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Port Jefferson Historical Society

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A scene from the 17th annual Antiques & Garden Weekend. Photo by Sumaq Killari
A scene from the 17th annual Antiques & Garden Weekend. Photo by Sumaq Killari
Albert Williams of Karen & Albert at the 17th Annual Antiques and Garden Weekend. Photo by Sumaq Killari
A scene from the 17th annual Antiques & Garden Weekend. Photo by Sumaq Killari

By Sumaq Killari

The scent of rusted metal and aged cedar greeted visitors as they stepped inside the Port Jefferson Village Center this past weekend, where the past felt freshly alive. 

The three-story venue was transformed for the 17th Annual Antiques and Garden Weekend, a community tradition and fundraiser for the Port Jefferson Historical Society, generously sponsored this year by Northwell Mather Hospital. 

The building buzzed with activity as visitors explored vintage treasures and seasonal blooms. The Suwassett Garden Club showcased a vibrant display of hanging baskets, perennials and patio planters.

“It’s a time when the whole community comes together,” said Catherine Quinlan, a member of the Port Jefferson Historical Society board of trustees. “You see people you haven’t seen for maybe a year or so. People come together and just support each other. It’s really a wonderful event.”

The first floor featured at least 20 different vendors, many displaying jewelry in glass display cases, glassware, porcelain statues, old postcards and framed drawings and pictures.

Toward the south side of the first floor, Karen & Albert, a business owned by Karen and Albert Williams, a married couple, displayed furniture from different eras, including a 30-year-old wooden writing desk with a gently curved design. But there is a trick: hidden inside is a concealed bar. “You think it’s just a desk when you see it,” said Albert Williams with a smile. 

“Part of our company is to be able to educate people about antiques and about vintage items and how they can incorporate that with their own style,” said Karen Williams. “We have been in business for over 40 years, so we go on buying trips all the time,” she said. 

On the second floor, a booth displayed a collection of thrifted bags, including a beige Lauren Ralph Lauren handbag made of monogrammed fabric and featuring the LRL logo, priced at just $30. “This bag is so Y2K,” said Emelyn Ore, a college student attending the event. She noted its early 2000s aesthetic and monogrammed design matched current trends.

The friendly atmosphere reached the third floor, where the smell of baked goods filled the air. A group of ladies, members of the Suwassett Garden Club, sat behind a table displaying the treats. 

“Money, we like money,” one woman joked when asked what they liked most about the event. “Yes, we like it,” another chimed in. The group’s co-president added that this was their major annual fundraiser.

Proceeds from the event support the Historical Society’s mission to discover, preserve and share knowledge of the Greater Port Jefferson Area’s rich history.

As the day drew to a close, the sound of chatter and the scent of fresh blooms lingered, reminding visitors that while antiques may be old, the community spirit in Port Jefferson is timeless.

Sumaq Killari is a reporter with the SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom program for students and local media. 

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‘A Heckscher Morning' by Charleen Turner of Huntington

The Town of Huntington Councilwoman Theresa Mari, in partnership with the Children with Special Needs Committee, has announced the first annual All Abilities Expo, a community-driven event designed to celebrate inclusivity and provide essential resources for individuals of all ages and abilities, at Heckscher Park, 2 Prime Ave., Huntington on Saturday, May 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Businesses, service providers, and organizations dedicated to supporting individuals with disabilities and special needs to participate as vendors in this meaningful event.

The All Abilities Expo will showcase a diverse range of local businesses and organizations offering adaptive equipment, therapeutic activities, medical and legal resources, social and educational support, and much more. Our goal is to create an engaging, welcoming environment where families, caregivers, educators, and individuals can connect with valuable resources tailored to their unique needs.

Why Participate?

  • Directly engage with the special needs community
  • Showcase your products, services, and expertise
  • Network with professionals, caregivers, and educators
  • Support inclusivity and help foster a more accessible community

Vendors who are committed to making a difference are encouraged to join them in this initiative. Vendor admission is FREE, but space is limited, so interested participants are urged to secure their spot as soon as possible.

For more information or to reserve a booth, please contact: Michelle Wright at [email protected]
631- 351-3173

Other vendor opportunities on the North Shore:

◆ Benner’s Farm, 56 Gnarled Hollow Road, East Setauket seeks vendors for its popular  Easter Egg Hunts on April 19 and April 20. Fee is $55 for one day, $90 for two days for a 10’ by 10’ spot. For more information, call 631-689-8172 or email [email protected].

