July 2021 Newsletter

 

Happy Independence Day!

As the world is starting to open back up, and more people become vaccinated, restrictions on events are also being reduced or eliminated and all of us at the BBPHA are thrilled! Our Meadow Croft house tours are happening every weekend from 2-4:00. The many people who have walked through those front doors are amazed at all of the new improvements that have been accomplished during the shut down. I hope you have the chance to come visit and learn what life was like in 1910.

 

We are excited to announce another summer concert in the month of July. (More info below) We also want to thank Nina Et Cetera for a wonderful show in June. Thanks to the many families who came out to watch! Hope to see you at our next FREE concert.

Gene Horton Memorial Scholarship

Congratulations to Michael Pietrantoni, this year's winner of the Gene Horton Memorial Scholarship. Each year the BBPHA gives a $1000.00 scholarship to a graduating senior from BBP HIgh School who plans to major in History in College. We wish Michael all the best as he continues his education.

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you!

So many people contribute either their time or money to help the BBPHA in numerous ways to help fulfill our mission of preserving the heritage of our shared communities. We'd like to acknowledge some of them here:

Peter and Ginny Labusohr: Peter and Ginny visit Meadow Croft daily for a walk with their dog. They have donated and planted flowers in the flower box under the sign at the entrance to Meadow Croft out on Middle Road. They also take the time to water them daily. Thank you for your generous act of kindness!

Jim and Barbara Connell: Jim and Barbara use a budget of $200.00 each year to purchase supplies, materials and vegetables for the community garden. Many times, the total for all of the items needed exceeds the budgeted amount. Jim and Barbara generously donate the additional materials needed to make a successful and well stocked garden. All for a good cause, The Sayville Food Pantry. Come check it out!

Dave Harenberg: Dave, a former board member, books all of the summer concerts for us. He also deals with the town in obtaining the permits and expenses that the BBPHA incurs to provide free concerts to the community. Thank you Dave for all of your hard work!

Corporate & Generous Donors:

Joshua Carcione - $100, 2021 (Owner of LendSaas and Managing Member of SmartyApp LLC.)

Bryn Elliott - $100, 2020 - (Douglass Elliman Real Estate Agent)

Martin Lavelle - $100, 2020 (M.W Lavelle Painting Inc )

John O'Hare - $100, 2021

Richard and Angela Stelling - $100, 2020

Christopher Moore - $100, 2020

Jennifer Zaun - $100, 2020

Thank you all for your generosity and efforts! Much appreciated!

Summer Solstice Walking Tour

For over a decade, local historian and friend Gene Horton guided us on the evening stroll that marks the beginning of summer. Before we lost him, Gene expressed his wish for this tradition to continue, and it’s an honor to carry on in his memory.

This year's summer solstice walking tour found us in Bayport for the first time! The tour was on Sunday, June 20, and was led by BBPHA’s Frank Giebfried. We strolled down South Ocean Avenue to the Great South Bay and returned by way of South Fairview Avenue. Along the way, we discussed the summer homes of the businessmen, investors, artists, and scoundrels who once occupied this beautiful part of our hamlet. The tour included the grand estates of J.W. Meeks, Charles Post, Judge Martin Manton, Charles Stoppani, “The” Allen and many others. Frank would like to thank the many homeowners who allowed the group to explore their historic properties and the Bayport-Blue Point Library for sponsoring the program.

If you missed the tour, just check it out below to take a virtual stroll through this part of historic Bayport. Thanks to Assistant Library Director Wendy Bennett for putting the video together!

Free Summer Concert!

Join us on July 22nd from 6:00-8:00 for another FREE Summer Concert at Bayport Memorial Park. Featured this month are The FlatLeavers. Bring lawn chairs, refreshments and bug spray to enhance your experience. Dancing is encouraged! A show for the whole family!

The Hallett House; Blue Point Ave.

The following was written by Gene Horton and appeared in the Bayport Blue Point Gazette. It is reprinted with permission.

