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The Brookhaven Country Fair returns Sept. 21 and 22. Photo from TOB

New for 2024… Medieval Gathering, Demonstrations, Re-enactments and more!

Mark your calendars! The Town of Brookhaven’s Country Fair returns to the historic Longwood Estate located on Longwood Road and Smith Road in Ridge on Sept. 21 and 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Enjoy traditional crafts, vendors, colonial cooking, Revolutionary War and Civil War re-enactments, music by the Ed Travers Band, a medieval gathering, vintage apron show, house museum tours, and children’s activities.

Admission is $5 per person. Children under 12 are free and will receive a “Passport to the Past.” Parking is free with a complimentary shuttle from the Longwood Junior High School. Leashed and well-behaved pets are welcomed. Longwood Estate is located at the corner of Longwood Road and Smith Road in Ridge. Held rain or shine. For more information, call 631-924-1820.

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The Longwood Estate was passed down through the generations dating back prior to 1817.  In 1973, developer Wilbur Breslin and Herbert Carmel purchased the property for commercial and industrial development. Brookhaven Town officials and area residents strongly opposed the plan and in 1974, Breslin and Carmel donated the manor house and 35 acres of land to the Town of Brookhaven. During its two-hundred-year history, the house knew fallow periods and a notable 60-year Golden Age of love, family, and bustling activity. The estate now is the host to various activities for the residents to enjoy. For more information about the Longwood Estate, visit www.brookhavenny.gov. 

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TOB Historian Barbara Russell (right,) researcher Lynne Scofield, (left) and interim president Suzanne Johnson (second from left,) in front of the Davis Town Meeting House. Courtesy TOB

Brookhaven Town Clerk Kevin LaValle has launched his “Talking History with the Town Clerk” video series, which features an in-depth tour of the Davis Meeting House, located in Coram.

This house served as the former clerk’s office during the early days of the Town of Brookhaven. The debut video features insights from town Historian Barbara Russell, who provides historical context about the landmark.

Constructed in the 1750s, the Davis House was owned for over 250 years by direct male descendants of Foulk Davis, who settled in Southampton in 1642. Historian Davis Erhardt identifies Elijah Davis (1727-1802) as the likely original owner, who operated the house as a tavern-inn.

By the 1790s, the house became the seat of the Town of Brookhaven government, for over 80 years. In the mid-1800s, it served as a temperance house and by 1890, it transitioned to a private residence.

The Brookhaven Town Board officially designated the Davis House as a landmark on April 15, 1986, recognizing its historical significance. It was named a New York State landmark in 2000 and a National Landmark in 2001.

Significant restoration work was completed in September 2012, including roof replacement, masonry repairs and the reconstruction of a timber-framed front porch. These efforts were part of a broader initiative to preserve the building’s historical character. Today, the Davis House functions as a vibrant community center, hosting various local events and programs.

The Davis Meeting House, located at 263 Middle Country Road in Coram, offers historical tours every second Sunday of the month. For more information, call 631-804-2256.

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Image courtesy of TVHS

Three Village Historical Society continues its lecture series at the Setauket Neighborhood House, 95 Main St., Setauket with a presentation titled Freedomland U.S.A.: The Definitive History​ with speaker Mike Virgintino on Monday, Sept. 16 at 7 p.m.

Located in New York City, Freedomland U.S.A. was celebrated as the “Disneyland of the East.” While it survived only five seasons (1960-1964), to this day the park generates fond memories among baby boomers who enjoyed its American history-themed attractions.

Freedomland was conceived and built by C.V. Wood and his Marco Engineering Company. Known to many as Woody, he was Disneyland’s first employee and he brought Walt Disney’s imagination to life by leading the team that built that park. He then created Marco Engineering to build theme parks and other venues across the country. Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington and the community of Lake Havasu, Arizona, continue to prosper. The northeast Bronx marshland that featured Freedomland U.S.A. eventually became a housing development and a shopping center.

Unknown to Woody and the general public that adored Freedomland during the early 1960s, landowner William Zeckendorf, Sr., local politicians, city planners and construction unions considered the park a “placeholder” until property variances permitted significant development on the marshland. The variances provided the green light for the construction of the largest cooperative housing community in the world. A shopping center was added about a decade later and an indoor mall was constructed on the remaining undeveloped land during 2012.

“Co-op City was on New York City’s blueprints before the first shovel of dirt was turned to build the park,” said Virgintino. “Freedomland U.S.A. was doomed to fail before the first guest entered the park. As everyone was hailing this great achievement in The Bronx on its opening day, Woody already was concentrating on his Texas park and other projects. Other people, including William Zeckendorf, Sr., operated Freedomland U.S.A. and they kept it afloat, or ran it into the ground, depending on one’s perspective. The park survived until the land variances could be applied to the property. Then, Freedomland U.S.A. was declared a bankrupt and the
land was cleared for development.”

