~ February 2023 Newsletter ~

February General Membership Meeting

Join Us for our February General Membership Meeting!

Unraveling Yarns About The First Ladies

The BBPHA will host its next general membership meeting on Sunday, February 19, 2023 from 2:00-4:00 at the BBP Library. Debra Scala Giokas, a local resident and recent presenter at the Herbert Hoover Library celebrates the needle work of 18 first ladies including Edith and Eleanor Roosevelt. Inspirational stories will give a glimpse into the minds and hearts of these historic women and an appreciation of craft, creativity, patience, perseverance, sacrifice and service.

All are welcome! Light refreshments are served.

Save the Date: The next meeting will be held on March 19th and the speaker will be Richard Panchyck. His topic will be; Abandoned Long Island.

Richard Panchyck presents stories of spectacular ruins frozen in time and still standing today. Historic structures include great estates, vacant military and industrial buildings, and obsolete railways and roads.

Augmented Reality Makes History Come Alive At Meadow Croft

The Bayport Blue Point Heritage Association has received a $125,000 grant from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation to animate the history of Meadow Croft through cutting-edge digital technology.

Meadow Croft is the 1890’s summer home of John Ellis Roosevelt and his family. Located on the border of Sayville and Bayport, the estate is on the National Register of Historic places and was a well-known gathering place for the large Roosevelt clan.

During his first term as President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt eluded his secret service detail to travel alone on horseback from Sagamore Hill in Oyster Bay to Sayville for a surprise visit to John Ellis, his first cousin and personal lawyer. When Teddy road down Main Street at dawn, a milkman stopped him and famously observed that he looked just like the President of the United States.

“That’s the kind of story we want to tell our visitors through augmented reality”, said Mary Bailey, president of the BBPHA, which manages Meadow Croft in partnership with Suffolk County. “The Gardiner grant will enable us to literally make history come alive.”

Once digital technology is installed, visitors to Meadow Croft can simply point their cell phones at a photograph or object that has been embedded with a story link. “Imagine seeing and hearing Theodore Roosevelt and Roosevelt family members in front of you. Thanks to the Gardiner Foundation we will be able to engage visitors in the many important stories from the past that are all round us, “Bailey said.

"Like so many of our Long Island historical societies the Bayport Blue Point Heritage Association has a wealth of stories to share on so many aspects of their role in American history. The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation's goal in creating Digital Tapestry, our augmented reality experience, is to link these stories with other historic sites to create an educational and entertaining history-based trial. The Meadow Croft Teddy Roosevelt offering will be linked to Camp Wikoff in Montauk, and the Theodore Roosevelt Songbird Sanctuary and the Theodore Roosevelt Train Station, both in Oyster Bay. This award is to help build new audiences and offer sustainability through history-based tourism," said Kathryn M. Curran, Executive Director of the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation.

This project is expected to be available in person and online by the end of 2023.

St Patrick's Day Parade

Join your friends, neighbors and the BBPHA for Bayport Blue Point's 33rd Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade!

On March 12th, beginning at 11:00, starting from Snedecor Avenue and continuing down Montauk Hwy, our communities will be honoring the Grand Marshal for this year's parade... Constance "Connie" Haab.

Connie was born and raised in Bayport and has been very connected to our communities serving for an incredible 50 years as the Secretary of the Bayport Fire District. Connie was also the Fire Commissioner for 10 years, the first and only woman to hold this position. Connie held many other community positions including her important work with The Bayport Memorial Park committee and the BBP Little League.

Wear your green and come join in the merriment of our community's annual parade to celebrate the Irish and of course our Grand Marshal, Connie Haab!

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!

Positions available: The BBPHA is looking to fill positions on our board. If you are interested, please contact us. You can reach us at bbphistorical@gmail.com

Main Country Road, Blue Point, NY

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

November 2004

This old postcard shows Montauk HIghway looking east. In the "good old days" of a hundred years ago, Montauk Highway was know as the "Main Country Road." The roads were paved with clam shells and oyster shells, the horse and wagon, seen in the picture, are pulling out of Blue Point Avenue, and turning onto the Montauk Hwy.