◆ Three Village Historical Society, 93 North Country Road, Setauket seeks full-season, seasonal, pop-up and food truck vendors for its 11th annual Three Village Farmers & Artisans Market on Fridays from May 2 to Oct. 24. Hours are 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. from May to September, and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in October. For an application and more information, visit www.tvhs.org or call 631-751-3730. 

◆ Port Jefferson Historical Society seeks Antique Dealers for the Antiques and Garden Weekend at the Port Jefferson Village Center, 101A East Broadway, Port Jefferson on May 3 and May 4 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit portjeffhistorical.org or email [email protected]. 

◆ Polish American Independent Ladies of Port Jefferson Auxiliary will hold their annual Spring Vendor & Craft Fair at the Polish Hall, 35 Jayne Blvd., Port Jefferson Station on May 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Vendor fee is $50 for inside tables, $35 for outside tables. To reserve your space, visit https://www.zeffy.com/ticketing/2025-spring-craft-and-vendor-fair or call Jennifer at 516-383-3456.

 

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Above, the front cover of the Bessie Whiting log book.

The Port Jefferson Historical Society recently added a fascinating piece of history to its collection by acquiring a ship’s log for the historic sailing vessel Bessie Whiting in a local auction. The log contains entries for the years 1903 to 1904 and covers details of the vessel’s merchant voyages to Charleston, Jacksonville, and Savannah.

The ship’s log joins other valuable research resources in the Port Jefferson Historical Society’s archive of historic artifacts, including those related to the early shipbuilding industry of Port Jefferson Village. The log was purchased with the help of funding from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation. 

Above, the title page of the Bessie Whiting log book.

“When small treasures come to light, our goal is to assist in securing them for our historic stewards,” said Kathryn M. Curran, Executive Director of the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation. “These new and old finds will be available for research and to grow our community’s history.”

The Bessie Whiting was a three-masted schooner built in 1882 at the John R. Mather shipyard in Port Jefferson Harbor for Captain George Dayton of Port Jefferson and John R. Mather, along with other Port Jefferson investors. The vessel appears to have carried primarily lumber north from southern ports. 

In the summer of 1882, the vessel made a remarkable voyage of 135 miles up the Hudson River from the Battery in New York City to the village of Coeymans just south of Albany. It was reported to be one of the largest vessels to travel up river and dock at Coeymans Wharf with a cargo of Carolina railroad ties.

After thirty-six years of service, the Bessie Whiting was eventually wrecked on the night of January 11, 1918 on a reef off Perico Island in Bradenton, Florida. The vessel’s long life is a tribute to the design, materials and craftsmanship employed by Port Jefferson’s John R. Mather shipyard along with the skill of its captain during its years of service.

The contents of the ship’s log have been digitized and will be reviewed by the historical society in the near future.

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Odell’s Market in 1903. Photo from the Port Jefferson Historical Society
By Sandra Swenk

A popular local mom-and-pop business once flourished at the intersection of Beach Street and West Broadway in Port Jefferson under several owners. Longtime proprietors, George and Janet Odell, retired after 44 years in 1980.

The famous deli provided groceries, canned goods and meat for local families. During the 1940s, wagons of fresh vegetables from nearby farms were wheeled in and out of the store, where ice cream was sold at roll-up windows during the summer evenings.

Penny candies were also popular purchases by local children. Long Island Lighting Company employees could pick up sandwiches en route to their shifts at the local plant on Beach Street.

In later years, both porches were enclosed for the sale of Easter plants each spring, while holiday trees and greenery were displayed for shoppers in December.

Sandra Swenk is a charter member of the Port Jefferson Historical Society. She served as mayor of the Village of Port Jefferson from 1971 to 1977.

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Congrats, TBR News Media

Dear Leah,

You must be very proud of your continued recognition from the New York Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest from your team’s work by receiving 11 awards this year. This is also a testament to your success as the founder and publisher of a weekly newspaper.

I believe hometown papers are an essential means to keep residents updated on what is happening in their community as they report on local government, schools, sports, entertainment, news and other items of interest.

I join with all of your readers in congratulating you and your staff and look forward to your continued success.

