The Bayport Heritage Association was formed in 1983 and is dedicated to the preservation of the history of Bayport. The association has an extensive collection of archival photographs, vintage clothing, artifacts and books. Through the years, the group has been particularly active in the restoration of Meadow Croft, a John Ellis Roosevelt summer home and now a historical museum on the border of Bayport and Sayville. The association provides lectures and resources- educational, historical, environmental and social programs and services for the community and interested public. In June 2018, Blue Point joined the Association to include both communities.

Friday, July 1, 2022

~ July 2022 Newsletter ~

 

Sunday, June 5, 2022

June 2022 Newsletter



 

Welcome June!

What is one to say about June, the time of perfect young summer, the fulfillment of the promise of the earlier months, and with as yet no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will ever fade. ~Gertrude Jekyll

Welcome to summer! Briny breezes, longer days, flowers blooming, birds singing and sun shining! All vivid images of a great season ahead. At the BBPHA, we are excited to begin what we consider our most exciting time of year as well.

Summer House Tours: June 4th & 5th start the Meadow Croft Estate Tours! They are given every weekend starting in June and running through October. Trained docents will be showing the Meadow Croft 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 Meadow Croft even better! A display of historical period lightening is also on display.

We hope you and your family have the chance to come and visit and learn a little about the local history and home of John Ellis Roosevelt.

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FREE Summer Concert

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 16th from 6:00-8:00 pm (weather permitting) for some wonderful music featuring Soundswell.

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!

FREE Summer Concert

Thursday, June 16th, 6-8pm

11 Paulanna Avenue, Bayport, NY

 

Memorial Day Parades

It was a beautiful day for a parade and for honoring all those who served and sacrificed for our freedoms. Special thanks go to the members of the BBPHA for marching in the Bayport and Blue Point parades. This is a tradition for the Bayport & Blue Point Fire Departments to organize the parades in our communities. The Bayport Fire Department celebrated their 75th year of honoring those who served. There were wonderful musical ensembles, including the BBP HS band and Bob Draffin from the Bayport Civic Association was the Master of Ceremonies for the Day.

Bayport and Blue Point has had community members pay the ultimate sacrifice since the Civil War and we will never forget their devotion and service. May we remain worthy of all they have given us. As John F. Kennedy had so eloquently expressed, "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter the words, but to live by them."

BBP HS 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. More information in the July newsletter after the award has been presented to the winner later in June.

Academy Street visits Meadow Croft

On Thursday May 26th, the 4th grade class at Academy Street Elementary School visited the Meadow Croft estate to learn more about their local history. It was a beautiful day and the students were curious and asked wonderful questions. One student even remarked, "I want to come back here again!" Future historians right in our own community!
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Main Road to Bayport, Sayville L.I.

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

June 2004

This old postcard view was dated August 31, 1910. The unpaved road in the picture is Middle Road. The horse and carriage is headed east from Sayville into Bayport.

John E. Roosevelt's 1891 summer estate, "Meadow Croft" was located on the left in the postcard photo, beyond the footpath and fence.

History tells us that Middle Road was opened through Bayport in 1834. It got the name, "middle road" because it divided the farms that were located between Montauk Hwy. and the Great South Bay. Today, with its tree-lined Victorian homes, Middle Road is one of the prettiest roadways on Long Island.

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Last call: MEMBERSHIP

Last call for Membership! You may have received a post card in the mail from the BBPHA or you can make a payment directly on our website. If you would like to pay for this year, please mail payment to Bayport Blue Point Heritage Association PO Box 4 Bayport NY 11705. Please include your name, address and email on all correspondence. Make checks payable to Bayport Blue Point Heritage Association.

You can also make a payment directly from our web-page which can be found here . Just scroll down to the membership section on the home page. Any questions can be directed to bbphistorical@gmail.com. All membership fees go toward the upkeep and restoration of the Meadow Croft Estate. Thank you to all of our generous members! New members welcome!


