Looking for a fun holiday activity with the kids? Longwood Estate, corner of Longwood Road and Smith Road in Ridge, presents its annual Holiday Train display on Dec. 17 and 18 and Dec. 26 to 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Participate in an “I Spy” game and try to find all the hidden items in the display. Free. Call 631-924-1820 for more info.
On July 19, Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine and Councilman Michael Loguercio were on-hand for the annual Northern Bobwhite Quail release at Town of Brookhaven’s Longwood Estate in Ridge. The bird release is a program sponsored by the Town of Brookhaven, and the Center for Environmental Education and Discovery (CEED).
The 75 birds were released to help control the tick population, especially the deer tick, which is a carrier of Lyme disease. Working with the Center for Environmental Education and Discovery (CEED), students from Shoreham-Wading River, Longwood Library, Shirley-Mastic Community Library, Mt Sinai School District, and Middle Country School District assisted in raising Northern Bobwhite Quail for release into the wild.
Once abundant on Long Island, Northern Bobwhite Quail are released annually in Brookhaven Town to help control the tick population, especially the deer tick, which is a carrier of Lyme disease. Visit the CEED website to learn more about CEED and their Northern Bobwhite Quail Release programs in other communities. The annual Quail release at Longwood Estate is administered by the Town of Brookhaven’s Department of Recycling and Sustainable Materials Management (RSMM).
Pictured left to right during the release of the Northern Bobwhite Quail are CEED Executive Director Sally Wellinger; Councilman Michael Loguercio; CEED Wildlife Biologist, Program and Site Director, Eric Powers; CEED volunteer Olive Archer; Supervisor Ed Romaine and CEED supporter David Pate.
On Dec. 4, Town of Brookhaven Councilman Michael Loguercio was at historic Longwood Estate in Ridge to welcome Santa Claus to the Town’s annual “Santa, Trains, Old Fashion Sleigh Ride and Hot Cocoa” celebration. The traditional holiday event included a meet and greet with Santa for the children and their families, along with a holiday trains display, sleigh rides, popcorn and chestnuts that were “roasted on an open fire.” Hundreds of children and their families attended the celebration as Santa accepted the handwritten letters from each of the kids who took the time to share what they wanted for Christmas this year. Santa arrived in a Ridge Fire Department Fire Police Van driven by his favorite Elf, Councilman Loguercio. Mrs. Claus was in attendance, along with three more of Santa’s elves.
Pictured left to right are Councilman Loguercio; Longwood High School student, Brianna Colon; Santa Claus; Longwood High School student Karah Molloy; Mrs. Claus and Councilman Loguercio’s Chief of Staff, Victoria Molloy.
“I am always honored to host events that provide children and their families some old fashion family fun. As a special helper elf to Santa, the overwhelming happiness of the kids that day really make this so worthwhile year after year. Thank you to Santa, Mrs. Claus and all the other elves that took the day to help Santa and thank you to all the amazing men and women in our Parks Department for all their help in the preparation of this day,” said Councilman Loguercio.
Photos from Town of Brookhaven
Historic Longwood Estate, Longwood Road and Smith Road, Ridge, presents a special holiday program, Old-Fashioned Sleigh Rides & Hot Cocoa, for children ages 12 and under on Dec. 4 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Explore the grounds of the estate with an old fashioned sleigh ride, view two large train displays and enjoy roasted chestnuts and popcorn on an open fire. Children can visit with Santa (don’t forget your letter!) and have family members take photos. The Town of Brookhaven Youth Bureau will be collecting new, unwrapped toys for children in need through their INTERFACE program. $5 per child. To register, call 631-924-1820.
Click here for a here sneak peak of the train display: IMG_8101
On Aug. 7, Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) and town historian Barbara Russell visited the Longwood Estate (circa 1790) in Ridge where they presented two historic paintings to Joshua Ruff, director of collections and interpretation at The Long Island Museum in Stony Brook, to be added to the museum’s collection as a long-term loan.
The portraits, painted by Shepard Alonzo Mount, were gifted to the town by Eleanor Smith of California. The subjects are William Sidney Smith (1796–1879) and his wife, Eleanor Jones Smith (1805–1884). A year after their marriage in 1823, the couple came to Longwood Estate and raised 10 children. William Smith served as Brookhaven Supervisor from 1829 to 1834.
“These pieces were donated to the Town of Brookhaven, they still belong to the Town of Brookhaven, but they are coming to the museum and will be stored in our collections to be used occasionally for exhibition purposes,” said Ruff in a recent phone interview. “We agreed in taking them as a long-term loan because we believe they really add to our holdings on Shepard Alonzo Mount.”
Painted in the early 1830s, the two portraits were displayed in the house on the property until the last Smith family owner, Eleanor Northrup Smith, sold the estate and moved to California in the late 1960s. The paintings have been stored in a warehouse since that time.
Albeit a loan, Ruff is thrilled to be able to add them to the museum’s current collection, which includes more than 25 of Shepard Alonzo Mount’s paintings and several hundred of his drawings and sketches, not to mention the enormous collection of paintings and drawings by his more famous younger brother, William Sidney Mount.
According to Ruff, these particular portraits are unique in that they precede the portrait paintings the museum has, which are from the later 1830s and 1840s. “They were done just when [Shepard] was starting to launch his career as a portrait artist. This was a phase of his career that we hadn’t really documented before. They are valuable in that sense to us,” he said. “They show him beginning to mature as an artist and improve in his skills.”
