And then the sun took a step back, the leaves lulled themselves to sleep and Autumn was awaked. – Raquel Franco


Welcome fall! It was a wonderful summer season with free outdoor concerts, tours and our historic boat tour of Fire Island! Thank you to all of those who have attended house tours and learned a little bit about life in early 1900's. Tours will continue every weekend, from 2:00-4:00, until the end of October. If you haven't had the chance to check out Meadow Croft, the summer home of John Ellis Roosevelt, now is the time!

Historic Boat tour of Fire Island....

"Excellent!" "Fantastic!" "Magical!" are just some of the words used by the sold out guest list to describe this year's historic boat tour of Fire Island. The weather was in full cooperation...thank you Mother Nature! and everyone was relaxed and in good spirits. John Amato and Frank Giebfried shared the history of our barrier island paradise as the Sayville ferry made its way from Sunken Forest to Davis Park. Special thanks to Gene Horton, a past member of BBPHA and local historian who wrote the historical text used for this tour.

It was a glorious sunset as the ferry docked at Davis Park so our guests could enjoy some time at the Casino Bar & Grill. A full moon, also know as a Blue Moon or a Sturgeon Moon, was on full display as we made our way back to Sayville. It was a great night on the Great South Bay!

Thank you!

Thank you to Erich Haesche who recently donated a hitching post and installed it at the front of Meadow Croft. I'm sure President Roosevelt used a similar one to tie up his horse when he visited Meadow Croft in 1903! Thank you Erich!
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Did you know????

Did you know????

It is said that the builder of Meadow Croft, Boss Strong, purposefully placed one of the spindles on the railing of the main staircase at Meadow Croft upside down. Mr. Strong claimed that this act was his trademark. His belief was that only God made things that were perfect!

Come to Meadow Croft for a tour this weekend, only now through October to check it out!

Meadow Croft Sparkles!

Since the Roosevelts haven’t had any servants for several decades now, you may be wondering how the silver in the dining room stays so brilliant. For years, Sheila Rettaliata has kept our silverware cleaned, polished, and shining for Meadow Croft visitors. This is quite an undertaking, as there are multiple place settings, candlesticks, serving platters, tea sets, soup tureens, and many more (even a pickle jar!). The BBPHA would like to thank Sheila for all the work she does and her generosity of time. Keep on shining, Sheila!

Upcoming events....

Upcoming events....

Christmas at Meadow Croft: This year, Christmas at Meadow Croft will be on December 4th and 5th 2021. The theme is Dashing through the Snow and Leanne Berg, our event chair is asking for help with this year's display. We had a wonderful group who came into MC to help decorate however, The Neighbors and Gardeners of Bayport Blue Point unfortunately disbanded this year and we are looking for another group, business or community organization who would be willing to volunteer their time and materials to help with this request. If you are interested you can reach out to Leanne at 631-235-1702.

Historic Autumn House Tour: Unfortunately this year, we were not able to properly plan for the Autumn House Tour due to restrictions and guidelines as a result of the pandemic. We are beginning our planning NOW for 2022. If you have a historic, unusual or architecturally significant home in the Bayport Blue Point community and would consider allowing us to showcase your home in October of 2022, please give us a call. This has always been a great event for our organizations as well as the community and we would like to bring it back but WE NEED YOUR HELP! If you have any questions or would like more information, please call us at 631-472-4625.

Summer Hotels of Blue Point: The Monterey

These articles were first printed in the Bayport Blue Point Gazette and written by Gene Horton. They are reprinted with permission.

December 2013

A hundred years ago, The Monterey was one of the largest summer hotels in Blue Point. It opened in 1913 and was located on the northwest corner of Middle Road and Arthur Avenue in Blue Point. No trace remains of it today except for a small stretch of the front walkway and the fire hydrant which you can see in the old postcard photo. Private homes, built post-World War 2, are located on this site today.

When this hotel opened in 1913, it was named the Hotel Imperial. Albert Zapfe was the proprietor. But when the US went to war with Imperial Germany in 1917, the name of this hotel was changed to The Monterey.

The Monterey had over 100 guest rooms. It was a four story, wood-shingled structure with wide screened-in and open porches. Like other area hotels, The Monterey was only open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The Monterey had a large ballroom in its east wing that was regarded as one of the beautiful ballrooms in this area. It was beautifully decorated and was the site of may summer exhibition dances and contests. Before Our Lady of the Snow Church was built in 1917, Sunday Mass was offered in The Monterey's ballroom.

The Monterey eventually went the way of so many other local summer hotels and boarding houses in this area. It was damaged by fire in 1928 and was eventually dismantled in 1943.

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Islip Arts Council Presents: Seasons of Meadow Croft

Islip Arts Council Presents: Seasons of Meadow Croft

On Saturday, October 16, 2021, from 10am–4pm, The Islip Arts Council will hold an Art Exhibition at the historic Meadow Croft Estate. All of the art work will reflect the theme of the Roosevelt Estate and the grounds surrounding it. The art displays will be both inside and outside (weather permitting) so we hope you can join us for this special event. Everyone is Invited to attend! A video tour of the exhibition will be available online after the event at the Islip Arts Live Youtube Channel.

If you are interested in submitting an entry, please see the information below.

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BBPHA

BBPHA

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Meadow Croft Estate, Middle Road, Sayville, NY, USA 
  bbphistorical@gmail.com  
631-472-4625  
BayportBluePointHeritage.org