Looking carefully, you might be able to see two local boys with their "wheels" (bicycles) standing on the Montauk Hwy. The house in the picture was an old Blue Point boarding house called the "Doxsey House," owned & operated by Mrs. W. Doxsey. Later, that house would be turned and moved to the east side of Bell Ave. where it stands today as a private residence.

 

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Facebook @BayportHistory

Also follow us on Instagram! @BBPHeritage

Meadow Croft Estate, Middle Road, Sayville, NY, USA

  bbphistorical@gmail.com  

631-472-4625 

  BayportBluePointHeritage.org

~ January 2023 Newsletter ~

Happy New Year 2023!

All of us at the BBPHA wish you a Happy and Healthy New Year! We had a busy, productive year and managed to accomplish a great deal to support our mission of preserving the rich history of our wonderful hamlets. Of course we could not do any of this without the support of our community; both families, friends and local businesses!

 

We thank all of you who came out to celebrate Christmas at Meadow Croft, held the first weekend of December. It was a very successful event, even though the weather on Saturday was raining. There are so many people to thank for their help and support. See below for the many individuals and groups who helped make this weekend a great success. Thank you!! We thank you all for a wonderful 2022 and we look forward to new adventures in 2023!

Thank you!!

Christmas at Meadow Croft is a labor of love and takes months of planning and organization. Special thanks go to our chairperson Leanne Berg who once again created a wonderful festive experience for our friends and neighbors. Thank you!

A note from Leanne: I personally would like to thank everyone who stepped in, under the direction of Mary Bailey, who pulled it all together in my illness and absence. I'm honored to work with such amazing people! I apologize if I forgot a name or two, so many people come together to make it all happen. Thank you!

Thank you to the Suffolk County Parks Department for leveling the driveway and clearing the leaves from the property for this event. Your support is much appreciated!

Many volunteers give selflessly of their time and talents to clean & decorate Meadow Croft for this event. Many thanks go to Rose Colan, Lucy Olivia, Stacey Balsam, Jeanne Fischer, Linda Villano, Brenda Kershenhiem, Angela Stelling, Bayport Homemakers, Sayville Garden Club, Karl Auwaerter of Bayport Flower Houses, and Erich Haesche. Also to our favorite wood carver, Joe Novak.

Thank you to those generous businesses who donated items for our raffles. Doug Cibuls from Lake Liquor who donated an engraved champagne bottle with a gift card. Thank you to Mademoiselle's Patisserie who donated a $20.00 gift card. The lucky winner of that BIG BEER basket can thank Lenore Preziosi & her husband Mike. Thank you to attorney Annette Lanteri who donated a Will Preparation gift card worth $1500.00, and of course the generous Auwaerter Family from Bayport Flower Houses.

With so many visitors and only one driveway for both entrance and exit, we needed a dedicated parking crew to help everyone get in and out safely. Thanks to the men who weathered the weekend outside as directed by John Amato: Dennis Fagan, Charlie Colan, Charlie Iden, David Ort, Craig Clare, Stephan Jones, Dave Harenberg and the local Boy Scout Troop.

Volunteers are needed to act as docents or man each of the many rooms in the Roosevelt estate for this event. Special thanks go to: Jerry McCluskey, Mary Lou Cohalan, Beth LaMarca, Mary Bailey, Baylee Browning-Atkinson, Denise Corsica, Jen Economos, Anna Dugan, Frank Giebfried, Laura Amato, Sandra Iden, Lynn Clarke, Erich Haesche, Joe Novak, Lenore Ringer Prezioso, Linda Loker, Sean McCluskey, Aileen McCluskey, Angel Johnson, & Kathy Young.

A a BIG thanks to Steve Birkeland who takes all the photographs in the carriage house with St. Nicholas. Speaking of St. Nicholas, thank you to Tom Maher Jr. for dressing up and posing for all of those pictures. Also to Katie Maher & John Maher for acting as Santa's helpers. And a BIG shout out to Lenore Ringer Prezioso from M & T Bank for not only helping serve but donating the hot cocoa and cookies to our guests in the carriage house. Thank you to Jennifer Economos for the many culinary delights she prepared for our special Saturday Night event. Delish!

The Roosevelt estate really had the Christmas spirit floating through the air and that is in part due to the many musicians who donate their time and talents to play holiday music on the Roosevelt piano during the weekend. Many thanks goes to: John Hodge, Bill Bailey, Mary Latini, Maurice Kemp, Sophia Bertsch and Serena & Grace Buono. It was amazing!