Rob Trotta

Suffolk County Legislator (R-Fort Salonga)

13th Legislative District

Sunrise Wind projections questionable

The Sunrise Wind project, as we were told in a March 23 TBR News Media article, “will use windmills to provide power to about 600,000 homes.” But what does this mean, exactly? It appears that 600,000 may have been selected as an arbitrary number, which may represent the number of homes that will derive 100% of their power requirements when all of the windmills are generating power at their maximum capacity, although this is not specifically stated in the article. But this raises the obvious question: For what percentage of the time will this be the case? We can only guess.

A much more helpful and meaningful terminology, in my opinion, would be to present these concepts in terms of energy, rather than power. Power is the rate at which energy is produced, or expended. To state that a windmill farm can produce a certain amount of power under ideal conditions, but neglect to mention the percentage of time this may be in effect, is to provide a very limited ability to understand the issue. A much more useful characterization would be to specify the total amount of energy generated in a fixed time, such as a year, compared to the total amount of energy required. For example, we might say something like, “The Sunrise Wind project will provide 45,000 MWh per year, which is 22% of the total energy required by Suffolk County.” (These are, of course, made-up numbers.) In this way, the complex variability of the wind strength becomes included in the energy notation, making the whole issue considerably easier to understand and evaluate.

Surely this issue is well understood by Sunrise Wind, and why they would choose to muddy the waters, as they have, is a matter for speculation. As Honest Abe Lincoln would have told us, a windmill farm can provide some of the power some of the time, or possibly all of the power some of the time, but it can provide none of the power most of the time.

George Altemose

Setauket

More Maryhaven discussions needed

We may be missing the forest for the trees in the process by which the Village of Port Jefferson is approaching this initiative to make an amendment to a long-standing village code for the Professional Office (PO)-zoned Maryhaven property. Residents had their first opportunity to hear and provide feedback as to what was being proposed at the standing-room-only public hearing during Monday’s Board of Trustees meeting, May 1. 

Comments and concerns ranged from: Do what it takes to preserve the Maryhaven building; and, we need to know exactly what the plan is prior to a zoning change; to, have the Architectural Review Committee and Conservation Advisory Council been involved? Because we’ve known about the sale and vacancy for a very long time as a village; and, questions and concerns over the potential density as permitted via the draft code amendment (192+ units/~19 units per acre), coupled with the lack of a full environmental review (SEQRA) and sewage treatment related to the project. Other questions? Why didn’t we work with the owner of the property to secure an historic landmark designation and has water runoff into the neighborhoods below been considered? 

The bottom line is that these questions are just the tip of the iceberg. Engagement with the developer by a select group of village officials had been ongoing, but the announcement of the pending sale (March 6, Deputy Mayor Snaden) followed by the public hearing request (April 3, Mayor Garant) ostensibly came from out of the blue for the rest of us and now we are playing catch up and the residents are as well. 

There should have been more discussion about this building in the public sphere — years if not months ago; i.e., the ARC, CAC, Port Jefferson Historical Society, all could have been engaged. 

Is it too late? We will see. But because the developer is working within a “timeline” as described by the mayor, this has suddenly become an urgent, time-sensitive matter. The public hearing remains open for three weeks. 

I’d like to hear the public’s response to this and encourage feedback. What I heard May 1 was important, if not concerning. Please contact me at [email protected] if you have additional feedback.

Lauren Sheprow, Trustee

Village of Port Jefferson

Maryhaven: a potential spot zoning case

I was surprised to learn at the May 1 standing-room-only public hearing that the mayor, deputy mayor and village attorney have been in discussions with the developer for the proposed Maryhaven project for well over a year. Yet the first time the residents were made aware of this proposal was at a March 6 Port Jefferson Village Board of Trustees meeting.

 While I applaud the Board of Trustees for their interest in preserving the historic Maryhaven building, their solution — changing the village code to achieve this goal — seems like the classic definition of spot zoning. This is the practice of singling out a specific property for a special zoning designation that differs from surrounding properties — an approach that is controversial and subject to challenge. During the hearing, the village attorney and mayor repeatedly said the purpose of the zone change was to preserve this historic building.

 Significant concerns were raised about the scope and scale of the Maryhaven redevelopment that would be facilitated by the “relaxing” of existing limits in our code. Many good alternatives to the proposed code change were offered both by residents and trustees Lauren Sheprow and Rebecca Kassay. But there was near universal opposition to changing the village code to accommodate this project because of its potential for adverse impacts to this property and for other parts of the village.