July 2002

Going down Blue Point Avenue, you will notice a small street between Danes St. and Middle Rd. called HALLETT COURT. That was once the sight of the former HALLETT HOUSE, one of Blue Point's biggest summer boarding houses, popular between 1900 and the 1930's. The Hallett House was developed by John Hallett around 1890. He died in 1912 and is buried in Blue Point Cemetery. HIs son-in-law, John Roe Snedecor, continued to run and expand the Hallett House. By 1913, with over 150 bedrooms, the Hallett House was able to accommodate over 300 guests. Evenings, an orchestra provided dinner music and dancing in the spacious dinning room. The dining room itself had over 50 large windows so the guests could look over an expanse of lawn and trees. Inside the Hallett House were two other smaller dining rooms; one for the staff & one for the little children. Three guest cottages were also located on the property.

Between 1900 and the 1930's, summer people flocked here by the LIRR. Blue Point had 10 such summer hotels and boarding houses. Sayville and Patchogue were also popular summer destinations. Once here, the guests enjoyed the clean and healthy air, the calm waters of the Great South Bay and the summer breezes. However, this all started to change around the time of the Stock Market Crash of 1929. The Great Depression doomed our summer tourist trade in Blue Point. The Hallett House and other large summer hotels along LI's south shore were in serious trouble.

In 1930, the Hallett House was sold to Albert A. DiNapoli of NYC and Sayville. He renamed the place the "Bluponia." It was even fitted out with steam heat so it could remain open in the winter....but to no avail. In 1934, after being swept by fire, the former Hallett House was torn down, a sad ending to a glorious history...the end of an era in Blue Point's history. Today, private homes are located on Hallett Court in Blue Point.

Facebook @BayportHistory

Follow us on Social Media to keep up with the latest happenings! Instagram: @bbpheritage

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

  bbphistorical@gmail.com  

631-472-4625  

BayportBluePointHeritage.org

---

Free Summer Concert, June 17th 2021

FREE Concert in the Park

Summer Concert 

 

Bayport Blue Point Heritage Association is proud to sponsor our first FREE Summer Concert of the year! We have finally received all of the permissions and permits and are excited to welcome all of you to Bayport Memorial Park on June 17th from 6:00-8:00 pm (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! We can finally begin to enjoy activities again. The town is requesting social distancing and face masks as necessary.

We hope you can join us and enjoy this FREE concert!

Thursday, June 17th, 6pm

June 17th from 6:00-8:00 pm (weather permitting)

Bayport Memorial Park, Bayport, NY, USA

Get Directions

---

June 2021 Newsletter

 

Hello June!

Welcome Summer! An exciting time for those of us on the BBPHA! Our weekend tours will begin on June 5th and continue every Saturday and Sunday through October. Meadow Croft has gone through some extensive renovations throughout the Covid shut down including new exhibits, repairs, painting, and new room displays, including some of the previously unseen servant's quarters. Check out the article below on the recent installation of authentic period light fixtures as well as a display now on exhibit.

We also have a few other events including The Islip Arts Council performance on June 19th (see more information below). We are awaiting on approval for others so stay tuned for more announcements in the near future!

A special Shout Out to local Boy Scout Riley Clare who, along with 2 other scouts, recently helped with some garbage removal and general clean-up at Meadow Croft. Thank you! Our heirloom garden is all planted and looking wonderful! Thank you to Ann Soper who always does such an amazing job. The Sayville Food Pantry has also done a fabulous job on their garden and all vegetables harvested will go directly to those in need. Stop by Meadow Croft and check them out!

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 later in June.

While there was no Memorial Day Parade again this year, the BBPHA presented wreaths in honor of all those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Thank you to Jerry McCloskey for doing the honor of presenting the wreaths at Bayport Memorial Park and Blue Point Cemetery in Blue Point. 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." .