Thank you to those who donated so many items to our raffle baskets and the many "elves" who helped in wrapping and organizing all of the items. MUCH APPRECIATED!

General Membership Meeting

Unraveling Yarns About The First Ladies

The BBPHA will host its next general membership meeting on February 19, 2023 from 2:00-4:00 at the BBP Library. Debra Scala Giokas, a local resident and recent presenter at the Herbert Hoover Library celebrates the needle work of 18 first ladies including Edith and Eleanor Roosevelt. Inspirational stories will give a glimpse into the minds and hearts of these historic women and an appreciation of craft, creativity, patience, perseverance, sacrifice and service.

All are welcome! Light refreshments are served.

Welcome and Thank you!

As of January 1, 2023, our treasurer, John Amato, will be stepping down from his duties. John has served on the Heritage's board for many years. While he will still be involved in many of the events and activities the Heritage Association is involved with, John will be spending more time at the Maritime Museum where he is the Crew Coordinator and one of the Captains of the Priscilla, the 1888 Oyster Sloop.

John's replacement will be Craig Clare, a Bayport resident who was a financial advisor prior to his retirement. John and Craig have been working together to assure a smooth transition for this important position. We wish Craig a heartfelt WELCOME and wish him the best of luck in his new position. We also thank John for his many years of service and can be comforted by the fact: The bills are paid and we are solvent!

Nominations for the BBPHA

The nominating committee is developing a slate of members for the 2023 board. There are open seats; including directors. Any current paid BBPHA member may serve on the board. It requires only one meeting per month. If you would be willing to serve for the 2023 year, please contact us at bbphistorical@gmail.com

We are also looking for members to serve on various committees throughout the year. You can work from home! If you have a particular skill or interest (house tour, special events, light clerical and organization) please contact us at BBPhistorical@gmail.com.

Winter Long Ago in Blue Point

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

January 2004

"Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow..."

The building in the background of this old Blue Point winter photo is today's "Firehouse Deli." In the 1930's, when this snapshot was taken, that same building housed "Rocky Moore's General Store." In this photo, a car is practically buried in snow on the driveway that runs alongside the store. The driveway is still there but the old barn, seen behind the store, is gone today. Somehow, winters seemed to be harsher in the days gone-by, at least according to many old-timers, and, who knows, maybe they were!

 

 

BBP Heritage Association

Facebook @BayportHistory

A Happy Healthy New Year to all!

Meadow Croft Estate, Middle Road, Sayville, NY, USA 

  bbphistorical@gmail.com 

  631-472-4625 

  BayportBluePointHeritage.org

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Connect with Laura Amato

Newsletter ~ December 2022

 Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Holidays!

Christmas at Meadow Croft

The Meadow Croft elves have been very busy these last few weeks planning, decorating, volunteering, organizing and making Meadow Croft BEAUTIFUL to celebrate Christmas at Meadow Croft 2022. We are so grateful to be able to open this home, once again, for the holiday season.

On Saturday December 3rd and Sunday December 4th from 12:00-4:00, Meadow Croft will be open to the public. Come see each room of the John Ellis Roosevelt estate alive with festive holiday decorations! There will be music played on the original Roosevelt piano and pictures with Old Saint Nick in the Carriage House. Cookies and hot chocolate will be served! Many raffle baskets will be on display and holiday decorations and the baskets will be raffled off at the end of the weekend. A special sale of historical gifts will be on sale as well. We have great items including; local history books by author Gene Horton, ornaments, note cards, tote bags, and Meadow Croft prints. All of these items would make great holiday gifts! The admission fee is $5.00 per person.

We thank our chairperson Leanne Berg for her efforts in coordinating this event. We thank our many volunteers who have put in countless hours preparing for this weekend. We look forward to seeing YOU at Meadow Croft this weekend to celebrate the season.

Nominations for BBPHA

The nominating committee is developing a slate of members for the 2023 board. There are open seats; including directors. Any current paid BBPHA member may serve on the board. It requires only one meeting per month. If you would be willing to serve for the 2023 year, please contact us at bbphistorical@gmail.com

We are also looking for members to serve on various committees throughout the year. You can work from home! If you have a particular skill or interest (house tour, special events, light clerical and organization) please contact us at BBPhistorical@gmail.com.

