History & Culture
Settlement of the area goes back more than three centuries, as evidenced by such landmarks as the Terry-Ketcham Inn, which dates from the late 1600s. With guests that included Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, the historic inn and tavern earned its spot on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993 (the site also served as a Civil War training ground). Another local monument on the National Register of Historic Places is the Masury Estate Ballroom, which was built around 1898 and is all that remains of a large shingle-style estate. (A less respectable landmark is the Lindenmere, the 14-bedroom estate seized from Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos.) Center Moriches is a residential place, albeit with traces of the rural character that once dominated. You can spy a few farms, and in the southern section there are creekside inns, marinas, and laid-back beaches such as Webby’s.