Lighting Restoration at Meadow Croft

We are excited to announce the first phase of lighting restoration at Meadow Croft is nearing completion. Using money from our annual county grant, Erich Haesche and Frank Giebfried purchased numerous period gas and electric fixtures, focusing mainly on the upstairs bedrooms and bathrooms. The lighting dates from 1891 through 1915, and reflects what the Roosevelts would have had. Lenny at Orleans Lighting in Freeport electrified and converted the fixtures to allow for installation at Meadow Croft. The wall sconces have been mounted where the original gas fixtures were, so visitors will be able to see what the mansion was like when the Roosevelts lived here. The BBPHA would like to thank Richard Martin, the Director of Historic Services for Suffolk County Parks, for arranging for county electricians to install the fixtures. And a very special thank you to Erich for his knowledge and expertise. This project could not have been completed without his guidance, not to mention the generosity he showed in donating many pieces from his own collection to the restoration.

Let There Be Light!

Let There Be Light! Exhibit:

To celebrate the lighting restoration at Meadow Croft, Erich Haesche has curated not one, but two exhibits. The first exhibit focuses on early electric lighting, spanning the years 1879 to 1899. The displays consist of authentic period pieces and the history of the Edison Electric Light Company and the Bergmann Electric Company, as well as the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company’s lighting of the 1893 Columbia Exposition in Chicago. Early lightbulbs, lamps, switches, and a circuit break box are just a fraction of artifacts on display. There is even a section of the Edison Tube, a three wire cable that was installed in 1883 to deliver electricity from Thomas Edison’s first power plant located at Pearl Street in Manhattan!

The second exhibit highlights three forms of lighting at Meadow Croft from 1900 to 1915: kerosene, gas, and electricity. The display showcases Tirrill’s Equalizing Machine, the powerplant that supplied gas to the house, and includes period examples of the unique Tirrill sconces that would have lit the rooms. In addition, fans, toy trains, toasters and many more early electric items are included.

Erich will be at Meadow Croft on the first Sunday of every month to discuss the exhibit and answer your questions. So come down for a tour and enjoy these wonderful displays!

Cleaning Day at Meadow Croft

Thank you to all the volunteers who came out to Meadow Croft, on Saturday, May 22. The BBPHA board members and other volunteers came with dust rags, polishes and their own vacuums to chip in and shine up the beautiful old home too to get it ready for opening day on June 5.
Without volunteers like these we would be sunk. Thank you to everyone who helped out. Meadow Croft is now clean and ready for tours every weekend from 2:00-4:00. Hope to see you all there this summer.

 

 

Concert at Meadow Croft

As part of the Islip Arts Council program – Art and Music in Historic Houses, there will be a concert on Saturday, June 19th, from 2-3 pm, featuring the violinist Yeou-Cheng Ma and pianist Elinor Zayas, at historic Meadow Croft. The duo will feature works by Bach, Handel, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Faure, Fritz Kreisler,Carlos Gardel, Gluck, Astor Piazzolla, Vecsey, Viardot, and Von Paradis ( the latter two being female composers whose works were published and performed during the time period of the occupancy of Meadow Croft by the Roosevelt family).

The program concludes with the lively Czardas by Monti.

The program is made possible through a grant from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation. Islip Arts Council will cover 10 historic houses in the Town of Islip. The presentations will be videotaped docent led tours of the homes along with musical accompaniment. Some of the historic homes, Meadow Croft included, will be subjects of virtual art exhibitions. The tour of the home, the musical performance and the art exhibitions will be featured on IslipArts Live – Islip Arts YouTube channel and Islip Arts Council website. Each home will also be given a videotape for visitors to view. Enjoy this exciting event!

Meadowcroft will be open for tours on the day of the concert. Enjoy!

If you would like information on the other homes or about the programs of the Islip Arts Council, please visit Isliparts.org or call or email Lynda Moran, Executive Director at Lynda@IslipArts.org, 631-566-4179.

Membership Now Due

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 payment directly from our webpage which can be found here . Any questions can be directed to bbphistorical@gmail.com. Your membership dues goes a long way to support and maintain our mission of preserving our hamlet's heritage. Thank you to all of our generous members! New members welcome!