Digitizing of Previous Newsletters

FYI: As reported in a previous newsletter, we have completed the project to digitize our newsletters from years 1894 to 2009. Now you all have viewing access to these newsletters from you computer. We are thankful to the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation who funded the program which was administered by the graduate history department of Long Island University, headed by Dr. Greg Hunter. The hard copies of the newsletters were sent to LIU and the students digitized them for web access. We are proud to offer them to all of our members for a look back in time. Follow these instructions for access. There is no log-in needed.

1. Use the link https://liu.access.preservica.com

2. Click on "Browse Collections."

3. Click on "Bayport-Blue Point Heritage Association."

4. You will see the years in chronological order with the image of the front page.

5. Click on the year you would like to view

6. IMPORTANT: Click on "View Gallery" This tab allows you to scroll through the pages.

7. Scroll through the pages using the "Previous" and "Next " buttons at the top of the page.

Have fun looking into the past. The current board members want to thank the previous members for their hard work in creating the interesting stories and posting the photos which make these items the valuable artifacts that they are. Thank you!

Environmental Planting at Meadow Croft

The Long Island Conservancy, with the support of Spadefoot Design and Construction, has been engaged to restore habitat here at Meadow Croft. With the direction of Suffolk County Parks Director of Historical Services, Richard Martin, the original Historic Landscape plan was followed.

Eleven red maples were planted along the western spur of the driveway in keeping with the John Ellis Roosevelt Estate's original planting design from the early 1900's.

In addition, a native wildflower bed was planted where historically there had been a garden. Lemon balm, broom sedge, and bergamot were planted. These new plantings will help restore native habitat and provide an educational experience for Suffolk County residents. Invasive plants including mugwort and tree of heaven were also removed. More plantings are planned and contemplated.

The Stillman Barge at the Foot of Blue Point Avenue

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

December 2008

Only a few old-timers would remember the STILLMAN BARGE. It was located at the foot of Blue Point Avenue tied up to the town pier. It was there from the 19-teens until the 1930's. It was only open during the summer months and was owned and operated by Mr. & Mrs. Stuart Stillman.

In April 1939, the NY WORLD TELEGRAM ran a story about the Stillman Barge. "There tucked securely into a shoulder of piling and lashed to dockside, is the Stillman Houseboat. There has been a Stillman Houseboat in that berth for 20 years, although this, the second, is only about 14 years old. Stuart Stillman, a thin, white-haired boatman goes out every day and digs up the clams, while Mrs. Stillman, an amply proportioned woman with a kindly manner and a somewhat worried expression, turns out clam chowder. "It's the New York kind, but I don't make it like they do in New York," she tells you and clam fritters and fried fish, and crabs and splendid small donuts which she calls snowballs, and applesauce cake, which is her husband's favorite.

I don't know how you describe direction in a houseboat; nothing with such uncompromising ends can have anything to do with fore and aft...but the eating cabin occupies the inshore half of the boat and the rest of it is given over to the kitchen and storage space and a small back room where Mrs. Stillman presumably sits whenever she has a moment to sit (they don't sleep aboard). The dining cabin contains two long, rather narrow tables aligned on opposite sides of the room, each set between two benches. If Stillman's is anything like crowded, you would want to be on good terms with your companions!

The large sign on the roof of the Stillman Barge advertised clam chowder, clam cocktail and clams on the shell. The smaller roof sign advertised sandwiches, frankfurters, tea & coffee, soft crab sandwiches, NEAR BEER, soft drinks. Stillman's Barge is long gone now, but not entirely forgotten, as part of Blue Point's shoreline history.

Facebook @BayportHistory

Have a wonderful holiday season! Happy New Year! 

 

Meadow Croft Estate, Middle Road, Sayville, NY, USA 

 bbphistorical@gmail.com  

631-472-4625  

BayportBluePointHeritage.org

~ Christmas Update 2022 ~

Christmas Aglow

Special preview night: Saturday December 3rd, 2022 from 7:00-9:00pm

A guided tour of the Roosevelt Estate in all its Christmas glory.

Refreshments served.