Membership Type

Annual $25.00

Senior $10.00

Corporate $100.00

Donation $___

Sunday, May 1, 2022

May 2022 Newsletter

 

General Membership Meeting

Thank you to all of the many guests and members who attended our April Membership meeting at the BBP Library. It was a great turnout and a wonderful informative lecture on Shipwrecks of Long Island, given by historian Bill Blyer. Here is the information for our next meeting:

General Membership Meeting:

Sunday, May 22, 2-4pm

Join us at our next general membership meeting at the new Bayport-Blue Point Library on Sunday, May 22 at 2 o’clock. J.K. Hodge, a local film composer, will present an entire movie theater exhibit he has on loan from the Suffolk County Museum. This exhibit covers almost all the theaters that were on Long Island. As we’ll see, the history of film has proven to be a fascinatingly rich and complex field of interest. J.K. will take us through the shifting roles and multiple effects of cinema that took place here on Long Island. Mr. Hodge will also be accompanying a silent film starring the great Buster Keaton (photo above).

John Kenneth Hodge was born in Bayshore and raised in Bayport, Long Island. He was originally musically inspired by his grandfather, who was a theater house pianist during the silent film era. Mr. Hodge has been providing original scores and discussing the history of music and film for the last decade. “Music and film history was once a novelty, but has become my passion to see the role Long Island played in it.”

We hope to see you there!

Gene Horton Local History Room ~ Virtual Tour

Take a gander at the new Gene Horton Local History Room at the Bayport Blue Point Library.

Grape Arbor

Last month we reported that a bad wind storm (and rot) took down the grape arbor that stood behind the Meadow Croft Estate. Plans are under way for Boy Scout Jack Stafford to complete his Eagle Scout project by building a new arbor. The work should start in a few weeks as fundraising is currently under way. Thank you in advance Jack for your dedication to the BBPHA and local history! Thank you!

Membership Dues

It's that time of year! The BHA is now requesting your membership dues. If you would like to pay for this year, please mail payment to Bayport Blue Point Heritage Association PO Box 4 Bayport NY 11705. Please include your name, address and email on all correspondence. Make checks payable to Bayport Blue Point Heritage Association.

You can also make a payment directly from our web-page which can be found here . Just scroll down to the membership section on the home page. Any questions can be directed to bbphistorical@gmail.com. All membership fees go toward the upkeep and restoration of the Meadow Croft Estate. Thank you to all of our generous members! New members welcome!

Membership Type

Annual $25.00

Senior $10.00

Corporate $100.00

Donation $___

Help Wanted...

Auto Mechanic: Calling all antique auto mechanics! We are hoping to form an Auto Barn Committee to work on the 1916 Maxwell that Gene Horton donated to BBPHA. The goal of this committee is to make sure that the Maxwell is kept in great shape so that we can get it back on the road under its own power again. Another goal is to keep the Auto Barn clean and organized so that it can be featured on tours of Meadow Croft. If you have knowledge of antique automobiles and would like to help, please email me at DennisHFagan@gmail.com.

Docents: The BBPHA is always looking for people interested in local history who would like to volunteer their time for tours of the Meadow Croft Estate. Docents are trained and can choose the dates they would like to give tours. Meadow Croft is open on weekends from 2:00-4:00 starting in June and ending in October. If you would like more information or are interested, please email us at bbphistorical@gmail.com.

House Tour: We are looking for homes in the Bayport or Blue Point area for our Historical Autumn House Tour event. This event is planning to be held on October 23, 2022 BUT WE NEED YOU! We need you to volunteer your home, so if you have a historically significant, architecturally unique, or interesting home, please let us know. We would love to bring back this event but we need you. Please email us at bbphistorical@gmail.com if you are interested or would like more information.

Spring Clean-up at Meadow Croft

On April 3rd, a large group of dedicated volunteers came to Meadow Croft to participate in a clean-up and rescue some farm equipment buried in the woods. Led by James Bertsch, members of the Sayville Football team, plus BBPHA members and friends, came ready and willing to roll-up their sleeves and get to work.

The BBPHA sincerely thanks everyone for all of the hard work to keep our local history alive!

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Upcoming Events:

Meadow Croft Estate Tours: Every weekend starting in June through October, the estate at Meadow Croft is open for house tours. Come see what life was like at the turn of the century in John Ellis Roosevelt's summer home. House tours are given by trained docents and they run from 2:00-4:00 on Saturdays and Sundays.

Concerts in the Park: Every year the BBPHA gives back to the community by sponsoring two summer concerts in the Bayport Memorial Park. This year the dates are: June 17 and July 21, 2022. These concerts are wonderful community events and we hope you save the dates!