Membership Type

Annual $25.00

Senior $10.00

Corporate $100.00

Donation $___

Bayport Memorial Park

A new feature in the monthly newsletter. These short articles were first printed in the monthly Bayport Blue Point Gazette. They were written by Gene Horton and reprinted with permission.

February 2010

Bayport's Memorial Park is located on Middle Road and the Esplanade just west of the downtown village of Bayport. Today it is the site of Bayport's Memorial Day ceremonies. Memorial Park is dominated by a pretty Victorian-style gazebo and a massive flagpole (possibly the tallest flagpole in Bayport). The Park is also site for Bayport's Veteran's Memorial listing the names of all of Bayport's war veterans from the American Revolution through the Vietnam War.

Memorial Park traces history back to the years immediately following World War II. It was dedicated as a community park on Memorial Day, 1947. Ernest Stoll served as the first president of the Bayport Memorial Park Association. Besides Mr. Stoll, the members of the Memorial Park Committee were James Alvarez, chairman, Charles Bogel, Edward J. Frieman and James Wilson Young.

In the 1947 Dedication Ceremonies, a boulder bearing a bronze plaque with the names of Bayport victims of World War I and World War II was unveiled by Girl Scout Norma Auwaerter and Boy Scout George Ruse. The inscription on the stone read: This Park was established by the people of Bayport in grateful memory of our young men who gave their lives for us and the Nation. It lists the names of the brave men who paid the ultimate sacrifice during World War I and World War II.

The Bayport HS band, its four drum majors and color guard led the 1947 Memorial Day parade along Middle Road and into the new Memorial Park. The Bayport Fire Department and Ladies Auxiliary participated as did the various corps of Bayport's Red Cross division. Bayport's Girl Scouts ad Brownies as well as the local Boy Scouts also marched int he parade. In 1947, Rev. Theodore Bennett offered a prayer, James Wilson Young, President of the Bayport School Board addressed the crowd as well as James V. Fallon and former Congressman John J. O'Connor.

At the conclusion of the 1947 dedication, Bayport Boy Scout Richard Bernhard sounded "Taps."

BBPHA

Facebook @BayportHistory

Follow us on Social Media to get the latest info on upcoming events! Now on Instagram: @bbpheritage

Meadow Croft Estate, 

Middle Road, Sayville, NY, USA 

  bbphistorical@gmail.com  

631-472-4625  

BayportBluePointHeritage.org

---

May 2021 Newsletter

 

Tours are back!

Starting June 5th, tours at the historic Meadow Croft Estate will resume. As of now, regulations are set at 50% capacity but the rules seem to be changing rapidly so stay tuned as we get more information form the NYS government, CDC and Suffolk County. Either way we are excited to welcome you back!

We have been busy with painting and repairs to the plaster in the hallways and a restoration of a downstairs bathroom. The work is coming along nicely and we are excited to show it to you! The grounds remain open for your enjoyment. The Sayville Food Pantry has begun their spring ritual of planting a gorgeous vegetable garden with all that is harvested going directly to those in need, right in our own backyards! And our heirloom garden has gotten the spring clean-up and our master gardener, Ann Soper is ready to dive in!

Exciting things happening and more announcements to come! Stay tuned and stay healthy!

Membership now due!

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 payment directly from our webpage which can be found here . Any questions can be directed to bbphistorical@gmail.com. Your membership dues goes a long way to support and maintain our mission of preserving our hamlet's heritage. Thank you to all of our generous members! New members welcome!

Membership Type

Annual $25.00

Senior $10.00

Corporate $100.00

Donation $___

Thank you! A special Thank You to the Bayport Blue Point Library for generously agreeing to put our newsletter in one of their Story Walk boxes in the Blue Point Preserve. Gail Silsbe, Head of Children's Services has agreed to display it for the community each month. Thank you Gail and the BBP Library for all you do to support our communities!

Christmas at Meadow Croft

Yes! You read that correctly! It may be early May but our awesome holiday planner, Leanne Berg is starting her planning for Christmas at Meadow Croft. As we mentioned earlier, rules for capacity are changing rapidly and we will be following all guidelines for indoor gatherings but our planning has begun. The theme this year will be: Dashing Through The Snow!