If the village is serious about historic preservation, we need to explore code changes that would apply to more than just a single property. Also, funding opportunities for historic preservation should be vigorously researched and a report issued so that the village can make fully informed land use decisions.

Virginia Capon

Port Jefferson

Editor’s note: The writer formerly served as Port Jefferson Village trustee and chair of the Comprehensive Plan Committee.

Character assassination in PJ mayoral race

I came home from the May 1 Village of Port Jefferson public hearing elated. Village Hall was packed with residents who were there to weigh in on a code change that would affect the development of the Maryhaven building, encompassing people from all political stripes. Yet, here we were engaging in civil discourse and united in the goal of trying to find the best solutions for our community.

So I was stunned when I received a letter, the very next day, which can only be described as a character assassination on one of our mayoral candidates. The unsigned letter, which had no return address, purported to be from a “concerned villager,” and proceeded to attack trustee Lauren Sheprow in a vile manner.

I have the pleasure of knowing both candidates and refuse to believe either of them would ever condone such ugly politicking.

Last year, when we had an unusually competitive trustee campaign, the candidates remained civil. I trust Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden to maintain an even higher level of courtesy and respect, and am confident she will publicly condemn this offensive attack on her colleague.

Going forward, I hope all candidates will urge over-ardent supporters to refrain from personal assaults and focus on issues villagers care about.

Kathleen McLane

Port Jefferson

Snaden: a seasoned leader

It has recently come to my attention that we have an open mayor’s seat in the Village of Port Jefferson’s election taking place this June. Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden is running for the open seat, as well as newly elected trustee Lauren Sheprow.

We need to be mindful that the mayor’s office is no longer a place where a neophyte can just step in. The village is a small city, with two major hospitals, a train station, deep water harbor, school district, two business districts, large federal FEMA grants and major redevelopment projects underway uptown. It takes a seasoned, experienced person to be able to run this village and the $11.37 million budget in place.

Having been a trustee for less than one year, Sheprow does not bring experience to the table. She is rather in the middle of a very large learning curve, seeing to the day-to-day “ins and outs” of village policies, New York State law and municipal government — never mind the obligations of the mayor’s office. She has in fact, confessed herself on many occasions in public meetings that she hasn’t done a budget before and hasn’t run a public hearing.

On the other hand, you have Deputy Mayor Snaden, who has been working for years under the tutelage of Mayor Margot Garant. Snaden is a seasoned, experienced proven leader, with her own perspective and innovative ideas who is ready to take control.

In this election cycle, Sheprow would keep her seat if she loses her bid for mayor and would remain a trustee. If, on the other hand, Sheprow is elected we will have in office a neophyte mayor, and we will lose Snaden as she gives up her trustee position to run for mayor. 

So, I ask you: Why would we vote for a rookie and lose the lead pitcher, when we can have them both on our team? Don’t forget, the last time a Garant [Jeanne] left office to an inexperienced mayor, our taxes went up. Let’s not let history repeat itself.

Lauren Auerbach

Port Jefferson

Vote ‘no’ on the May 16 school bond vote

My name is Teri Powers. I’m 63 years old, widowed, a resident and homeowner for 37 years.

Currently, we are on the LIPA tax burden (glide path), in which we have experienced increases in our tax bill, but the lion’s share of this burden is a result of that settlement, which will increase our current taxes by over 35% by the year 2027.

The Port Jefferson School District Board of Education is proposing a $15.9 million capital bond vote on Tuesday, May 16, at the high school between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. A similar bond vote was defeated in December 2022. Please renew your enthusiasm and defeat this bond again.

Teri Powers

Port Jefferson

WRITE TO US … AND KEEP IT LOCAL

We welcome your letters, especially those responding to our local coverage, replying to other letter writers’ comments and speaking mainly to local themes. Letters should be no longer than 400 words and may be edited for length, libel, style, good taste and uncivil language. They will also be published on our website. We do not publish anonymous letters. Please include an address and phone number for confirmation.

Email letters to: [email protected]

or mail them to TBR News Media, P.O. Box 707, Setauket, NY 11733

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Actor John Higgins in the role of Jesse Platt in a scene from 'I Now Take Up My Pen.' Photo courtesy of Darren St. George

By Julianne Mosher

Long Island — and especially the North Shore — is rich with history. Chapters can be written about what has happened in these neighborhoods ranging from the early days of the Native Americans and the struggle they encountered when settlers came to shore to the boat-building community that thrived in the early 19th century in Port Jefferson.