Historic Boat Tour: The BBPHA arranges a ferry tour of the Great South Bay, usually on the full moon of the month. This year's tour will be held in August. More info to follow.

Cemetery Tour: Plans are in the works for a local cemetery tour at St. Ann's Cemetery. There are many famous people buried there including early founding members of Bayport and Sayville. This will take place in October so look for more information in our upcoming newsletters.

Summer Solstice Walking Tour: Once again, on June 21st at 6:30pm, BBPHA member Frank Giebfried will be guiding patrons for an evening stroll that marks the beginning of the summer season. This year's tour will begin and end at the beautiful new BBP library. Along the way you will explore historic sites including boarding houses, famous people, and local historical dwellings. Registration at the Bayport Blue Point Library is required to join this tour.

Phragmites Blocking Bay Views at Meadow Croft

At one time, the Roosevelts enjoyed an undisturbed view of the Great South Bay and boats sailing south on Brown's River from the front lawn at their Meadow Croft Estate. Then, along came Phragmites....

Once upon a time not so long ago, the Phragmites reed was not so prevalent in the wetlands on Long Island. Today, it is the most abundant species of plant in our wetlands on Fire Island and the tributaries which feed the bay. Its density is evident whenever you try to get a great view of the water from your car window on a drive as they can grow up to 15 feet tall.

Phragmites is native to the Eastern United States but has grown in tidal wetlands around the world for at least the last 3,000 years. It is believed to have been introduced here from Europe or Asia. Prior to the 1900's, Phragmites was present in mixed-plant communities and was described as being rare. By the early 1900's, however, the plant had been considered common and widespread. Today, Phragmites occupies thousands of acres and exists as a lone plant species where it grows.

Since the early 1900's, the abundance of Phragmites in East coast wetlands has been rapidly increasing displacing other wetlands plant species. This coarse, perennial grass grows on every continent except Antarctica and is believed to have the widest distribution of any flowering plant. Historically, it has been used for food, sweeteners, weaving material, weapons and decorations. Native Americans used it to treat digestive problems and headaches.

Phragmites reeds have long, woody stems, wide leaves and plumes of tiny flowers which are produced from July through October and are wind-pollinated. The plant has horizontal roots called rhizomes, prefers bright sunlight, moist soils and can tolerate water of high salinity. It is a highly competitive plant species that can displace established vegetation and once established , creates conditions which block other plants from thriving. Additionally, Phragmites produces a dense litter layer that decays very slowly, blocking light penetration to any plants which germinate beneath the dead stems and leaves.

Changes in the coastal environment as a result of human activities have made it easier for Phragmites to spread. Increased nutrients due to development, soil disturbance and hydrologic change from dredging, channelization and mosquito ditching have all created habitat conditions which favor Phragmites and increased the stressors on other wetland plants making them less able to resist invasion by Phrgamites.

Scientist agree that Phragmites significantly impact wetland ecosystems by reducing biodiversity, reducing food resources for other species, reducing habitat value for some bird species, degrading scenic vistas, and decreasing the production of larvae and juvenile fish. Some of the positive aspects of Phragmites include providing cover for ducks, herons and other waterfowl species, stabilizing the shoreline and capturing sediments.

In many coastal areas, programs are being undertaken to remove Phragmites to restore habitats to pre-Phragmites condition. Unfortunately, once established, Phragmites is very difficult to eliminate. These programs include mowing, herbicides, burning, excavating and increasing salinity levels. Each of these measures have limited effectiveness and several can damage existing conditions in the ecosystem. Given the expanses of Phragmites and the difficulty of removing it, it is likely that Phragmites is here to stay.

* Source: "Phragmites; the common reed, 2004 by Jeffrey Kassner, Biology Teacher at Suffolk County Community College

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Friday, April 1, 2022

April 2022 Newsletter

 


2023 Board of Directors




Friday, March 11, 2022

~ March 2022 UPDATE

General Membership Meeting Re-scheduled
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General Membership Meeting: NEW DATE & TIME

Sunday, April 24th, 2:00-4:00pm

Due to a booking error at the library, our meeting needs to be re-scheduled.