If you would like to help volunteer in any way, please email us at the email in our contact info below.

Suffolk Traction; First Street Car

A new feature in the monthly newsletter. These short articles were first printed in the monthly Bayport Blue Point Gazette. They were written by Gene Horton and reprinted with permission.

December 2010

This old postcard shows THE FIRST DAY OF SERVICE for the SUFFOLK TRACTION streetcar; July 1, 1911 with opening day service between Patchogue's Four Corners and "downtown" Blue Point.....fare; five cents.

Within a few years, the tracks were extended to Bayport and then to Sayville. This old postcard view shows Suffolk Traction Streetcar Number One boarding passengers on the east side of Blue Point Avenue across the street from Rocky Moore's general store (today's Firehouse Deli).

By 1916, SUFFOLK TRACTION expanded to four streetcars and there were days they carried 1,000 passengers. The streetcars were battery -powered and traveled at a speed of about 15-20 mph. From Patchogue, the route ran along the Montauk Hwy to Blue Point Avenue; down Blue Point Avenue to Maple Street (which becomes Railroad Avenue in Bayport) then down Oakwood Street in Bayport to Middle Road and thence into Sayville.

By 1919, however, a bus line and the popularity of the automobile put SUFFOLK TRACTION out of business. Next year, 2011, will mark the 100th anniversary of SUFFOLK TRACTION.

Facebook @BayportHistory

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

bbphistorical@gmail.com 

  631-472-4625  

BayportBluePointHeritage.org

---

April 2021 Newsletter

 A year later....

“Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it's less good than the one you had before. You can fight it, you can do nothing but scream about what you've lost, or you can accept that and try to put together something that's good.”
― Elizabeth Edwards

We hope you all remain healthy and safe as we head into the Spring. We here at BBPHA continue to plan for the upcoming season, making improvements, cleaning, cataloging, and are optimistic for a bright future ahead! Keep on the lookout for approval for our general membership meetings to start again and our Meadow Croft house tours to start in June.

Luck of the Irish Raffle winner!

Congratulations to Sylvia Skillman on winning the Luck of the Irish Raffle! And thank you to our generous community for supporting the BBPHA. Please know all monies collected go right back into making improvements, scholarships and the up-keeping of Meadow Croft. We continue to preserve our past to enrich our future.

 

Thank you Mary Lou!

~ written by BBPHA President; Mary Bailey

I would like to take a moment to recognize and say thank you to our very own Mary Lou Cohalan.

Mary Lou has been a part of Meadow Croft since the very beginning. She has seen Meadow Croft at its worst and more importantly, at its very best. Still today she gives 100% of herself to helping and volunteering her time to the Bayport Blue Point Heritage Association and Meadow Croft Estate. A truly knowledgeable Meadow Croft docent, her accounts of the estate history and of the Roosevelts are simplifying, dazzling!

She has knocked on doors throughout Bayport and Blue Point gathering information, history, and photos of our Historic Barns. She then volunteered her time to recount her findings with the many photos and stories she gathered. I am sure anyone who attended her lecture at the BBP Library, drove around town to see if they could find these historic beauties.

Mary Lou also volunteers her time at The Parrish Art Museum, The Carriage House of Stony Brook, Sayville Food Pantry and The Islip Arts Council. She has also been an editor/publisher (partial owner) for the Suffolk County News and The Director of the Girl Scouts of Suffolk County. She has so much knowledge to share and is always ready with a story or two about “old times around town” or how something came to be or why it is not anymore. You can often find Mary Lou at Meadow Croft sitting on the porch doing some sort of research or sharing a story.

As of late she volunteered (and we were more than happy to have her knowledge and abilities) to archive and curate all the antiques and collections at The Meadow Croft Estate which were acquired over the last ten years or so. Because volunteer organizations have board members come and go, continuity is an ongoing challenge. Things can be forgotten if not kept in good record. Thanks to Mary Lou’s tireless energy and willingness we are discovering things that otherwise may have been lost and preserving history for the next generations.

