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By Kimberly Phyfe

The Three Village Historical Society (TVHS) celebrated its 30th Annual Spirits Graveyard Tour on Oct. 19.  The sold out event, titled Revolutionary Women: Living History/ Sharing Her Story, honored local women from as far back as 300 years ago who were revolutionary in their time.

TVHS Director Mari Irizarry commented on the staying power of three decades of this event. “We are so proud that the Spirits Tour has been running for thirty years, and grateful that the community continues to come out to enjoy this event! There is no shortage of incredible stories to tell of the people who lived, worked, died, and are buried here. With over three hundred years of history, there is something new to discover every time we put on a show!”

All eight scenes of the humorous, honest, and often heart-breaking women and men portrayed on the Spirits Tour were real people who lived in Setauket at one point in their lives. The majority of them are buried at Setauket Presbyterian Church or Caroline Episcopal Church, where the walking tour takes place every year.

As you wander Three Village and explore the historic sites, inspiration is everywhere. The theme for Revolutionary Women came up as traditionally, a woman’s place in history was in relation to the men around her. The Society wanted to give these women a chance to tell their own stories, many of them in their own words.

Rebecca Kassay was a first time actor in this year’s tour who wishes that everyone knew “that the spirits being portrayed were real people whose dynamic lives shaped the community we know and love today, and the Spirits Tour is a rare opportunity to hear their stories.”

When asked why she chose to get involved for the first time, Kassay stated “I’m grateful to be a part of the TVHS’s innovative efforts to bring history to life for audiences of all ages, connecting our past to our present, which helps to build a stronger future for our community.”

Elizabeth Marra is another first time actor on the Spirits Tour who noted that “our area is renowned for the contributions of local men in our revolutionary and seafaring history, but there were such beautiful, poignant, and inspiring women that history has forgotten. I enjoyed getting to know all of their stories.”

Marra spoke about her character that “the young woman I got to play, Mary Swift Jones — she was one of the first Americans (not just women) to see China and Japan. It was fascinating to think of the scale of the experience she must have had and how that must have sat with locals, especially for her time and being such a young woman.”

Mary Swift Jones and her husband, Captain Benjamin Jones, are both laid to rest at Setauket Presbyterian Church. Rob Von Bernewitz, long time tour guide and chair of the Cemetery Committee at TVHS, cleaned Mary’s headstone with permission for the special occasion.

While there were fresh faces joining the Tour this year, there were several long standing actors and guides who have been around for all three decades! Morton Rosen “has been performing in the tour ever since it was started 30 years ago! I have portrayed men who lived in our community in the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Each time I learn something new that makes me proud to live in Setauket and it is a pleasure to share that pride with those who visit our spirits. It is so important for everyone to know that what we call history was generated by the people who lived here and created the stories we celebrate today.” Rosen portrayed Captain Gilbert Floyd in a scene with his granddaughter, Blanche Dominick played by Suzanne Velazquez.

George Overin has been part of the Spirits Tour since 2017. This year, he was Thomas Hodgkins, uncle of Emma S. Clark. “So many people came up to talk to me after the tour who love the library, but didn’t know anything about Emma, her uncle who founded it in her honor, or Emma’s revolutionary generosity in helping others! The Three Village Historical Society seeks to answer questions we maybe haven’t even thought to ask — and they do it all with knowledge, compassion, and by creating wonderfully memorable experiences!”

An incredibly special touch this year was the inclusion of the four female lighthouse keepers at Old Field Point Lighthouse. The Society worked with Old Field Point in 2023 to assist Trustee Rebecca Van Der Bogart on getting the lighthouse on the National Register of Historic Places. In the Spirits Tour, Van Der Bogart herself portrayed Elizabeth Shoemaker — the first female lighthouse keeper not only at Old Field Point, but in New York State history! Haley Ogle portrayed the longest serving female lighthouse keeper, Betsy Smith, along with Caterina Vacchi Suzzi as Mary Foster, and Karen Wexler as Amelia Jayne.

Choosing which spirits to include every year is a daunting task. First the Society creates a theme, then researches which people would best fit the narrative. Irizarry joked that “if we honored all the women we wanted to, the tour would have been several days long! Choosing which stories to include is a grueling process, and we end up saving many of the spirits for future years.”

The scripts were written and edited by Kimberly Phyfe and researched by TVHS Archives Fellow Kayleigh Smith. The Society invited two professional guest writers for the monologues: Camile Arnone wrote for Amelia Shepard Jones Clay and Stephanie Drewisis wrote for Thomas Hodgkins.

Mary Satterly Rowland’s script was comprised entirely in her own words, from journal entries in the society’s archives. The witch trials of Mary and Ralph Hall and Goody Garlick were shaped by Scott Ferrara’s book, Accused of Witchcraft in New York. 

The scene for Mary Swift Jones was heavily influenced by Bev Tyler’s new book Love and Letters from Japan which included many of Mary’s letters. Tyler will be presenting his book at the Society’s free monthly lecture series on Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. at the Setauket Neighborhood House.

The 30th Annual Spirits Graveyard Tour was sponsored by Annmarie’s Farm Stand, Luigi’s Pizzeria, Starbucks, Apple Bank and Stop & Shop in East Setauket. Chamber music was provided by students in the Ward Melville High School orchestra, and traffic assistance was given by the History Honor Society at WMHS. Special contributions were made by the Education Committee: Bev Tyler, Donna Smith, Lindsey Steward-Goldberg, Town of Brookhaven Historian Barbara Russell, and Spirits Tour Committee Chair Janet McCauley.

Three Village Historical Society would especially like to thank Setauket Presbyterian Church and Caroline Episcopal Church for their unwavering support of this sold-out event year after year!

Author Kimberly Phyfe is the Community Engagement Manager at the Three Village Historical Society.