~July 2026 Newsletter~

 Click here for the Newsletter dated July 2026

Summer House Tours: Tours of the Meadow Croft estate are happening NOW and running through October. Trained docents will be showing the estate on Saturdays and Sundays from 2:00-4:00. There have been many updates and changes in recent months as the BBPHA volunteers work tirelessly to make your experience at Meadow Croft even better. Check out the newly refurbished carriage house! How was life lived in the early 1900's? We welcome you to join us and find out.

If you would like to plan a tour for a group of 10 or more, email us to set a date. Our calendar is filling up with special tours and groups. If you would like to set up a time for a tour or become a docent please contact Jen at jtbudgie@gmail.com

Christmas at Meadow Croft: Christmas in July?? Yes! It's time to start planning for our signature event, Christmas at Meadow Croft! This year it will be held on December 5-6th and we need your help. If you would like to volunteer with set-up or clean-up, or if you play the piano, or would like to volunteer in another capacity, please call or text our chairperson Leanne Berg. Her number is 631-235-1702.

FREE Concert in the park

The Bayport Blue Point Heritage Association is proud to sponsor our second FREE summer concert of the year! Thank you to those community members who came out to our first concert to experience Nina Et Cetera. It was a great night for all!

We are excited to welcome all of you to Bayport Memorial Park on July 30th from 6:00-8:00 (weather permitting) for some wonderful music featuring The Flat Leavers. 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 for our second FREE concert of the summer!

Historic Boat Tour

Historic Boat Tour: 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!

This year's historic boat cruise will share the history of the Great South Bay and the communities located there. We will set sail under a full moon on August 11th, 2026 from the Sayville Ferry dock. With the sun setting, we will cruise out to the bay as local Historian Frank Giebfried will provide a guided tour and then the ferry will cruise back to the Brown's River ferry dock under a beautiful full moon.

Information on purchasing tickets and other important information about the cruise will be in the August Newsletter. There are only a limited number of seats to this event so plan early!

Meadow Croft After Dark

Tavern Night with Diane Schwindt

Historic Tavern Cook/Educator

August 8, 2026

Diane Schwindt is the resident cook at the Ketcham Inn in Center Moriches. She focuses on different areas of Colonial Life. Diane will be teaching and lecturing within our carriage house about how taverns were vital to a community. She will be showing different tools and materials that were authentic to the time. Come with your appetite since Diane will be sharing samples of the famous George Washington cake as well as honey mead.

Space is limited; we will be selling only thirty tickets. The cost is $35 per person. More information and the link to the ticket sales will be in the August newsletter.

Diane has been featured in the magazine Edible, as well as in Newsday and on News12. She is a wealth of knowledge and will be leaving time for questions and answers.

Event Schedule:

6:00-7:00: Enjoy a refreshing cocktail or mocktail and explore the house.

7:00-8:00: Lecture/demonstration in the carriage house.

Signature Drink of the Evening: Gin Rickey

Enjoy a refreshing drink that dates back to the 1900’s. While originally made with bourbon or whiskey it received its name after gin was being made in bathtubs during prohibition which made it easier to come by. A gin rickey starts with nice cold gin followed by some citrusy lime juice and topped off with club soda. A lime garnish will finish it off! Non-alcoholic drinks will also be served.

Save the date for September's After Dark Event:

Antique Appraiser Mark Lagnese

September 12th, 2026 6:00pm-8:00pm

~June 2026 Newsletter~

 Click here for the June 2026 Newsletter!

Summer House Tours: June 6th starts the Meadow Croft Estate house tours. They are given every weekend starting in June and running through October. Trained docents will be showing the estate on Saturdays and Sundays from 2:00-4:00. There have been many updates and changes in recent months as the BBPHA volunteers work tirelessly to make your experience at Meadow Croft even better. Check out the newly refurbished carriage house! How was life lived in the early 1900's? We welcome you to join us and find out.

If you would like to plan a tour for a group of 10 or more, email us to set a date. Our calendar is filling up with special tours and groups. If you would like to set up a time for a tour or become a docent please contact Jen at jtbudgie@gmail.com

FREE Concert in the park

The Bayport Blue Point Heritage Association is proud to sponsor our first FREE summer concert of the year! We have received all of the permissions and permits and are excited to welcome all of you to Bayport Memorial Park on June 25th from 6:00-8:00 (weather permitting) for some wonderful music featuring Nina Et Cetera.

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 for our first FREE concert of the summer!

Save the Date: the next FREE concert will be on July 30th, 2026.

Summer Solstice Walking Tour

Once again, Bayport Blue Point Heritage Association's Frank Giebfried will be your guide for an evening stroll that marks the beginning of the summer season. This is a BBP Library program and you will need to register with the library to join the walking tour.

