Coram is the oldest settlement in central Brookhaven Town. It is located almost geographically in the center of Long Island; about 65 miles from both New York City in the west and Montauk Point in the east and eight miles from the Long Island Sound in the north and the Great South Bay in the south. While the land was somewhat flat with a ridge running through it the soil was sandy and not very fertile for crops.
There are several different stories about how Coram received its name. The first story states that the land was once called Wincoram after an Indian who lived in the area in the early 1700s. Some say this native was a Chief in the area, others do not.
Another origin for the name Coram states that it also comes from the word Wincoram. But this time Wincoram is an Indian term that means “a passage between hills” or “valley” which fits the description of the land where Coram is located.
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The third origin for the name says that the town was named after an English philanthropist and London Sea Captain who came to America by the name of Thomas Coram. An 18th century engraving of this Captain hangs in the former old town meeting house in Coram.
The fourth and last theory for how Coram got its name claims that Coram comes from Latin. According to this theory, Coram means “in the presence of”, “before one’s eyes”, “face to face”, and “in person” in Latin. It would be appropriate for the area since it was a place where the business of the town was done publicly.
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Until 1667 only natives inhabited the land that is today called Coram, though it was already being used as a main artery of transportation between New York City and settlements in the forks. In 1667 a man named William Satterly of Setauket sought a land grant from the town to keep a tavern for the travelers located in today’s Coram, then called Wincoram according to town records. William Satterly is assumed to be the first non-native to live in Coram.
The first person to be born in Coram was Elizabeth Barnes on April 6, 1685. At that time colonists had already begun to settle in the area, though it was not populated enough to call a "village of the Town" until 1749.
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