Newsletter for
July 2025
Tuesday, July 1, 2025
Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Saturday, May 10, 2025
~May 2025 Newsletter~
May 2025 Newsletter Here
General Membership Meeting, new date- Thursday May 15th, 2025
BBP Library, 7:00- 9:00 PM
Presenter; Frank Giebfried
"So You Think You Know Bayport & Blue Point?"
Save the dates!
Save the dates, read and share our newsletters, or follow us on Social Media for information of these upcoming events brought to you by the BBPHA!
May 15, 2025: General Membership Mtg. New time; 7:00pm @ BBP Library
May 17, 2025: Mystery Night at Meadow Croft
June-October 2025: Tours of Meadow Croft each weekend from 2-4:00
June 19 & July 24, 2025: FREE Summer concerts featuring The Flat Leavers and Gene Casey
August 2025: Historic Boat cruise on the Great South Bay
December 6-7 2025: Christmas at Meadow Croft
Saturday, April 12, 2025
Meeting, April 13th, 2025
General Membership Meeting
Join us for these FREE, fun and informative General Membership meetings! These are open to all!
April Meeting:
The Deep Roots of Music on Long Island
Date: April 13, 2025
Presenter: JK Hodge
Place: BBP LIbrary
Time: 2:00
Come see a movie with live piano accompaniment just as it was done 100 years ago. Join us as JK Hodge discusses the deep roots of music on Long Island. He will be performing his original score to accompany the 1926 Buster Keaton silent film, "The General" inspired by the Civil Wars' infamous Great Locomotive Chase.
May Meeting: * Please note the new day and time for this meeting *
So You Think You Know Bayport & Blue Point??
Date: Thursday May 15, 2025
Presenter: Frank Giebfried
Place: BBP Library
Time: 7:00-9:00 PM
Join us to test your knowledge of the local history of our twin communities of Bayport & Blue Point! Our great local historian Gene Horton created this program before he left us. Using Gene's questions, BBPHA member Frank Giebfried has added a few more and created a slideshow with photos for what will be a fun trivia game. And don't worry about getting a question wrong, only you will see your answer sheet. Participation is encouraged! This program is open to all.
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
April 2025 Newsletter
Click here for the April 2025 Newsletter...
April General Meeting:
The Deep Roots of Music on Long Island
Date: April 13, 2025
Presenter: JK Hodge
Place: BBP LIbrary
Time: 2:00
Come see a movie with live piano accompaniment just as it was done 100 years ago. Join us as JK Hodge discusses the deep roots of music on Long Island. He will be performing his original score to accompany the 1926 Buster Keaton silent film, "The General" inspired by the Civil Wars' infamous Great Locomotive Chase.
April 5, 2025: Carriage House & Heirloom Garden Clean-up
April 13, 2025: General Meeting
May 15, 2025: General Meeting, new time!
May 17, 2025: Mystery Night at Meadow Croft
June-October 2025: Tours of Meadow Croft each weekend from 2-4:00
June 19 & July 24, 2025: FREE Summer concerts featuring The Flat Leavers and Gene Casey
August 2025: Historic Boat cruise on the Great South Bay
December 6-7 2025: Christmas at Meadow Croft
Sunday, March 2, 2025
~ March 2025 Newsletter ~
Click here for the March 2025 Newsletter
Get your own copy of the newsletter sent to your email.
Contact bbphistorical@gmail.com
Read about:
~March meeting and our new President Mary Bailey.
~Help wanted: Docents, spring cleanup, and special events.
~ Nominations for 2025
~ upcoming St. Patrick's Day Parade
~ An old article about ice scooters, written by Gene Horton in 2005
Save the Dates:
March 16, 2025: BBP St. Patrick's Day parade
March 23, 2025: General Membership Meeting
April 5, 2025: Carriage House & Heirloom Garden Clean-up
May 17, 2025: Mystery Night at Meadow Croft
June-October 2025: Tours of Meadow Croft each weekend from 2-4:00
June 19 & July 24, 2025: FREE Summer concerts featuring The Flat Leavers and Gene Casey
August 2025: Historic Boat cruise on the Great South Bay
December 6-7 2025: Christmas at Meadow Croft
Saturday, February 1, 2025
~Newsletter: February 2025~
>>> Click here <<<
for the full February newsletter
complete with dates of events and photos.
Hope to see you at the next general meeting:
Sunday- February 23, 2025
2pm to 4pm at the Bayport Blue Point Library!
