Adapted from the 1997 House Tour Guide (Pages 46-57)

The history of this mid 18th century house is not a clear one. Francis Skillman, whose recollections are seldom wrong, says it was built by John Valentine in 1743, and although certain documents indicate that this may be true, nothing absolutely proves it. John Valentine died before his father Richard Valentine Sr., leaving him "the house I built", among other things. On March 20, 1758 Richard Valentine Sr. deeded to his son Richard Valentine Jr. three houses, one of which was described as "the house that John Valentine built on the east side of the road..." and other descriptions in the deed establish "the Road" as today's East Broadway. (Town Records, Vol. IV, Pg. 293). Without Francis Skillman's attribution it would not be possible to identify the Valentine Losee house from this unelaborated description. Skillman further says that William Valentine sold the house to Benjamin Albertson, who "settled his son Hicks on it, who later sold it in different parcels." Skillman states, too, in another portion of his narrative, that Sam Hallet once owned the place. Deeds have not yet been located to substantiate or refine these facts, but some others that may include the house have been found.

In March 31, 1762, the two Richard Valentines sold a 15 acre parcel of land, with no house mentioned, to Richard Weeks (cordwainer) and George Weeks (ship's carpenter). (Town Records, Vol. IV, Pg. 314). Later deeds show that these Weeks (also spelled Weekes) were the sons of Richard Valentine Jr., although we are at present unable to account for the difference in the names. Five years later the executors of Richard Valentine Jr. transferred a house to the Weeks on the east side of East Broadway immediately north of the land they purchased from the Valentine. (Town Records, Vol. VI, Pg. 322, May 8, 1767). Further, the house is described as being the same one given by Richard Valentine Sr. to Richard Valentine Jr. on March 20, 1758; in that deed "the house John Valentine built". This may be the Valentine-Losee house - but it might be a house no longer standing, some distance to the north on East Broadway. The Weeks brothers - of whom George alone was still living - were mentioned in the will of Richard Valentine Sr. (proved June 18, 1768) as the sons of his deceased son Richard Valentine. Through the will George Weeks acquired another piece of meadow land, whose location is not known. So far, if indeed these wills and deeds refer to the Valentine-Losee house, its ownership is still within the Valentine family. Deeds of 1785 and 1792 record sales of the land from George Weeks to Charles Titus, and from Titus to Andrew, Henry and William Onderdonk (Town Records, Vol. VI, pgs. 327 and 329), but it is not clear that these deeds include the house.

Then, on May 4, 1835, James Losee purchased two parcels of land on the east side of today's East Broadway from a man named Nathan Payne. One of them was a 15acre parcel that may have included the Valentine-Losee house. The other was bounded on the north and east by land of Samuel P. Hallett (whom Francis Skillman said once owned the house). Local tradition says that James Losee bought his land in 1834 or 1835. Nathan Payne stated that he owned the premises conveyed by "right of a good, absolute...estate of inheritance in fee simple". (Queens County, Liber JJ of Deeds, Pg. 454). Searching backwards then for Payne's title to his lands, it was revealed that the second-mentioned East Broadway parcel had been sold to him in 1831 by Stephen Weeks. (Queens County Liber AA of Deeds, Pg. 454, April 26). None of these deeds shed light on Skillman's statements about the Albertson and Hallett ownership of the house. A lengthier title search is likely to uncover information about these families. Nor does the information at hand illuminate the local tradition that the Methodist minister(and storekeeper) David Buck owned the house and sold it to Losee. It is possible that Buck, whose dates of activity in Hempstead Harbour were ca. 1806 to his death in 1823, occupied the house by lease.

The house stayed in the Losee family well into the 20th century, owned next by James' son Washington, and in 1914 by C.A. Losee.

PROLOGUE: The Valentine-Buck-Losee house was badly damaged by fire in the early 1940's. The roof was burned off, and considerable damage done to the interior. Following the fire, the roof was reconstructed, the only original rafters to survive being those of the gables. The work done at this time was in no sense "restoration" but an effort to make the house livable. Two wide dormers with mullioned windows were added to each slope of the new roof. The main appearance change at this time was to shingle the house. In 1976, the house was purchased by Mrs. Cynara Genovese, who secured the services of John Stevens, architectural historian, to plan its restoration, and Paul Czarnecki to do carpentry work. Work continued on the house sporadically and was far from complete at the time of Mrs. Genovese's death in March 1990. The house continued in the occupancy of Mrs. Genovese's daughter Marta, who in January 1996 sold it to Mrs. Roger Gerry. Work on the restoration of the house has commenced under to direction of John Stevens and Guy Ladd Frost, A.I.A., with the carpentry being executed by Edward Soukup and Noel Zuhowsky.