It is because of volunteers like Mary Lou Cohalan, that we can continue the great work of sharing and preserving our hamlets shared heritage and the history of Meadow Croft for future generations.

THANK YOU, MARY LOU!

 

Driveway at Meadow Croft

The wicked winter weather had certainly created havoc on the entryway to the Suffolk County Park and entrance to Meadow Croft. Snow, rain and ice are no friends to a dirt driveway! Large ruts and what felt like moon craters greeted visitors upon arrival and certainly gave your cars' shock absorbers a run for their money!

Thank you to the Suffolk County Parks Department who heeded the calls and fixed the terrain to a level entrance for safe driving once again. Meadow Croft is once again ready to accept visitors for weekend tours starting in June. Enjoy the grounds of the Roosevelt Estate, the hiking trail and Loughlin Vineyards.

Shore Front, Bayport, L.I.

A new feature in the monthly newsletter. These short articles were first printed in the monthly Bayport Blue Point Gazette. They were written by Gene Horton and reprinted with permission.

July 2014

In this old postcard (c.1905), the view is looking east along the bay front in Bayport between Ocean Avenue and Gillette Ave. The Smith-Stoppani summer estate, "Arcadia," built around 1885, is seen to the right of the large flagpole.

The so-called "White House" is seen beyond the Stoppani place. And, way off in the distance, barely visible, is the long-gone 1901 Gillette Ave. dock and pavilion. Ahhh...summer time at the shore in Bayport long ago!

Also, right along the shoreline in the old photo notice all the groins extending into the Great South Bay. Such groins were intended to hold back erosion and to keep the sand from washing away. I showed this old Bayport photo postcard to Bayport resident, Professor Phil Linker, at the LI Maritime Museum. He immediately identified the groins in the old photo and told me how seaweed was used in the old days for home insulation and garden mulch. He told me that the Latin name for seaweed is AMMOPHILIA BREVILIGULATA.

At the local Roosevelt estate, "Meadow Croft," they still use seaweed as mulch in the rose garden. There's a lot of detail and history in this old photo of the Shore Front in Bayport!

BBPHA

Facebook @BayportHistory

Follow us on Social Media! 

 

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

 

bbphistorical@gmail.com 

 

  631-472-4625  

 

BayportBluePointHeritage.org

---

~ Raffle Reminder, March 2021~

 

Friendly reminder...

Our St. Patrick's Day raffle is going on now! A HUGE basket filled with many, many goodies, including gift certificates, food items, alcohol and more! (must be over 21 to purchase tickets). Please consider purchasing a ticket to support our Heritage Association.

Please see information below to get your chances. The drawing will be held LIVE on our Facebook page at 3:00 on March 28th. facebook.com/BayportBluePointHeritageAssociation

We hope you have the Luck of the Irish! Good luck to all and Happy St. Patrick's Day!

BBPHA

Facebook @BayportHIstory

Happy St. Patrick's Day and good luck to all who have purchased tickets! Thank you for supporting the BBPHA!

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

bbphistorical@gmail.com 

  631-472-4625  

BayportBluePointHeritage.org

---

March 2021 Newsletter

Welcome March...

“In March winter is holding back and spring is pulling forward. Something holds and something pulls inside of us too.”

― Jean Hersey

Hoping everyone is staying safe and healthy! Spring, daffodils and longer warmer days are on the way! Our BBP St. Patrick's Day parade has been cancelled for March but the spirit of this festive event lives on. The BBPHA continues to upgrade and maintain the inside of Meadow Croft. We have recently completed a large plaster project with new painting as well as restored a ground floor bathroom. We are also planning a "Luck of the Irish" holiday Raffle Basket and information can be found below!

We are excited to have you back to Meadow Croft come June when weekend tours will begin again. Until then, stay healthy and safe!

Luck of the Irish Raffle....

Are you feeling lucky?? Take a chance on another incredible raffle to support the BBPHA. You don't even need to be Irish to enter ....or win!