The lecture is free to the public, pre-registration encouraged by visiting www.tvhs.org. For more information, call 631-751-3730.

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Secrets of Stony Brook Village Walking Tour. Photo courtesy of WMHO
Discover the hidden gems of Stony Brook Village!
The Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO) has announced the return of its Secrets of Stony Brook Village walking tours on Friday, Sept. 20.
Enjoy a leisurely stroll through beautiful Stony Brook Village while hearing the quirky, real stories of the people who lived here and the landmarks that make it unique. Guests will explore the rich history of: The Melvilles, Alida Chanler Emmet, Jonas Smith, The Stony Brook Post Office, The Jazz Loft, The Three Village Inn, The Hercules Pavilion, Stony Brook Main Street and Market Square, All Souls Church, The Stony Brook Grist Mill, and The Mill Pond.
Two sessions will take place on September 20, one at 10:50 a.m. and the other at 3:50 p.m. Fee is $12 per person. Reservations are required.
To reserve your spot on the tour and to learn more about the WMHO, call 631- 751-2244.

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The new sign marking St. John’s historic cemetery. Photo by Lauren Feldman

By Lauren Feldman

St. John’s Episcopal Church of Huntington unveiled the new sign fronting its cemetery on Sunday, Sept. 8. The unveiling was accompanied by a lecture on the complex history of both St. John’s and the cemetery grounds, provided by local historians and preservationists.

Locals will note that the cemetery, located across from Huntington Hospital, is more than a stone’s throw from the church’s current location on the corner of Main Street and Prospect Street. 

They may also find it odd that the church located next to these grounds is not, in fact, St. John’s, but the Bethel AME Church, which represents an entirely different congregation.

Joel Snodgrass discusses preservation and restoration plans for the cemetery. Photo by Lauren Feldman

Historians Toby Kissam and Robert Hughes were on-site to explain the strange location of the cemetery grounds. 

The church building today is the third one in the congregation’s history, erected at the beginning of the 20th century on land donated by Cornelia Prime. The first services were held in the new church on Pentecost, 1907. A new parish hall was built, and the church was consecrated in 1917.

The cemetery itself marks the grounds of the original church site. In the 1740s, the Rev. Samuel Seabury Sr. of St. George’s paid a visit to Huntington, where he found a small group of like-minded people. By the following year, enough settlers in the area were invested in forming their own parish. 

A small church building was erected a little north of the Village Green, located along Park Avenue on the north side of Route 25A. 

Throughout the Revolutionary War, Kissam said, there were no permanent ministers at the church, as Long Island was a region of divided loyalties. While there were many Tories loyal to the king, Huntington was a town of patriot sympathizers and no minister associated with the official church dared settle in the area. 

Following the war, the church struggled to reorganize, and after five decades the original building was in a state of extreme disrepair. 

By the 1860s, the vestry was debating whether to rebuild on the existing grounds or move elsewhere. The location of the church was perceived as inconvenient for most people to attend, consequently lowering attendance and enfeebling the church. But in spite of these disadvantages, the church was rebuilt on the original site.

Then in 1905 a fire destroyed the church’s building, and the church was rebuilt at its new (current) location, with the land provided by Prime. 

And so it came to be that the church and its cemetery were separated across town. With the new sign in place, as well as inviting members of both the congregation and the village, the clergy of St. John’s hopes to continue to raise awareness for the ongoing efforts of the church to restore these sacred grounds.

Architectural conserver Joel Snodgrass walked visitors through the plans for preserving and restoring the grounds at St. John’s. The process will include bringing in professional landscapers to clear out the severe overgrowth of the grounds, as well as repairing and replacing some of the damaged ancient stones. 

The unveiling of the cemetery sign comes at a pivotal time for the parish, which will be celebrating its 280th anniversary in 2025. Plans are underway to host and fundraise for a series of events in celebration of the longevity of the congregation. This information will soon be available on the parish’s website. 