The evening begins at 6:00pm in the BBP Library where light snacks and refreshments will be served until 6:30pm. Once the walking tour begins, you will explore the sites of historic boarding houses such as the Monterey Hotel, Avery's Five Mile Look, and the South Bay House, which originally stood on the grounds of the Library. You will also visit the homes of Edward Megill, Volunteers of America co-founders Maud & Ballington Booth, jazz clarinetist Johnny Mince, and Noble Prize recipient Raymond Davis Jr., for whom the library community room is named.

There are 2 dates available and space is limited. Tuesday June 23rd or Wednesday June 24th with a rain date of Thursday June 25th. You can register by phone by calling the library at 631-363-6133 and dial 3 for the main desk. This tour will last about 2 hours. Join the Heritage and explore the many old locations of Blue Point on the longest day of the year!

Membership Dues:

New members are always welcome! Support your communities and keep our history alive!

Payments/ checks can be mailed to:

Bayport Blue Point Heritage Association

PO Box 4

Bayport NY 11705

Please include your name, address and email on all correspondence. Checks can be made payable to the BBPHA. You can also make payments directly from our webpage which can be found here. Any questions can be directed to bbphistorical@gmail.com Thank you for supporting us!!

Membership type:

Annual/family: $25.00

Senior: $10.00

Corporate: $100.00

Donation: $_____

Gardeners Needed! May 28, 2026

 

Calling all Volunteers!

On Thursday May 28th, 2026 at 10:00 the BBPHA, in conjunction with Seatuck Environmental Association, are looking for volunteers. We are looking for a handful of volunteers to help with a native planting project at Avery’s 5-Mile Look at the foot of Blue Point Ave. The Heritage has been involved with this community project for about 7 years. There are many groups who have donated their time and resources to make this project happen , including assistance and approval from The Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County Legislators and the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation.

The wall that was recently restored at the foot of Blue Point Avenue once surrounded one of our most beautiful hotels and boarding houses in Blue Point: Avery's 5-Mile Look. This lavish dwelling burned down in 1939 but the original fountain and restored wall are still in place and now with your help, we will incorporate native plantings in the area. You’ll be working under the guidance of “Seatuck Environmental Association”, along with the Bayport Blue Point Heritage Association. Please join us if you are able! Contribute to your community and keep history alive!

Date: 5/28/26

Time: 10:00am

What you’ll need: gloves and shovels (if you have) and the love of planting.

Thank you!

Reminders: May 11, 2026

 

General Membership Meeting

Our May General Membership meeting is open to all and held at the BBP Library. There is also a raffle at every meeting. Please join us for this informative meeting:

The May meeting, the last one until the fall, will be about the history of the Long Island Railroad.

Dave Morrison, Historian

Sunday, May 17, 2026

Time: 2:00-4:00pm

Dave Morrison, retired LIRR branch manager and railroad historian, will present LIRR history with a focus on the Montauk Branch. Drawing from 50 years of research, he will cover its 19th century origins, branches, station history, and share rare photos. Join us for this informative and interesting meeting.

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Members First Look

This event is for Members Only of the BBPHA. Not a member, no worries! You can join now or on the day of the event. Be the first to see the new displays and additions at the Meadow Croft estate. Send in your membership now!

Newsletter for May 2026

 See the May 2026 Newsletter Here

 >>>> Click here! <<<<

 

General Membership Meetings

Our May General Membership meeting is open to all and held at the BBP Library. There is also a raffle at every meeting. Please join us for this informative meeting:

The May meeting, the last one until the fall, will be about the history of the Long Island Railroad.

Dave Morrison, Historian

Sunday, May 17, 2026

Time: 2:00-4:00pm

Dave Morrison, retired LIRR branch manager and railroad historian, will present LIRR history with a focus on the Montauk Branch. Drawing from 50 years of research, he will cover its 19th century origins, branches, station history, and share rare photos. Join us for this informative and interesting meeting.

 

~ April 2026 Newsletter~

 April 2026 Newsletter

>> Click here! <<

General Membership Meetings

Our April General Membership meeting is open to all and held at the BBP Library. There is also a raffle at every meeting. Please join us for this informative meeting:

Our April meeting will explore the Roosevelt girls. In 1891, John Ellis Roosevelt and his wife Nannie moved their family into their summer estate in Sayville. Daughters Pansy and Gladys were ten and two years old, respectively, and baby Jean was born at Meadow Croft that year. These active, intelligent, and creative girls were active in our local community as well as in the upper-class society of NYC. Join local historian Frank Giebfried as we explore the lives of these fascinating Gilded Age women: their marriages, travels, triumphs, and unfortunate tragedies.