Tickets can be purchased on our website here.

$25.00 per person, adults only

Tickets are limited to 50 people only and selling fast!

Get yours today and get in the Holiday Spirit!

Christmas at Meadow Croft

It's almost time for our Annual Christmas at Meadow Croft! This year's event will be held on December 3rd & 4th, 2022. There will be special exhibits, electric trains, dolls, wood carvings, and of course St. Nicholas will be there. The Roosevelt piano will be filling the air with holiday music and the festive decorations and baskets & decorations will be raffled off.

The theme this year will be;

Christmas by the Bay!

~ November 2022 Newsletter ~

 Next General Meeting- Join us!

My Father and Teddy Roosevelt...90 Years Later.

Presenter: Brian Maher

On Sunday November 20th, 2022 from 2:00-4:00 at the Bayport - Blue Point Library. Pulitzer Prize winning author Edmund Morris found an essay of a 14-year-old Oyster Bay school boy. He decided to use part of it in the final words of his 2500-page account of the life of our 26th President. The young boy was presenter Brian Maher's father.

Come join us and learn how Brian randomly learned of the letter and discovered a new side of his late father. No registration required, all are welcome. Light refreshments will be served and a raffle drawing too.

Thank you!

Welcome November! 

It's the season of Thanks and we want to Thank you! 

Thank you to the hundreds of new friends and neighbors who came out from June through October to tour Meadow Croft, the summer home of John Ellis Roosevelt. The BBPHA has worked tirelessly to provide new exhibits, updates and improvements, and opportunities to bring in more people and expose the wonderful history of life on the South Shore of Long Island in early 1900's. It's our wonderful friends and guests who help move our mission forward of preserving the history and future of Bayport and Blue Point. Thank you!

Christmas by the Bay

It's almost time for our Annual Christmas at Meadow Croft! This year's event will be held on December 3rd & 4th, 2022. There will be special exhibits, electric trains, dolls, wood carvings, and of course St. Nicholas will be there. The Roosevelt piano will be filling the air with holiday music and the festive decorations and baskets will be raffled off. The theme this year will be;

Christmas by the Bay!

Christmas Aglow: Special preview night on Saturday, December 3rd from 7:00-9:00 PM. A special guided tour of the full estate in all it's Christmas glory as well as refreshments served. This preview is for adults only and is $25.00 per person. Tickets are limited to 50 people and can be purchased soon on our website here .

Save the dates! December 3rd & 4th from 12:00-4:00.

Help wanted: If you can lend a hand with parking for this event (directing traffic), on either day, please contact John Amato by email. johnfamato@optonline.net

Christmas preparations are underway! But we need your help! We are looking for pianists who would be interested in volunteering an hour of their time to fill Meadow Croft with Christmas music played on the Roosevelt Grand Piano. Could this be you??

We are also looking for someone to provide an electric train set up in our Carriage House. If you have any interest and trains to show off, we would welcome your input and generosity!

We are also looking for community groups, businesses or decorators who would like to participate in decorating a room for this event! Please call event chairperson Leanne Berg at 631-235-1702 if interested. Thank you!

31st Annual House Tour

On Sunday October 23, 2022, the BBPHA held its 31st Annual House Tour. The light rain didn't dampen our spirits as hundreds of guests toured 6 beautiful homes and the Meadow Croft Estate in Bayport & Blue Point. Of course, these events are made possible by many volunteers, generous people and organizations in our communities and we would like to Thank them for helping to make the day a success!

First are the two ladies who for months & months tirelessly scanned the neighborhoods for generous homeowners to open their homes for this event. Thank you Mary Soper and Barbara Wright! A wonderful job! Thank you to Bill Bailey and his attention to detail as he penned the authentic and historical details of our house ticket booklet. Thank you to the Sayville Garden Club who provided all of the festive pumpkin centerpieces for the homeowners. John Amato provided the house markers and balloons for people to help locate the homes, thanks. The Bayport-Blue Point Library and Bayport Flower Houses were our business partners who sold the tickets at their location for this event and we thank them for their support! Thank you to Jerry McCloskey for arranging docents for the day at the Meadow Croft Estate. Thank you to Anna Duggan & Dennis Fagan for organizing these car enthusiasts who graciously lent us their antique cars for display in the homeowner's driveways: Tom Corvin, Dennis Fagan, Oakley Wood, Tom D'Antizio & Howie Rowland. A special Thank You goes to the many, many volunteers who took shifts in acting as docents for the day in the homes on the tour. We couldn't have done it without you! Thank you!