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A scene from the 10th annual Culper Spy Day. Photo by Toni-Elena Gallo
A scene from the 10th annual Culper Spy Day. Photo by Toni-Elena Gallo
A scene from the 10th annual Culper Spy Day. Photo by Toni-Elena Gallo
A scene from the 10th annual Culper Spy Day. Photo by Toni-Elena Gallo
A scene from the 10th annual Culper Spy Day. Photo by Toni-Elena Gallo
A scene from the 10th annual Culper Spy Day. Photo by Toni-Elena Gallo
A scene from the 10th annual Culper Spy Day. Photo by Toni-Elena Gallo
A scene from the 10th annual Culper Spy Day. Photo by Toni-Elena Gallo
A scene from the 10th annual Culper Spy Day. Photo by Toni-Elena Gallo
A scene from the 10th annual Culper Spy Day. Photo by Toni-Elena Gallo

By Toni-Elena Gallo

The Three Village Historical Society held its 10th annual Culper Spy Day Sept. 7, creating an event of fun and history for all who attended.

The day was cloudy and a bit rainy, but families were not deterred as they ventured out to learn about the area’s rich, revolutionary story.

The Culper Spy Ring was what was to become America’s first web of espionage. The information relayed along this tri-state route, was instrumental in George Washington’s victory during the Revolutionary War.

In front of the Three Village Historical Society headquarters, visitors could stop by the tents of George Washington and his Huntington militia, as well as the red coats.

“Here we have a cartridge box, for ammunition. It would hold paper cartridges, filled with gunpowder for the musket balls. A powder horn, carved from a cow’s, also held gunpowder in battle,” said Vinny, a member of the “Continental Army” all decked-out in authentic-styled period clothing.

At another station, a daughter and mother listened intently as a woman dressed as Anna Smith Strong — a woman notable for using her laundry line as a secret signal system, to communicate with fellow Culper spies — explained the intricacies of key players Robert Townsend, Austin Roe, Caleb Brewster and Benjamin Tallmadge’s system of providing Gen. Washington with vital intel in Westchester.

According to “Strong,” Townsend would create messages in invisible ink, to be distributed in his Manhattan shop, which would, then, be picked up by Setauket tavern owner, Austin Roe. Setauket farmer, Abraham Woodhull, would correspond with Roe, and from there, Brewster would take the information across the Sound, into Connecticut. Lastly, Tallmadge, the ringleader, would ride on horseback to wherever Washington was stationed — whether it was upstate New York or New Jersey.

Throughout the festival, historical meals, such as succotash, which is a type of stew, originated by Native Americans and added onto by colonial settlers, were available to be sampled. But, for those in the mood for some modern-day treats, those were on hand, as well.

For more information on how to tour the trails of the Culper Spy Ring, visit www.tvhs.org.

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Cathy Barbash (Sitting center) and Susan Barbash (Right sitting) present Stony Brook University Special Collections members Kristen Nyitray (Left sitting), Lynn Toscano (Left) and Jamie Saragossi (Right) a small collection of papers relating to their late activist father Maurice Barbash’s work to stop a proposed 4 lane highway down the spine of the Fire Island and the creation of the Fire Island National Seashore (FINS). Photo by John Griffin/SBU

Timed with the 60th Anniversary Establishment of FINS Becoming a National Park 

Stony Brook University Libraries have received a donation of historic documents that outline the battle to stop the construction of a highway on Fire Island while fighting successfully to create the Fire Island National Seashore (FINS), New York. The documents reveal the efforts of the Citizen’s Committee for a Fire Island National Seashore, the grassroots community campaign that prevented Robert Moses’ plan in the 1960s. The collection was gifted by the Barbash family. Maurice Barbash, the father of Cathy, Susan, and Shepard Barbash, and their uncle Irving Like led the committee’s efforts and organized it.

The collection has historical importance in the establishment of the Fire Island National Seashore (FINS) and includes committee meeting minutes, press releases, and correspondence with New York State Governor Nelson Rockefeller and Stuart Udall, Secretary of the Interior. The timing of the donation coincides with the upcoming 60th anniversary of the legislation that created FINS as a unit of the National Park Service (September 11, 1964).

“We are very excited to have the papers of the Citizen’s Committee for a Fire Island National Seashore as a part of Stony Brook University Libraries’ collections. With the upcoming 60th anniversary, preserving and providing access to this collection is of great importance,” said Jamie Saragossi, Associate Dean of Content Services.

These items will become part of the University Libraries’ Special Collections, which oversees and curates the university’s rare books, maps, archival materials, manuscripts, and historical maps. Details about the collection will be accessible via a dedicated webpage, and the papers will be digitized and made freely available online.

“The papers offer first-hand, historical evidence of the remarkable grassroots efforts that protected the natural environments of both Long Island and Fire Island for future generations,” said Kristen J. Nyitray, Director of Special Collections and University Archives, and University Archivist. “The papers are an important addition to Special Collections and highlight our commitment to collect, preserve, and provide access to diverse histories of Long Island.”