The Roosevelt Girls of Meadow Croft

Frank Giebfried, BBP Historian

Sunday, April 12, 2026

Time: 2:00-4:00

The May meeting, the last one until the fall, will be about the history of the Long Island Railroad.

Dave Morrison, Historian

Sunday, May 17, 2026

Time: 2:00-4:00pm

Dave Morrison, retired LIRR branch manager and railroad historian, will present LIRR history

with a focus on the Montauk Branch. Drawing from 50 years of research, he will cover its 19th

century origins, branches, station history, and share rare photos. Join us for these informative and interesting meetings.

_______________________

Murder Mystery at Meadow Croft

Back by popular demand! The BBPHA is proud to bring back a Clue-like Murder Mystery event held at Meadow Croft. This will be a repeat performance (with a new twist). Our last performance was a sellout crowd and well received. A fun time was had by all! Put your investigative skills to work as you move from room to room at Meadow Croft and uncover "who did it?" "in what room?" and "with what weapon?"

Save the dates of April 25th and May 9, 2026. Tickets will go on sale through our own website on April 11th. If anyone is interested in volunteering, please reach out to our chairperson Beth at abclamarca@gmail.com. This should be a fun evening for families, friends and detective sleuths! See the flyer below for more information and the preview of the event in "The New York Herald" newspaper article from 1910. Get your tickets early as space is limited. 

General Membership Meetings, March & April 2026

 

General Membership Meetings

Our March General Membership meeting is open to all and held at the BBP Library. There is also a raffle at every meeting. Please join us for this informative & interesting meeting:

Join us for a local history event with Brittany Cutrone, proprietor of Laughlin Vineyard and granddaughter of Barney Laughlin. Learn the rich history of her family’s vineyard, their long-time connection with the Roosevelt family, and the legacy left by her grandfather through old letters, postcards, and personal memories.

Postcards from Papa: Letters, Legacy, and the Land We Tend

Brittany Cutrone

Loughlin Vineyard, Proprietor

Sunday, March 22, 2026

Time: 2:00-4:00

BBP Library

Our April meeting will explore the Roosevelt girls. In 1891, John Ellis Roosevelt and his wife Nannie moved their family into their summer estate in Sayville. Daughters Pansy and Gladys were ten and two years old, respectively, and baby Jean was born at Meadow Croft that year. These active, intelligent, and creative girls were active in our local community as well as in the upper-class society of NYC. Join local historian Frank Giebfried as we explore the lives of these fascinating Gilded Age women: their marriages, travels, triumphs, and unfortunate tragedies.

The Roosevelt Girls of Meadow Croft

Frank Giebfried, BBP Historian

Sunday, April 12, 2026

~ March 2026 Newsletter ~

 ~ March 2026 Newsletter ~

>> Click here! <<

Highlights: 

St. Patrick's Day Parade

Join us for Bayport Blue-Point's 36th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade! This year the parade will be held on March 15th starting at 11:00 am. The rain date will be March 22nd. The parade begins on Snedecor Ave and marchers will walk along Montauk Hwy to Blue Point Ave. Our Grand Marshal this year will be Jennifer McNamara from the Johnny Mac Foundation. Congratulations to Jennifer!

General Membership Meetings

Our March General Membership meeting is open to all and held at the BBP Library. There is also a raffle at every meeting. Please join us for our March meeting:

Join us for a local history event with Brittany Cutrone, proprietor of Laughlin Vineyard and granddaughter of Barney Laughlin. Learn the rich history of her family’s vineyard, their long-time connection with the Roosevelt family, and the legacy left by her grandfather through old letters, postcards, and personal memories.

Postcards from Papa: Letters, Legacy, and the Land We Tend

Brittany Cutrone

Loughlin Vineyard, Proprietor

Sunday, March 22, 2026

Our April meeting will explore the Roosevelt girls. In 1891, John Ellis Roosevelt and his wife Nannie moved their family into their summer estate in Sayville. Daughters Pansy and Gladys were ten and two years old, respectively, and baby Jean was born at Meadow Croft that year. These active, intelligent, and creative girls were active in our local community as well as in the upper-class society of NYC. Join local historian Frank Giebfried as we explore the lives of these fascinating Gilded Age women: their marriages, travels, triumphs, and unfortunate tragedies.

The Roosevelt Girls of Meadow Croft

Frank Giebfried, BBP Historian

Sunday, April 12, 2026

Save the dates!

Save the dates, read & share our newsletters, or follow us on Social Media for more information about these upcoming events brought to you by the BBPHA!

