. Beatrice M. Whitney, the
present owner. Mrs. Whitney was for a number of
years a teacher in the Academy street grammar school in
this city.
The house, now covered with shingles which have
been stained to give a weathered appearance, and with a
small portico over the front door, stands facing Broad
street. Two tall elms tower on either side of it as graceful
guards of the building which became the first place of
religious worship in Jefferson county's historic military
and naval center of an earlier era." (
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