And last but most importantly, the extremely generous homeowners themselves who opened their beautiful, unique and historic homes for the tour. We thank you most of all for supporting the Heritage Association and this fundraiser. These wonderful people are:

Michael & Randee Chlystun

Joe & Ginny Novak

Chip & Rachelle Morrow

Joseph & Nancy Albanese

Don & Dani Wrobel

Michael & Laura Orofino

Thank you to all who purchased tickets and participated in the tour. Our planning for next year's tour begins now. If you have an interesting, architecturally or historically significant home in Bayport or Blue Point and would like to feature your home for next year's tour, please let us know.

Grape Arbor Update

A few months ago we shared that a terrible storm blew down the grape arbor located behind Meadow Croft. Jack Stafford, an Eagle Scout from Troop 130 of Bayport, was willing to take on the challenge of rebuilding the grape arbor. He made his application, held fundraisers, purchased materials and his work began to rebuild this structure. We would like to thank Jack for his outstanding work on behalf of all of us at the BBPHA.

How it started...	Devastation!	How it's going...

Gene Horton Memorial & Street Dedication

Please join us on November 5th at 3:00pm for the Gene Horton Memorial and street dedication sponsored by the Blue Point Fire Department.

 

 

Thank you Docents!

Every weekend from June through October, Meadow Croft is staffed with trained docents. These are volunteers from our local communities who give up a few hours of time, away from their families and other obligations, to provide tours to the many guests who visit the summer home of John Ellis Roosevelt. The BBPHA thanks you from the bottom of our hearts for all you do to make the experience a memorable one. THANK YOU!

Aagun Connell, Anna Duggan, Baylee Browning-Atkinson, Beth LaMarca, Jim Connell, David Ort, Denise Coscia, Mary Lou Cohalan, Erich Haesche, Frank Giebfried, Hannah Blaskiewicz, Jen Economos, Joe Novak, Lenore Ringer-Prezioso, Linda Loker, Gail Laskowski, Linda Villano, Lynn Clarke and the one and only, Jerry McCloskey!

BBP Chamber of Commerce Community Expo

On Wednesday October 19th, the BBPHA participated in the Community Expo held at the Bayport Flower Houses. There were over 50 tables that represented all the wonderful things our communities have to offer. It was an informative event and the Heritage team had a ball. Did you spin the wheel of history?? :)

Thank you to Mary Bailey, Frank Giebfried, Leanne Berg, & Jerry McCloskey for your participation. Special thanks to Joe Novak who made the trivia wheel. A fun time was had by all!

Megill's Lake, Blue Point Avenue, Blue Point

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

November 2003

From around the 1890's through the 1960's Megill's Lake was a picturesque Blue Point showplace. Many postcards were made of it. Located on the east side of Blue Point Avenue, south of Middle Road, the lake is fed by a natural spring.

It was once a part of the summer estate of the family of Edward L. Megill. Their home, "Ferndell," although no longer in the Megill family, still stands at 55 Blue Point Avenue. An open summer gazebo can be seen in the old postcard view. A "bird hotel," built in 1894, can also be seen in this picture. Two small islands and one large island were created by Mr. Megill. These islands were connected by rustic wooden bridges.

This property is maintained by the Town of Brookhaven today. It is still a popular spot for ice skating in the winter.

 

 

 

Facebook @BayportHistory

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope to see you at Christmas at Meadow Croft!

Meadow Croft Estate, Middle Road, Sayville, NY, USA  

bbphistorical@gmail.com 

  631-472-4625  

BayportBluePointHeritage.org

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~ October 2022; Special Edition ~

Please join us... November 5th, 2022, 3:00pm

A special dedication in honor our local historian, Gene Horton.

The Blue Point Fire Department will be holding a memorial and street dedication ceremony for lifetime member and Blue Point native, Gene Horton. As we all know, Gene was a local treasure as an historian, neighbor, fire fighter, and friend. Please join us if you can. Details below.