Tickets will go on sale March 1st, 2021 and will be sold until the day of the drawing on March 28th, 2021. Tickets are $20.00 per chance. The winning ticket will be drawn LIVE on Facebook on March 28th. Check our website and the flyer below for more information.

Grand prize basket valued over $100.00! Stuffed with all kinds of goodies and treats.

Tickets can be purchased on our website: www.bayportbluepointheritage.org

OR by mailing your entry to:

BBPHA

PO Box 4

Bayport NY 11705

Include your phone number so we can call you when you win!

Don't miss your chance! Good luck to all!

(must be over 21 to purchase raffle tickets)

Can you help us identify these Bayport homes?

The BBPHA in a partnership with the Bayport Blue Point LIbrary, have begun digitizing photos of historic homes and images in the Bayport area. Once identified, these homes will all be available for public viewing through a link on the BBP library webpage. The homes will be listed by street name and address when the project is complete.

Located in the archives and files at Meadow Croft, the BBPHA original membership took hundreds of photographs to document the beautiful and historic homes in Bayport as this association was originally; The Bayport Heritage Association. Many of these beautiful homes have street numbers and addresses located on them, however some do not.

To date, Frank Giebfried and John Amato, current members of the BBPHA, have been going through the photographs and have identified hundreds of homes and images currently located in our community. As you can imagine, many of these original photographs from more than 40 years ago look nothing like they do today! Whether it was an extensive remodel, an act of nature or a terrible fire, some of these homes have gone through complete makeovers. That is why we need your help!

The two photographs below are of homes in Bayport. Remember, these photos are from the 1980s. If you can correctly identify these homes, please send an email to johnfamato@optonline.net with the street name and the house number. We thank you in advance for your anticipated help and cooperation!

Help wanted...

Docents: From June through October tours of the historic Meadow Croft home are given every weekend by our small group of dedicated docents. We are always looking for new names and faces to led 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!

Attention: All teachers.... FREE History classes!

The Gilder Lehrman Institute is offering six free courses for elementary, middle and high school students this spring!

The Spring 2021 HIstory School features presentations, hosted live on Zoom, that explore topics relating to HAMILTON, the Founding Era, the Cold War, and the AP United States History test. Course information and start dates are listed below:

Registration opens February 9, 2021 and classes begin March 6, 2021.

Please email: historyschool@gilderlehrman.org with any questions.

https://www.gilderlehrman.org/programs-and-events/history-school

Gerritsen Avenue: Bayport Street names

A new feature in the monthly newsletter. These short articles were first printed in the monthly Bayport Blue Point Gazette. They were written by Gene Horton and reprinted with permission.

June 2010

It's always interesting to learn how a street got its name. Gerritsen Avenue in Bayport was named in honor of William Gerritsen. He died in 1924 and is buried in Lodi, NJ, but his name lives on locally today thanks to the street that bears his name.

William Gerritsen was born on the island of Texel, in the Netherlands in 1867. He migrated to America as a young man. He lived for a number of years in Garfield, NJ, where he formed the firm of the Gerritsen-Stewart Lumber Company. The firm prospered. For the past few years of his life he made his home in Bayport. Mr. Gerritsen purchased a large and valuable tract of property in Bayport know as "the Cove." That property actually extended from Middle Road to the Great South Bay. The Gerritsen home was located on Gerritsen Avenue.

Mr. Gerritsen's wife, Joanna Gerritsen, survived him. She died in 1939. The Gerritsen's had four children; James, William and Henry and one daughter, Henrietta Pauline. As a side-light, the name of Paulanna Avenue can be traced to the names of Mrs. Gerritsen (Joanna) and the Gerritsen's daughter (Pauline).

An addendum to last month's History Page about GERRITSEN AVE: Many thanks to Flo Olsen for pointing out to me that the three cross streets between Gerritsen Ave. and Paulanna Ave. are named for the Gerritsen's three sons: Henry, James and William!! Street names are sooo interesting!

Facebook @BayportHistory

Share this newsletter with friends and family!

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

bbphistorical@gmail.com 

  631-472-4625  

BayportBluePointHeritage.org

---