March 15, 2026: BBP St. Patrick's Day Parade

March 22, 2026: General Membership Meeting at BBP Library

April 12, 2026: General Membership Meeting at BBP Library

April 25, 2026: Murder Mystery Night at Meadow Croft

May 9, 2026: Murder Mystery Night at Meadow Croft

May 16, 2026: Historic Bayport & Blue Point Bike Ride

June - October 2026: Tours every weekend of Meadow Croft

June 21, 2026: Annual Summer Solstice Walking Tour

June 25, 2026: FREE Summer concert at Bayport Memorial Park

July 11, 2026: Celebration; 250th Anniversary of America!

July 30, 2026: FREE Summer concerts at Bayport Memorial Park

August 11, 2026: Historic Boat Cruise on the Great South Bay

December 5-6, 2026: Christmas at Meadow Croft

General Meeting: February 15, 2026

 

General Membership Meetings

Our February General Membership meeting is open to all and held at the BBP Library. There is also a raffle at every meeting. Please join us for our February meeting:

The Roosevelts in New York City

Bill Bleyer, Author, Historian

Sunday, February 15, 2026

2:00pm -4:00pm

Historian and author Bill Bleyer, a former Newsday staff writer, will present insights from his latest book, The Roosevelts in New York City. During this presentation, Bleyer will explore the unique locations in New York City where members of the Roosevelt family lived and worked revealing the private stories and interactions that shaped this iconic American family. The presentation will highlight the Roosevelts’ enduring legacy in Manhattan, including Theodore Roosevelt’s formative years in a brownstone on East 20th Street and the influence of his uncle, Robert Barnwell Roosevelt, (former summer resident of Bayport) who lived next door in a twin brownstone and fostered Theodore’s interest in conservation. The talk will provide an in-depth look at these notable family residences and the personal stories behind the Roosevelts’ prominence in New York City. Books will be available for purchase and signing at the event.

Save the dates for the March and April meetings:

Postcards from Papa: Letters, Legacy, and the Land We Tend

Brittany Cutrone

Loughlin Vineyard, Proprietor

Sunday, March 22, 2026

The Roosevelt Girls of Meadow Croft

Frank Giebfried, BBP Historian

Sunday, April 12, 2026

~February 2026 Newsletter~

 >> CLICK HERE FOR FEBRUARY 2026 NEWSLETTER<<

Click the link for the full newsletter with lots of information!

General Membership Meetings

Our February General Membership meeting is open to all and held at the BBP Library. There is also a raffle at every meeting. Please join us for our February meeting:

The Roosevelts in New York City

Bill Bleyer, Author, Historian

Sunday, February 15, 2026

2:00pm -4:00pm

Historian and author Bill Bleyer, a former Newsday staff writer, will present insights from his latest book, The Roosevelts in New York City. During this presentation, Bleyer will explore the unique locations in New York City where members of the Roosevelt family lived and worked revealing the private stories and interactions that shaped this iconic American family. The presentation will highlight the Roosevelts’ enduring legacy in Manhattan, including Theodore Roosevelt’s formative years in a brownstone on East 20th Street and the influence of his uncle, Robert Barnwell Roosevelt, (former summer resident of Bayport) who lived next door in a twin brownstone and fostered Theodore’s interest in conservation. The talk will provide an in-depth look at these notable family residences and the personal stories behind the Roosevelts’ prominence in New York City. Books will be available for purchase and signing at the event.

Save the dates for the March and April meetings:

Postcards from Papa: Letters, Legacy, and the Land We Tend

Brittany Cutrone

Loughlin Vineyard, Proprietor

Sunday, March 22, 2026

The Roosevelt Girls of Meadow Croft

Frank Giebfried, BBP Historian

Sunday, April 12, 2026

___________________________________________________________

St. Patrick's Day Parade

Join us for Bayport Blue-Point's 36th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade! This year the parade will be held on March 15th starting at 11:00 am. The rain date will be March 22nd. The parade begins on Snedecor Ave and marchers will walk along Montauk Hwy to Blue Point Ave. Our Grand Marshal this year will be Jennifer McNamara from the Johnny Mac Foundation. Congratulations to Jennifer!

_________________________________________________________________________

Help Wanted!

If you are interested in becoming a docent or tour guide for the Meadow Croft estate, please reach out to Jennifer Economos. Tours at the estate are given every weekend from June through October and operate from 2:00-4:00. Training will be available and you can make your own schedule. Interested in local history? Want to learn more? Please reach out to Jen for more information: 631-235-9342.

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Save the Date!

On July 11th 2026, The BBPHA will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of America. This is known as the Semiquincentennial, marking the signing of the Declaration of Independence and centered on themes of reflection, honor, and future. Meadow Croft will host an event that will embrace these themes in a family friendly day of planned events, food, music, contests and fun! Save the date and check back for more detailed information.