October 2022 Newsletter

October General Membership Meeting

Welcome to October! This is our last month for house tours, happening every weekend from 2:00-4:00. Come check out Meadow Croft and see all of the updates and displays.

Join us for our October General Membership Meeting featuring speaker Chris Kretz. Chris will be speaking about Long Island and the Spirit of the Times in the early 1800's. The meeting will be held at the BBP Library on October 16th from 2-4:00. Light refreshments are served. All are welcome!

Before the great estates and the Gilded Age, Long Island was a rustic sportsman's paradise. Nowhere was this more evident than in the pages of the Spirit of the Times, America's first popular sporting magazine. This talk will present Long Island as it appeared in the pages of the Spirit - the taverns, the woods, the racetracks - as well as the lively characters that frequented them.

31st Autumn House Tour

We're Back! Tour 6 magnificent homes in Bayport and Blue Point, plus Meadow Croft Estate, summer home to the Roosevelts.

On October 23rd, 2022 from 1:00-5:00, beautiful historic homes will be on full display! Tickets are $30.00 pp and will go on sale starting October 1st at these locations: BBP Library, Bayport Flower Houses, and at the Meadow Croft Estate (only Sat & Sunday from 2-4:00). There are a limited number of tickets available so don't delay!

Please note that out of respect for the generous homeowners, children under 12, pets, high heels, cameras, and food and drink are NOT permitted. Thank you!

For more information, check out our webpage www.BayportBluePointHeritage.org

Bicycle Tour

On Saturday, September 17, our own Frank Giebfried led the first of what will be many historic bike tours through the twin communities of Bayport and Blue Point. About twenty riders participated in the approximately ten mile tour that went from Meadow Croft on the Bayport/Sayville border to Bergen Lane in Blue Point. There were many stops along the way that showcased the rich history of our area.

The group visited many Bayport locations, including the site of the former estate of Julius Liebman, brewer of Rheingold beer, the home of Broadway actress Effie Shannon, and the building that once housed the Moonrise Restaurant, run by German immigrant Ma Moon. One of the highlights (or lowlights) was what might be the final visit to 19th century bottling titan John Morgan’s mansion on Ocean Avenue before it crumbles to the ground.

Blue Point locations included the former sites of the South Bay House and Avery’s Five Mile Look, with its beautiful view of the Great South Bay. Bergen Lane’s rich history was also enjoyed, as riders learned about Dr. Raymond Davis, co-winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics, and Maud and Ballington Booth, founders of the Volunteers of America.

Special thanks to Mary Bailey and Jennifer Economos for guiding our riders along the way. And thanks to Bill Bailey for designing and mapping our route.

 

 

 

Christmas at Meadow Croft

Save the dates! December 3rd & 4th 2022 for this year's theme; Christmas by the Bay! Planning is underway and volunteers are needed. Also we need pianists to volunteer their time for an hour or so to play on the Roosevelt piano. If you are crafty or have any unusual displays related to our theme and would like to be involved, please all our chairperson Leanne Berg at 631-235-1702.

A New Historic Sign in Bayport

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

October 2006

Take a drive up Sylvan Ave. in Bayport and look for this beautiful new sign outside the historical home and agricultural business now known as "The Sunshine Shop." The property now owned by John and Anne Zelenka at 482 Sylvan Ave., Bayport, north of the Montauk Highway, was part of the Nicolls Estate that was originally inhabited by the Indians who lived in this area.

In the early 1800's, Nicoll VI provided a quit claim deed for land previously conveyed in Bayport to William Arthur who created the agricultural business on this site. William B. Arthur, son of William Arthur, was born March 24, 1817, and died in his Bayport home March 1, 1896. The Zelenka's home was owned by William B. Arthur. The home, property and outbuildings and agricultural business were willed to the heirs of William B. Arthur.

In the year 1975, John & Anne Zelenka bought the property and restored the house and greenhouses. The Zelenka family is still conducting the agricultural business that was established there in the early 1800's. It is known today as "The Sunshine Shop." It opens every year on May 1 and remains open until all of its home-grown plants are sold out.

John & Anne Zelenka researched all of the above information and have placed this beautiful historical sign on their Sylvan Ave. property. Dominic Savino of "Smart Signs" in Bohemia created and crafted this sign for the Zelenkas.

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