And while history lovers in Huntington, Smithtown, Setauket and Port Jeff thrive on the Revolutionary War stories and how several families helped General George Washington with the Culper Spy Ring, the local community has even more history that was never really spoken about — for instance, the Platt Brothers and their role in the Civil War. 

On Friday, March 3, the Port Jefferson Historical Society is planning to host their annual dinner at The WaterView at The Port Jefferson Country Club. Joan Townley, vice president of the society, said that while the dinner is held every year to include the usual election of officers and reports as well as projects for the future, 2023 is bringing something special to the table — the premiere screening of a locally-produced film.

Titled I Now Take Up My Pen, the 38-minute film written and produced by St. George Living History Productions — a local group that creates films and webinars for nonprofits and other historical societies — tells the heart-wrenching tale of William and Jesse Platt, who separately volunteered their service to the 5th Regiment of the Zouaves from Long Island.

Townley said that for over a year the historical society was working on getting a $10,000 grant from New York State that would help fund a film they had been wanting to do for a long time.

It all started in 1970 when the society was contacted by a woman in North Carolina claiming to be the granddaughter of one of the Platt Brothers. “She had these letters that were written to each brother and their father during the Civil War,” Townley said. “She sent the Mather House Museum copies of the letters and they sat around for quite a while, but the dream was to one day have them transcribed and turn it into a film.”

Well, that dream finally came true nearly a decade after the letters were read through, pieced together and put together in a book.

Without giving too much away, the film follows the Platt family as 15-year-old William enlists in the war, much to the dismay of his father. Upset and angry, the father (played by the historical society’s president, Nick Acampora) sends his second son, Jesse, on a mission to bring his younger brother home. The film follows the letters that Jesse and William wrote to each other and their family describing in detail everything they saw.

Sal St. George, who read each and every letter, wrote the screenplay.

In December of 2021, Townley said that Assemblyman Steve Englebright secured the grant for the historical society to use. Using local actors and members of the historical society, with costumes created by the late Nan Guzzetta, filming began in the summer of 2022 in various locations in Setauket and Port Jefferson including the Sherwood-Jayne House and Farm, Cedar Hill Cemetery, the Mather House Museum and the Port Jefferson Village Center. Post production was finalized in December.

When the board began discussing plans for this year’s dinner, they realized it would be the perfect time to premiere a film showcasing a piece of Port Jefferson history. 

“Someone gave us these letters as a gift and we wanted to share them with as many people as possible,” Townley said.

Darren St. George, creative director to the film and also the actor who played William, said that being able to show viewers this piece of history was very rewarding.

“The historical society has letters of correspondence and we brought that story to light. Through their writings you can see the brothers on the battlefield. It’s always challenging when you’re portraying someone’s real life in a film, but you recognize as you read more about William’s life in the letters that there are emotions I had to portray and there’s the truth that he lived in them. You see the tragedy that befalls him for enlisting in the war, but also for his family … you see that with his father, it affects everyone,” he said.

“Two normal young men chose to serve their country,” Townley said. “With this film, they come to life and their story is being [finally] shared.”

In the future the historical society is looking to distribute the film to local schools.

“This is our history,” said Darren St. George. “It’s not a Hollywood depiction of what happened, and it’s a great way to understand history if you can connect it to your local community.”

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The Port Jefferson Historical Society invites the community to its annual dinner at the Waterview at the Port Jefferson Country Club, 44 Fairway Drive, Port Jefferson on Friday, March 3 from 6 to 10 p.m. Enjoy dinner (choice of chicken francaise, beef sirloin or salmon), dessert, raffles and the premiere screening of I Now Take Up My Pen. Tickets are $49 per person. To order (by Feb. 28 please), email [email protected].

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The Bayles Shipyard Band is pictured on the steps of Port Jefferson’s Plant Hotel, June 10, 1919. The band performed at ship launchings, Friday night dances, receptions, and costume parties. Source: National Archives

Following America’s entry into World War I, the number of employees at the Bayles Shipyard in Port Jefferson jumped from 250 in November 1917 to 1,022 in January 1919. 