About the Campaign

The efforts of community citizen-activists on Fire Island were instrumental in the legislation that formally established the Fire Island National Seashore. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the bill into law in 1964, preventing the construction of a proposed highway extending eastward from what is currently Robert Moses State Park.

Cathy Barbash reflected on the decision to donate the collection and its research significance. “We are honored that Stony Brook University has agreed to accept the original minutes of the Citizen’s Committee for a Fire Island National Seashore and related research and correspondence. The Committee was founded on September 12, 1962, by fourteen volunteer citizens who worked tirelessly for two years to promote the creation of the National Seashore against steep odds. The Committee was founded and co-chaired by our father, Maurice Barbash, and our uncle, Irving Like.”

“This collection is significant because the minutes and other materials document in great detail the strategies, organization, and actions of a group of concerned citizens who came together spontaneously, pooling their intellectual, professional, and social resources to create an effective grassroots movement to fight the destruction of a natural area by creating a common good. The research included in the collection also sheds light on the political backstory and maneuvering between powerful political figures in mid-century America that shaped the overall battle and ultimate success of the campaign for the National Seashore,” she added.

In addition to the papers of the Citizen’s Committee for a Fire Island National Seashore, the collection includes digital files used in the exhibition “Protecting a Ribbon of Sand: The Creation of Fire Island National Seashore,” curated by Susan and Cathy Barbash for the 50th anniversary of FINS at the Fire Island Lighthouse Fresnel Lens Building.

When asked about why the family chose Stony Brook to be the home for the collection, Cathy Barbash said, “We are donating the papers to Stony Brook University for two reasons. First, both Stony Brook University and the Fire Island National Seashore are located in Suffolk County, New York and we believe it is important that these materials are in the library of a major research university so close to their subject matter. Secondly, Irving Like’s papers are already in Stony Brook’s special collections. Because he and our father were the prime movers in this campaign and in other civic causes, we felt it appropriate that the collections belonged together to promote ease of research.”

Susan Barbash added, “The epic battle against Robert Moses’ plan to build a four-lane highway down the center of Fire Island took place in 1964, when my sister Cathy and I were children. Though we had many memories of the role our father Murray Barbash played in the fight against Moses, and subsequent fight for National Seashore designation, we had no idea that the victory over Moses was far from inevitable.”

 

 

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Instructor Paul Belard

Huntington Historical Society will host a two-part Book Binding workshop with instructor Paul Belard on Wednesdays, September 11 and  18 at the Conklin Barn, 2 High St., Huntington from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Do you have books that you would like to see repaired, e.g., Bibles, cookbooks, heirlooms? Do you want to make a box for a precious volume, documents, or mementos, etc? Then this course is for you. Bring the books in need of attention. You will be shown how they can be repaired.

Trained in Paris, a book binder and restorer for 35 years, Paul Belard taught book restoration at CW Post Adult Education for several years. More recently — from 2015 to the arrival of Covid — he mentored at the Norwood Avenue Elementary School in Northport, where a group of young book enthusiasts had created their own club, The Book Doctors.

Fee is $45 per person, $35 members. To register, call 631-427-7045, ext 401 or click here.

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Judge Cohalan, center, at a recent Three Village Historical Society awards dinner. Photo courtesy of Suffolk County Legislature

The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation recognizes the Honorable Peter Fox Cohalan for his contributions to the Historical Society of the New York Courts’ online County Legal History Project. The project documents the local legal history of all the counties in New York State, including the legal figures, cases, and events that helped shape each county’s past.

The project relies on volunteers to collect, write, and organize each county’s historic legal information. Judge Cohalan represented Suffolk County in this initiative by authoring an extensive piece on Suffolk’s legal origins. The histories of 20 of the 62 counties in New York State have been completed and are now available on the Historical Society of the New York Courts’ website.

Named Suffolk County Historian in 2012, Judge Cohalan has a long family heritage of community service. His public roles have included Islip Town Supervisor, Suffolk County Executive, and State Supreme Court Justice. A long legacy in the judiciary includes six Cohalans on the bench, five serving as State Supreme Court Justices.

“The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation is delighted to recognize Judge Cohalan as a contributing author to this important research into Suffolk County’s history. Recognizing his career and distinguished efforts, the Foundation has created a scholarship in his name which annually offers $40,000 to a high school senior majoring in American studies. His piece on Suffolk’s judiciary speaks to the level of scholarship we hope the Honorable Peter Fox Cohalan Scholarship in American Studies will inspire,” said Kathryn M. Curran, Executive Director of the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation.