Join us at our next general membership meeting at the new Bayport-Blue Point Library on Sunday, April 24th at 2 o’clock

We will learn about prominent Long Island shipwrecks in a lecture by historian, author, and retired Newsday reporter Bill Bleyer. 

The PowerPoint presentation will include maritime disasters from the Prins Maurits carrying colonists to what would become Delaware, HMS Culloden wrecked at Montauk during the American Revolution, the Mexico and Bristol carrying immigrants during the early 1800s, the fire that destroyed the steamship Lexington in 1840 – Long Island Sound’s worst calamity – to the sinking of the USS San Diego in World War I, and the loss of the tugboat Gwendoline Steers in a 1962 winter storm.

We look forward to seeing everyone!


Tuesday, March 1, 2022

March 2022 Newsletter

General Membership Meetings are Back!

General Membership Meeting: We’re Back!

Sunday, March 20, 1-3pm

Join us at our next general membership meeting at the new Bayport-Blue Point Library on Sunday, March 20 at 1 o’clock. We will learn about prominent Long Island shipwrecks in a lecture by historian, author, and retired Newsday reporter Bill Bleyer. The PowerPoint presentation will include maritime disasters from the Prins Maurits carrying colonists to what would become Delaware, HMS Culloden wrecked at Montauk during the American Revolution, the Mexico and Bristol carrying immigrants during the early 1800s, the fire that destroyed the steamship Lexington in 1840 – Long Island Sound’s worst calamity – to the sinking of the USS San Diego in World War I, and the loss of the tugboat Gwendoline Steers in a 1962 winter storm.

Please note that this meeting begins at 1 pm. We look forward to seeing everyone!

St. Patrick's Day Parade

Mark your calendars! Bayport-Blue Point Chamber of Commerce’s 32nd Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade is Sunday, March 13, 2022. The BBPHA will be marching along again!

Our Grand Marshal for the 2022 Parade is Matthew “Matty” McGuire. Two years ago, Matt was supposed to be the Grand Marshal for the 2020 parade but Covid cancelled those plans for two long years. We are glad the parade is a go and Matt will be leading the way!

Matt is from the Bayport Blue Point Little League where he has served as President for almost 10 years. Starting at 11 a.m. at the corner of Snedecor Avenue and Montauk Highway in Bayport, the parade ends down Blue Point Avenue in Blue Point. Join us on March 13, 2022 for the Bayport Blue Point St. Patrick's Day parade.

Help Wanted

House Tour: It is never too early to start planning our Annual House Tour. If you have a historic house in the Bayport or Blue Point community or a home that has architectural significance or charm, please contact us! We would love to showcase your home in our tour this October, to share the history of our communities. We also need help with planning and promotion. If you have some time to give back to your community, in any way, shape or form, WE NEED YOU!

Docents: From June through October tours of the historic Meadow Croft estate are given every weekend by our small group of dedicated docents. We are always looking for new names and faces to lead our tours. If you are interested, contact us below. Training provided.

Heirloom Garden: Who has a green thumb? Ok, not necessary but volunteering to help with Meadow Croft's Heirloom Garden will make your heart full and maybe turn your brown thumb green! All levels of experience needed. Join the fun!

Spring clean-up: We are in need of some dedicated, outdoor loving friends to help with a spring clean-up at the Meadow Croft estate. If this is something you might be willing to volunteer a few hours for, please email us. Thanks in advance!

Ye Ole Anchorage Inn

These stories first appeared in the Bayport Blue Point Gazette. They were written by Gene Horton and shared here with permission.

March 2009

Location: NW corner of Montauk Hwy. & Kennedy Ave; site of an abandoned gas station today.

This old photo shows Ye Anchorge Inn as it looked around 1900. The Inn was established by Captain Will Graham in 1897 who called it "An Inn as is an Inn."

Ye Anchorage could accommodate 35 guests. The site was most famous for its Great Sphinx. Over the years, Ye Anchorage was visited by Teddy Roosevelt, Mary Pickford, Elbert Hubbard, Douglas Fairbanks... Captain Will Graham was somewhat eccentric...his place attracting Bohemian, show-biz and sports-type figures.

Will Graham died in 1920; the Inn burned down on March 31, 1928. The property became the site of Toni Ferri's gas station. The head of the Great Sphinx was moved to Bayport by the Fontana Brothers in 1974 and completely restored.

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