Saturday, January 18, 2025
Saturday, January 4, 2025
Tuesday, December 3, 2024
December 2024 Newsletter
Click below for a link to the December Newsletter for
The Bayport Blue Point Heritage Association, Long Island, NY
Friday, November 1, 2024
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
October 2024 Newsletter
>> October 2024 Newsletter <<
Click link above to see the full
October 2024 Newsletter.
Read all the information that was sent by email to members.
Sunday, September 1, 2024
September 2024 Newsletter
link >> September 2024 Newsletter << link
Click on the above Newsletter link for a copy of the original newsletter sent today
September 1, 2024
Thursday, August 1, 2024
~August Newsletter 2024~
Welcome August!
The lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer! We hope you are enjoying your summer and all that it has to offer! The BBPHA has been busy with lots of summertime events and planning for even more.
House Tours of Meadow Croft are happening every weekend from 2:00-4:00. Come check out the summer home of J.E. Roosevelt and what life was like in 1900. Lots of updates and additions.
Our General Membership meetings will continue in September-November.
Check out the dates and schedule below. We have our Historic Sunset Boat Cruise happening on August 20th. Tickets are now on sale on our website and more information can be found below.
Finally, our yearly signature event, Christmas At Meadow Croft will be held on December 7th & 8th this year. Mark your calendars for another wonderful festive weekend.
If you would like to volunteer some time to help with set-up or clean-up both before and after the event, please call our chairperson Leanne Berg at 631-235-1702. We need you!
More information on all of these events can be found on our webpage or below.
Mark your calendars for these wonderful community events!
General Membership meetings
Our monthly Membership meetings will begin again in September. These informative meetings are open to all and are held at the BBP Library. We hope you can join us!
Buried Long Island
Alyssa Gutierrez, Author
Sunday, September 15, 2024
2-4pm
Join us as author Alyssa Gutierrez discusses Long Island’s colonial history through the lens of ancient burying grounds. From the first settlers of Southold to the Revolutionary spies of Oyster Bay, local history can be found in spectacular burying grounds all over the island.
Colonial history is
on full display in epitaphs, folk art, and even unmarked graves of marginalized individuals who once called Long Island home. Alyssa will be signing copies of her book, “Buried Long Island: History Set in Stone” and answering questions about colonial burial practices.
Storms, Shipwrecks, Lifesavers and Light Keepers: The History of the Fire Island Lighthouse
Angela Reich, PhD, Author
October 13, 2023
Please join Angela Reich, Fire Island Lighthouse docent and author of Shipwreck of Hopes, a story of our Long Island maritime history. Learn about our local residents who manned our shores, responsible for maritime safety on the country’s busiest shipping lanes - the approach to New York Harbor. Book sale to follow, with 20% of the evenings proceeds to be donated to Bayport Blue Point Heritage Association. $20.00, cash only.
Suffolk County Parks Trustee Meeting at Meadow Croft
On Thursday, July 18th, the Suffolk County Parks Department had their trustees meeting at the Meadow Croft Estate. The BBPHA's President, Mary Bailey and director at large, Frank Giebfried spoke to the guests about all of the work that has been done at Meadow Croft. In attendance was the Chief Deputy Commissioner, Jason Smagin and the Deputy Commissioner, Scott Kravitz of the Parks Department.
The trustees had a tour of the estate and friend of the BBPHA, Erich Haesche gave a special tour of the Auto Barn and shared the extensive work of replacing all of the antique lighting fixtures that were installed in the house a couple of years ago. The trustees were very impressed and had a wonderful time as they discussed our local history over lunch in the great hall.
If your group would like a special tour please contact us to make arrangements. We welcome all history lovers to the Meadow Croft Estate!
Historic Sunset Boat Tour
August 20, 2024
7:00-10:00 pm
Rain date August 21st.
$40.00 per person
(No refunds)
The Great South Bay is not only a beautiful part of our community, but it has amazing homes and landmarks located on the bay as well as a tremendous history to share!
We will set sail on August 20th from the Sayville Fire Island ferry terminal (41 River Rd, Sayville, NY) promptly at 7:00 PM and head out onto the bay. You must be on the ferry by 6:45 to check-in.
With the sun setting we will cruise out onto the bay as Local Historian, Frank Giebfried highlights the historic sites along the shores of Bayport, Blue Point, Sayville, and Oakdale.
The boat will then head up the Connetquot River and stop for an hour at The View Restaurant for cocktails.
Then we’ll cruise back to the Brown's River under the beautiful full moon and dock around 10:00PM.