Since many of these workers could not find housing in the village, the United States Shipping Board campaigned to persuade the area’s homeowners to rent rooms to Port Jefferson’s shipbuilders.

A painting by commercial artist Rolf Armstrong was offered as a prize to the villager who did the most to alleviate the housing shortage. Since this and other efforts did not meet much success, the USSB retained architect Alfred C. Bossom to design cottages and dormitories in Port Jefferson for the burgeoning population.

Bossom recognized the urgent need to provide accommodations for the wartime labor force, his numerous commissions including the Remington Apartments high-rise complex built for workers at the Remington Arms munitions factory in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

To secure a site for Port Jefferson’s housing development, the Bayles Shipyard purchased almost 16 acres of land just west of Barnum Avenue from Catherine Campbell in July 1918. 

Nine detached, one-family homes were designed by Bossom to reflect the character of “old Long Island fishing villages” and erected along Cemetery Avenue, later renamed Liberty Avenue.

Between 1921-23, Port Jefferson’s Plant Hotel served as a United States Veterans Training Center. Source: Kenneth C. Brady Digital Archive

Bossom also designed a dormitory unit called the Plant Hotel since it accommodated employees at the Bayles plant. The Mark C. Tredennick Company, which had constructed buildings at the Army’s Camp Upton in Yaphank, was named the general contractor.

Now the site of Earl L. Vandermeulen High School, the Plant Hotel included 206 rooms, a cafeteria, powerhouse, athletic field and water purification facilities. A porch connected the three major wings of the complex.

Completed in December 1918 just after the Armistice on Nov. 11, the hotel soon became the center of social life for shipyard workers. A band was formed, a baseball team was organized and dances were held on Friday evenings. 

In April 1919, the Emergency Fleet Corporation commandeered the Bayles Shipyard because of the unsatisfactory progress at the facility. The seized property, which included the Plant Hotel, was then sold to the New York Harbor Dry Dock Corporation.

When the new owners fired hundreds of shipyard workers, the number of boarders at the Plant Hotel dropped dramatically. To compensate for this loss, the hotel began offering rooms to transients by the day or week.

The Port Jefferson Times scolded the hotel’s new clientele for destroying electric bulbs, smashing wash basins, spitting on the floors and generally behaving as if they were hoodlums. 

In December 1920, the NYHDDC shut down the Bayles Shipyard, dismissing all of its workers except for a skeleton crew. Confronted with a virtually empty Plant Hotel, the NYHDDC leased the complex to the Federal Board for Vocational Education, later renamed the United States Veterans Bureau. 

The Plant Hotel, which had been extensively damaged by some departing boarders, was refurbished as a training center charged with teaching disabled soldiers and sailors.

The initial group of 125 veterans arrived at the Plant Hotel in October 1921. During a typical three-month stay, the men prepared for new careers and received medical care. For recreation, they were entertained by theatrical troupes, went on field trips and enjoyed Friday night concerts. 

Port Jefferson’s Plant Hotel was still under construction on October 15, 1918. Photograph by Arthur S. Greene, National Archives

Despite pressure from local business groups and politicians, in June 1923 the Veterans Bureau left Port Jefferson as part of a nationwide plan to consolidate its rehabilitation facilities. 

As demobilization continued, local businessman Jacob S. Dreyer purchased the Liberty Avenue cottages, which have changed hands several times over the years and are still standing. In July 1929, taxpayers in the Port Jefferson school district voted to purchase the Plant Hotel itself and the remaining 13 acres.

In subsequent elections, the citizens authorized the board of education to sell some of the hotel’s furnishings, grade the grounds and construct an athletic field on the site. In June 1934, the taxpayers voted to build a high school on the property.

The board of education quickly sold the Plant Hotel to a high bidder for $250. Workers then demolished the building and hauled away the wreckage. 

 

Kenneth Brady has served as the Port Jefferson village historian and president of the Port Jefferson Conservancy, as well as on the boards of the Suffolk County Historical Society, Greater Port Jefferson Arts Council and Port Jefferson Historical Society. He is a longtime resident of Port Jefferson.

