Maine Maid Inn

 

The Maine Maid Inn was originally the home of Valentine Hicks.  He was the youngest son of Samuel & Phebe Hicks. He was born n New York City and worked to organize the Society for Establishing a Free School, a group that started the New York City Schools. In 1815, he and his wife Abigail moved to Jericho and a house built by Timothy Treadwell.

Originally, the house had a side hall entrance, but it was moved to the front and a grand staircase was added.  Front rooms were also added. The house stood on an acre of land and Valentine then acquired eighteen more.  When Abigail inherited property from her father, they own more than thirty-five acres. It was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Valentine was documented to assist fugitive slaves.  One fugitive slave was hidden in the attic and then brought to the bay by wagon to freedom. Later, the fugitive slaves were taken to a secret linen closet from the grand staircase.  There were removable shelves and behind those, the closet let to another staircase that led to the attic.

The house was turned into the Maine Maid Inn in the 1950s.  It closed in 2009. In 2012, it was designated landmark status by the Town of Oyster Bay. The town's designation preserves the exterior of the structure, but doesn't limit the ability of an owner to refurbish the interior and grounds and build a business there. In 2013, it was purchased by the Scotto Brothers. In 2017, they opened the restaurant One North at the location after spending millions in modernizing the structure. It was eventually turned into Opus Steakhouse, which is still open today.

 

 

Sources:

Bolger, Timothy. “Maine Maid Inn Reborn as One North.” LI Press, 21 Dec. 2017, www.longislandpress.com/2017/12/21/maine-maid-inn-reborn-as-one-north

Dowd, Joe. “Historic Maine Maid Inn Designated as Landmark.” Plainview, NY Patch, 16 May 2012, patch.com/new-york/plainview/historic-maine-maid-inn-designated-as-landmark

Velsor, Kathleen G. The Underground Railroad on Long Island: Friends in Freedom. The @History Press, 2013