Preserving the Abraham Combs house in Oceanside
19th-century home has ties to Teddy Roosevelt
All but unnoticed amid the suburban sprawl of Oceanside is a piece of American history few might expect to find: a 19th-century home steeped in stories from the Civil War era, early American life, and even a brush with President Theodore Roosevelt.
Steven and Kathy Buckley, who now own the home, have made it their mission to be the caretakers of this rich heritage, meticulously preserving its legacy.
The Buckleys, who have lived in the house, at 481 Silver Lane, for 37 years, are avid antique collectors who first learned of the its history after Steven visited the Hofstra University library in 1991 and discovered images on microfilm of many of the homes in his neighborhood. He and Kathy discovered that their new house was home to one Abraham Combs and his family in the late 1800s, and that it had been built in 1825.
In their research on the home, the Buckleys discovered that Roosevelt’s family had at one point owned a property just down Silver Lane from theirs. They found out that Roosevelt often came to Oceanside as a child, was friendly with the Combs family, and even learned to shoot a gun at the Combs house. The Buckleys found all of this out in a book entitled “The History of Oceanside,” produced by the Methodist Church of Oceanside and now a reference book at the Oceanside Library.
“We didn’t know about the Teddy Roosevelt connection,” Steven said. “Nobody knows about that. If it wasn’t for me and getting that book, nobody would know.”
The Buckleys, who were already history buffs, said that learning about the house’s past only fueled their drive to expand their collection of artifacts, which now largely consists of those from the Civil War-era. The entire interior of their home is furnished in 19th-century style, featuring spinning wheels and dolls dating back to that time, as well as silhouette portraits, a seemingly lost art.
The couple have even dedicated an entire room to the Civil War artifacts, transforming what was once their son Danny’s room into one filled with uniforms, weapons, and personal items from soldiers of the era. The collection includes a lieutenant’s cavalry uniform, complete with sash, boots, gloves and a hat, as well as one for a corporal. Particularly notable is a jacket that, astonishingly, matches one worn by an officer in a photograph Steven had owned for years, and only recently discovered the uncanny resemblance.
“We were put here — we believe we were actually sent here,” Steven said, explaining how he and Kathy feel a certain purpose in making the building’s history known.
As if the house weren’t already interesting enough, the Buckleys recall how, 35 or so years ago, when he was young, their son Danny once described seeing a ghostly figure of a little girl dressed all in white. While most people might chalk such a story up to a child’s imagination, the Buckleys were intrigued, and decided to investigate.
“We go (to the cemetery) and we’re searching around,” Steven recounted. “We find Abraham Combs and his wife, Charlotte’s, headstone. Way in the back, we see Susan Combs: 1871 to 1872. She was a year old. She died in this house in 1872.”
As they deepen their knowledge of their house and its history, the Buckleys remain committed to telling its story, and those of the people who lived there long before them. They have turned their home into something of a living museum, a place where the past is not just remembered, but kept alive for future generations.