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Photo by Catherine Quinlan
Photo by Catherine Quinlan
Photo by Catherine Quinlan
Photo by Catherine Quinlan

By Tara Mae

The Antiques and Garden Weekend show, a fundraiser for the Port Jefferson Historical Society, returns after a two-year COVID delay to the Port Jefferson Village Center, 101-A East Broadway, Port Jefferson on Saturday, April 30, and Sunday, May 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Transformed into an organized maze of goods and greenery, all three floors of the Village Center will be utilized to host approximately 25 vendors from across Long Island as well as a café. In conjunction with the society, the Suwassett Garden Club of Belle Terre will host a bake sale and provide a verdant trellis of plants, flowers, annuals, and herbs.

Many of the vendors are annual participants who set up shop to sell their wares, including but not limited to rare books, linens, vintage handbags, prints, garden tools and “every kind of jewelry, from costume through the real McCoy,” according to event co-chair Catherine Quinlan.

New vendors are recruited by word of mouth. “Dealers recommended other dealers for the show; a lot of them helped me find vendors for this show. They want the show to maintain its quality,” Quinlan said. Buyers and sellers alike are drawn to the show’s unique setup. Situated along the water, with views that overlook the harbor, the Village Center offers a singular experience for both vendors and attendees alike. “Vendors are able to set up their stands so that the scenic views are their backdrop, which both they and the patrons enjoy. I want people to come and enjoy the lovely setting — the building on the water is so beautiful,” added Quinlan.

Quinlan and fellow co-chair Sandra Swenk, both members of the Port Jefferson Historical Society, connected 14 years ago to raise money for the upkeep of the Mather House Museum, the society’s historic property on Prospect Street.

“Year round maintenance of the Mather estate is a costly undertaking so this show as well as a fall auction are key functions that enable the Society to maintain the buildings and grounds, keep the Museum open for exhibits, and offer tours as well as a consignment shop that is open during the Museum season which begins Memorial Day weekend,” said Swenk.

The women drew inspiration from touring other antique and garden shows on Long Island and observing their practices. “We visited shows scheduled on Long Island and made contacts with vendors who presented a variety of interesting antiques and collectibles that would be appealing to visitors and buyers. We arranged with the Village to hold the show at the Village Center each April,” Swenk said.

Truly a community event, in addition to the support of the garden club and village, the Bridgeport and Port Jefferson Steamboat Company has special rates for ferry riders traveling to the show. “Fred Hall, general manager of the ferry, hangs a banner in Bridgeport to advertise the show and offers discounts to people who are coming for the show: 2 for 1 deals for same day passengers. Mayor Margot Garant is very supportive. I like working with everyone from the village,” she said. “The event is a lot of work, but a lot of fun. It’s about the community coming together and helping us raise money.”

Tickets are $6 per person, $5 if a member of a party presents the event postcard or online ad. Children 16 years or younger, accompanied by an adult, are free of charge. For more information, or visit www.portjeff-antiques-garden.net.

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Photo by Julianne Mosher

After missing out in 2020, the Historical Society of Greater Port Jefferson was finally able to host their annual Outdoor Country Auction.

On Saturday, Oct. 16, dozens of interested buyers came together outside the Mather House Museum at 115 Prospect St. to bid on more than 200 unique items. 

Nick Acampora, president of the historical society, said that they were “so happy” to hold the event after COVID-19 canceled last year’s auction.

“We love doing the auction because it’s a part of the community,” he said. “It’s so important to us because it’s a great time for everyone, while providing the funds to keep the historical society going.”

Acampora said that everything from costumes to furniture was available for auction, many of the items being donated or sold on consignment. Some of them dated as far back as the 1800s, as well as coins from the Greek and Roman empires. 

While the final figures of money raised for the historical society wasn’t immediately available, Acampora said he thinks the organization did extremely well — but what was most important was bringing the community back for a fun-filled and interesting get-together. 

“It was wonderful to welcome everyone back,” he said. 

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Photo by Julianne Mosher
Photo by Julianne Mosher
Photo by Julianne Mosher
Photo by Julianne Mosher
Photo by Julianne Mosher
Photo by Julianne Mosher
Photo by Julianne Mosher
Photo by Julianne Mosher

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Mather House Museum

The Mather House Museum reopens for the season on Saturday, July 3. The museum, located at 115 Prospect St., Port Jefferson, will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. through Oct. 10. Come see the new exhibit, Salute to Essential Workers, and visit the consignment shop loaded with treasures. A docent guided tour is available for the main museum and all of the complex buildings. Donation requested. For more information, call 631-473-2665.

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