You can purchase cocktails while at The View Restaurant (there will not be enough time to order a full meal). Snacks and refreshments are allowed on the ferry. Cruisers can park at the Sayville Ferry freight parking lot across the road from the ferry at no cost. Tickets are on sale starting today and can be purchased from our website only. The link can be found here. First come first served as there are a limited number of spaces available on the ferry.
Don't wait! Get your tickets today!
Concerts in the Park
Two wonderful FREE events were sponsored by the BBPHA this summer! Special thanks go out to our two talented bands; Jack's Waterfall and The Lazy Bunny Ukulele Band. The weather was cooperative and the audience was great! A fun time was had by all!
We also have to thank former director Dave Harenberg for arranging these events for our communities. Thank you Dave!
Welcome to a new business!
Welcome n-dimensions, tutoring and bookstore located at 580 Middle Road. The new proprietor, Paul Abel is a life long Bayporter. His location has a lovely selection of books, including many of Gene Horton's books about local Bayport and Blue Point history. Paul also provides tutoring for students as well. More information can be found on his website at ndimensionstutoring.com
Bee Careful...🐝
Yikes! On July 13th we discovered we had some uninvited guests make their home in the carriage house at the Meadow Croft estate. A colony of bees found their way into the walls upstairs in the carriage house. We called Jon Lochner of Sticky Fingers Apiary to remove this giant honey bee hive from the wall. Jon was able to save the colony and the queen and move them to a suitable location. We can't wait to taste the honey! Thanks Jon!
Lake Manowtasquott, Blue Point NY
These articles were first printed in the Bayport Blue Point Gazette and written by Gene Horton. They are reprinted here with permission.
September 2007
Lake Manowtasquott is located in Blue Point on the north side of Middle Road between Namkee Road and Nelson Avenue. Manowtasquott was the Algonquin name for Blue Point. It means land of the bulrushes. Locally, this body of water is also known as Hildreth's Pond; a great place for ice skating in the winter and also a great place for taking the children to feed the ducks & swans. This is really one of the prettiest spots in Blue Point today. The water from Lake Manowtasquott eventually flows under Middle Road and out to the Great South Bay via Stillman's Creek.
BBPHA
www.bayportbluepointheritge.org
Tours of the Meadow Croft Estate every weekend!
Come check it out!
Monday, July 1, 2024
Newsletter: July 2024
Happy 4th of July!
Independence Day! Welcome to July!
Meadow Croft House Tours are happening each weekend from 2:00-4:00 so stop by and check out what life was like in the early 1900s. Lots of updates and improvements to view including updates to the servants quarters, which will now be part of the tour. There is also a John Hodge exhibit. John Hodge was a local artist, among many other things, and his unique style of paintings and artwork are a sight to see.
The BBPHA has many exciting things happening this summer. We have our second FREE concert happening in July featuring The Lazy Bunny Band. See more info below.
Our historic sunset boat cruise is back! Last year was so much fun and a gorgeous night plus we learned so much about the history of homes and happenings on the Great South Bay. We hope you can join us again this year, check out the details and more happenings below.
BBP Scholarship Winner
Congratulations to Gianna Echervarria who is the recipient of the 2024 Gene Horton Memorial Scholarship! The BBPHA is pleased once again to be awarding a $1000.00 scholarship to a deserving HS student from the BBP High School. This award is given in the name of our dear friend, local historian, and former director, Gene Horton. The candidate must be a graduating senior who has a record of community service and plans to pursue a degree in History. Congratulations Gianna and best wishes in all that you do!
FREE Summer Concert
Join us for our second FREE Summer Concert of the season. The concert will be on July 18th at 6:00 in Bayport Memorial Park and will feature The Lazy Bunny Ukulele Band. Please bring lawn chairs or blankets, refreshments and bug spray! This is for families of all ages! Dancing is encouraged! We hope you can join us and enjoy this FREE concert!
Event Information
FREE Concert in the Park
When?
Thursday, Jul 18, 2024, 06:00 PM
Where?
Bayport Memorial Park, Paulanna Avenue, Bayport, NY, USA
Academy Street Elementary visits Meadow Croft
On Friday June 14th, the 4th grade class from Academy Street Elementary School came to Meadow Croft to learn a little bit about our local history. Thanks to Jen Economos, Mary Bailey, Beth LaMarca, Sandra Iden and Roy Fedelem who helped show the boys and girls the estate and surrounding buildings. The students were clearly excited, well behaved and asked great questions!
