[1] In light of the farming, gardening, small fruit raising, and cultivation of root crops, the Franklinville freight depot was established by 1872.

It is listed as Franklinville as late as Employee Timetable #3 from June 1897,[3] when the superintendent of the LIRR ordered that names be the same as the postal jurisdiction.

With the opening of the Laurel Post Office, the name changed and by the summer of 1898, timetables reflected the modifications with Franklinville remaining in parentheses.

In 1910, the small wooden building was the setting for a controversy between the LIRR and the Post Office as to who should haul the mail from the station because of the location of the depot’s entry.

[2] Due to the long distance to New York City and the fact there was no high-speed electric service in the area, commuter ridership at Riverhead town stations such as Laurel was minimal.

The stipulation was that the company maintain suitable facilities for the receipt of carload and less-than-carload shipments of freight, and for minimal passenger service.

By early 1939, the Laurel depot was made into a shelter by boarding up the windows and removing the track-side wall.