The Cohalan family story in America can claim arrival with General Lafayette in 1777 during the American Revolution. A Cohalan family member was a Grand Sachem of Tammany Hall, and yet another was the first Catholic priest on Long Island in 1839. Judge Cohalan joined the Board of Trustees of the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation in 2014. Serving in that capacity, he oversees $5 million in awards annually for preservation and research focusing on Long Island and New York State’s role in American history.

“I want to thank Judge Albert M. Rosenblatt and Allison Morey of the Historical Society of New York Courts for the opportunity to undertake this project to document the rich history and significant contribution the Suffolk County legal community has made to New York State. The Historical Society of New York Courts performs a crucial role in helping us all remember those who have made New York State a leader in American legal and judicial history,” said Judge Cohalan.

 

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Reenactors on the grounds of the Three Village Historical Society during Culper Spy Day on Sept. 10. Photo by Joseph Cali

By Heidi Sutton

Mark your calendars! On Saturday, Sept. 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Three Village Historical Society and Tri-Spy Tours will host a Revolutionary event — Culper Spy Day. Made possible by title sponsor Heritage Spy Ring Golf Club, it’s the event that every history buff looks forward to.

Now in its 10th year, the annual event is the brainchild of Margo Arceri, who first heard about Washington’s Setauket spies (including her favorite spy Anna Smith Strong) from her Strong’s Neck neighbor and local historian, Kate W. Strong, in the early 1970s. 

Meet Big Bill the Tory at the Sherwood-Jayne Farm on Sept. 7 from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Photo courtesy of Preservation Long Island

“My love of history grew from there,” said Arceri who today runs Tri-Spy Tours offering walking, bike and kayak tours of the Setauket area. “Everywhere you turn in the Three Villages you are looking at an artifact, and as the historical society believes, the community is our museum and I would really love to put that on the forefront of people’s minds. History is constantly evolving and new information is being discovered everyday. We don’t know what is waiting to be unearthed next and that fills me with excitement.”

The day of spy-related tours and activities was named for the Culper Spy Ring founded by Benjamin Tallmadge of Setauket, which provided General George Washington the information he needed to turn the tide of the American Revolution.

On Culper Spy Day, you will have the chance to visit the places where history was made and visit with area groups to learn about the patriots who risked their lives. 

Visitors can enjoy docent-led tours of historic homes, churches and cemeteries; Colonial cooking demonstrations; Anna Smith Strong’s famed clothesline; and a Revolutionary War encampment and musket firing drills by several militia groups.

There are plenty of children’s activities too including a children’s story hour, a potato sack race, an epic scavenger hunt, invisible ink demonstrations decoding spy names, sending wax sealed letters, making colonial crafts, and building a scale model timber frame house alongside Abraham Woodhull. 

In addition, Revolutionary War artifacts, including George Washington’s original letters to members of his spy ring will be on display in the Stony Brook University Library Special Collections. View a rare surviving letter dated November 8, 1779, between Benjamin Tallmadge and Robert Townsend at the Long Island Museum and explore their  world-famous carriage collection, with ties to Long Island’s Revolutionary War history 

Visitors will have a chance to meet Abraham Woodhull, Big Bill the Tory and Anna Smith Strong as well. 

See history come to life with this self-guided interactive tour spanning the Three Villages and beyond! Start your adventure at the Three Village Historical Society, 93 North Country Road, Setauket and then visit participating locations including the Sherwood-Jayne Farm, Drowned Meadow Cottage Museum, The Long Island Museum, Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, Caroline Episcopal Church, Setauket Presbyterian Church, Setauket Neighborhood House, Patriots Rock, and Stony Brook University. The Setauket Elementary School’s auditorium will also be open for a special viewing of the Vance Locke murals depicting the founding of the Town of Brookhaven. 

All events are free with the exception of the Sherwood-Jayne Farm house tour ($5 adults, free for ages 17 and under) and the award-winning Spies! exhibit at the Three Village Historical Society. Build your own Revolutionary War story and see history come to life at this fun-filled event. For more information, call 631-751-3730 or visit www.tvhs.org for a full schedule of events.

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*New this year will be a Culper  5K Race/Walk on Sunday, Sept. 8 at 9 a.m. Presented by Strong Island Running Club and sponsored by the Three Village Dads Foundation, the event will support the Dominick-Crawford Barn History & Education Center. Racers can trace the footsteps of the spies starting at the TVHS Headquarters, through the Old Setauket Historic District, up through battle fields and farmlands, around the churches, past pre-Revolutionary homes, and back to the Museum. Tickets are $30 adults, $10 kids fun run. Sign up at tvhs.org/5k.

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