Thank you for visiting and taking the time to learn a little bit about our local history!Save the dates!
Check out all of these happenings sponsored by the BBPHA! Information will be on our website and in our monthly newsletter. Share with your friends and neighbors!
June-October: House tours of the Meadow Croft Estate. 2-4 every weekend.
July 18th, 2024: FREE concert; Lazy Bunny Ukulele Band. 6:00pm at Bayport Memorial Park
August 21st, 2024: Historic Summer Boat Cruise. More information in our August newsletter.
TBD: BBP Historic Walking tours ~ new dates announced soon!
TBD: Browns River Environmental Kayak Tour. Starting at the MC estate.
September 21st, 2024: Gatsby Gala; held at MC. 7-9:00pm More info to follow on this event.
Ongoing: Teddy Roosevelt Augmented Reality at MC. See details on our website
December 7th & 8th, 2024: Christmas at Meadow Croft: A Candy Coated Christmas, 12-4:00
Become a member and get our monthly newsletter!
All information on our website and on social media!Student Docents for a Day
We were so fortunate to have the Sayville High School History Club come to Meadow Croft and act as docents for the day! The students had training about the Meadow Croft Estate and the rich history of our community and the Roosevelt family and jumped right in and gave tours to guests on our opening day, June 1st. Bright, articulate and passionate about history! We were so lucky to have them join us.
Of course, you all are welcome back anytime!
Model A Ford Club visits Meadow Croft
What a treat! On June 15, the BBPHA played host to about 20 members of the Model A Ford Club of Long Island who visited Meadow Croft. They drove in with their beautiful antique cars and enjoyed a tour of the Meadow Croft Estate. It was such a pleasure hosting this group for a fun afternoon! Thank you for visiting and we hope to see you again!
Roosevelt Great-Grandson visits Meadow Croft
We were so lucky to have a surprise visitor take a tour of Meadow Croft, the summer home of John Ellis Roosevelt. On June 9th, Philip Roosevelt, the great grandson of JER came to visit and reminisce about his family, summer memories and more. We were delighted to host and share a special tour for Philip and his guests. Thank you for stopping by and sharing a love of local history and of course, the Roosevelt family!
Christmas at Meadow Croft
We know it's only July, but planning has already begun for this year's Christmas at Meadow Croft! The theme this year will be A Candy Coated Christmas and the dates are
December 7th & 8th, 2024.
Our chairperson, Leanne Berg is looking to create a list of volunteers who would like to help with the set-up, and cleaning both before and after the event. If you are interested and would like more information, please call Leanne at 631-235-1702.
Summer Solstice Walking Tour
Residents once again celebrated the first day of summer with a stroll through historic Blue Point, sponsored by the Bayport Blue Point Public Library. The tour was led by Frank Giebfried of BBPHA, who continues the tradition that our great historian Gene Horton began many years ago. Over one hundred Blue Pointers and Bayporters signed up for the tour. It’s great to see so many interested in our heritage!
The tour began at our beautiful library, formerly the site of the South Bay House. Along the way many beautiful homes were visited, as well as the sites of the great summer hotels from last century. Some of the historic spots included Avery’s Five Mile Look Hotel, Grandview Gardens Private Beach, the Monterey Hotel, the Megill estate, and the home of Anna Davis, our former library director for 23 years who also happened to be married to Nobel Prize winner Raymond Davis, Jr.
We visited the homes of Ballington Booth, jazz clarinetist Johnny Mince, and steamboat pilot Noah Mason.
Thanks to the homeowners whose lovely properties were highlighted on our stroll. We were welcomed with open arms and are grateful for their enthusiasm for the history of their houses. Special thanks to Mrs. Davis who welcomed us from her porch, the Geoghans who showed us around their unique property, and the Parrot family for creating a beautiful display of historic postcards of their home. We also appreciate Wendy Bennett from the library for her help in organizing the tour.
We hope to see you all next year!
2024 Heirloom Garden Dedication
The Bayport Blue Point Heritage Association has decided to dedicate the 2024 Meadow Croft Heirloom Garden to Sylvia Harenberg, a cherished and devoted member of the BBPHA since its inception. Sylvia's passion for preserving our local history and her tireless efforts in nurturing our community's heritage have left an indelible mark. The garden stands as a tribute to her memory, reflecting the beauty she brought to our lives. We encourage you to visit.
BBPHA
www.bayportbluepointheritge.org🎆 Happy Independence Day!
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