Friday, October 7, 2022
Saturday, October 1, 2022
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.
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.
Friday, September 30, 2022
Tour the Meadow Croft Estate
photo © 2009 Alida Thorpe
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Meadow Croft is open for tours Saturdays and Sundays from 2-4, June through October.
Group and specialty tours can be arranged by calling 631-472-4625. As Meadow Croft is a Suffolk County Park, the grounds are open year-round.
Meadow Croft is rare example of South Shore summer house architecture prior to the turn of the 19th century. The summer estate of John Ellis Roosevelt and his family, Meadow Croft is comprised of a 19th century farmhouse and a magnificent 1891 addition designed by Isaac H. Green, Jr. of Sayville. Additional structures are a carriage house, an auto house, a caretaker's cottage, and a swimming pool.
Meadow Croft is owned by Suffolk County and is part of the Suffolk County Parks Department. The care and restoration is shared by the Bayport-Blue Point Heritage Association which first envisioned its potential as a museum in 1984. The organization literally saved Meadow Croft from the wrecker's ball. Many hours went into the painstaking restoration of the house and outbuildings you see today. In addition to the buildings, the colonial revival garden has been restored to its original beauty with heirloom plants.
Using John E. Roosevelt's ledgers, family photos, and evidence left in the house, Bayport-Blue Point Heritage Association was able to have a furnishing report prepared that became the guide to restoring the house. Reproduction wallpaper and carpets were purchased, as well as period antiques. The Roosevelt family generously donated original pieces, most notably the beautiful grand piano. The Loughlin family returned the original dining room table and chairs, at which President Theodore Roosevelt, John Roosevelt’s famous cousin, had lunch with the family in 1903.
Tuesday, September 13, 2022
September 2022 Newsletter
General Membership Meeting 
Bicycle Tour
On Saturday September 17th, 2022, the BBP Heritage
Association will be hosting an Historical Bicycle Tour. The tour will
begin at Meadow Croft (299 Middle Rd Sayville NY) at 8:30 AM.
A former summer hot spot for the rich and famous, this locality has been home to Nobel Prize recipients, actors, singers, entrepreneurs, and famous families and leaders. Did we mention the best beer and oysters??
Join us as historian Frank Giebfried leads the tour throughout Bayport and Blue Point. This will be about a 10 mile tour into our South Shore communities past. Highlights include not only stunning water views, but the former homes and playgrounds of the likes of Roosevelt, Morgan, the founder of the Salvation Army, the Noble Prize recipient in Physics, and some famous musicians and actors of years ago.
To register for this event, please visit our website found here. There is a limited number of riders and a $10.00 fee. An FAQ is also available. Join us for this event!
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.
Monday, August 1, 2022
August 2022 Newsletter
BBPHA Bike Tour
On Saturday September 17th, 2022, the BBP Heritage
Association will be hosting an Historical Bicycle Tour. The tour will
begin at Meadow Croft (299 Middle Rd Sayville NY) at 8:30 AM.
A former summer hot spot for the rich and famous, this locality has been home to Nobel Prize recipients, actors, singers, entrepreneurs, and famous families and leaders. Did we mention the best beer and oysters??
Join us as historian Frank Giebfried leads the tour throughout Bayport and Blue Point. This will be about a 10 mile tour into our South Shore communities past. Highlights include not only stunning water views, but the former homes and playgrounds of the likes of Roosevelt, Morgan, the founder of the Salvation Army, the Noble Prize recipient in Physics, and some famous musicians and actors of years ago.
To register for this event, please visit our website found here. There is a limited number of riders and a $10.00 fee. An FAQ is also available. Join us for this event!
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.
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The John Hawkins House | | The Homan Farmhouse |
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Friday, July 1, 2022
~ July 2022 Newsletter ~
Happy Independence Day!
Welcome to July! House tours are happening each weekend
from 2:00-4:00, stop by and check out what life was like in the early
1900's. Lots of updates and improvements to view including a historic
light exhibit.
The BBPHA has many exciting things happening this summer. We have our second FREE concert happening in July featuring Dan Donnely and his band; Albums We Love. See more info below.
Our historic boat cruise is back! Last year was so much fun and a gorgeous night plus we learned so much about the history of homes and happenings on the Great South Bay. The stop at The Casino on Davis Park was also a highlight. We hope you can join us this year, check out details below.
Summer Solstice Walking Tour
Residents once again celebrated the first day of summer with a stroll through historic Blue Point, sponsored by the Bayport Blue Point Public Library. The tour was led by Frank Giebfried of BBPHA, who continues the tradition that our great historian Gene Horton began many years ago. So many Blue Pointers and Bayporters signed up that a second tour was added. It’s great to see so many interested in our heritage!
The tour began at our spectacular new library, formerly the site of the South Bay House. Along the way many beautiful homes were visited, as well as the sites of the great summer hotels from last century. Some of the historic spots included Avery’s Five Mile Look Hotel, Grandview Gardens Private Beach, the Monterey Hotel, the Megill estate, and the home of Anna Davis, our former library director for 23 years who also happened to be married to Nobel Prize winner Raymond Davis, Jr. We visited the homes of Ballington Booth, jazz clarinetist Johnny Mince, and steamboat pilot Noah Mason. This newly developed tour featured a guide that included recently discovered photos and information.
Thanks to the homeowners whose lovely properties were highlighted on our stroll. We were welcomed with open arms and are grateful for their enthusiasm for the history of their houses. We also appreciate Wendy Bennett from the library for her help in organizing the tour.
Finally, special thanks to Gene Horton for developing these tours and starting this wonderful tradition. We hope to see you all next year!
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Historic Boat Tour!
The Great South Bay is not only a beautiful part of our communities summer fun but it has significant and historic homes located on the bay as well as a tremendous history to share! The BBPHA is happy and proud to once again offer this tour for our communities.
This year's cruise will be on August 10th (Rain date August 11th) and will leave from the Sayville Fire Island ferry terminal at 6:00 PM and head out to the bay. You must be on the ferry by 5:45 to check in. Parking this year will be across the street from the ferry freight terminal and will be a charge of $5.00. You can pay upon arrival.
The cruise will begin from the Sayville Ferry dock on Brown's River. We will cruise out to the bay as John Amato and Frank Geibfried team up to highlight the historic sites along the shore on Fire Island; from Sailor's Haven to Davis Park. At approximately 7:15, the boat will dock at Davis Park and our guests are invited to come to The Casino for drinks and a limited menu will be available for us. (This is optional if you choose as it is not covered in the cost of the trip) This menu will include salads, sandwiches, grill items and appetizers as well. An area will be reserved for our group and it is a short walk across the boardwalk to this restaurant. The ferry will leave Davis Park at approximately 8:30 and we will head back to Brown's River under a beautiful full moon and dock at 9:30. Cocktails and food at The Casino are on your own. You are allowed to bring some snacks/food in a cooler on the ferry (no alcohol).
The cost of this event is $40.00 per person (not including the $5.00 parking fee) and payments for the cruise can be made on our webpage via PayPal or Credit Card. Reservations will be made on a first come first serve basis until we reach maximum capacity.
In the event of rain, this trip will have a rain date of August 11th. Looking forward to a wonderful historic night on the Great South Bay!
Thank you!
As the old saying goes, "It takes a village!" and
volunteering at Meadow Croft is no exception. We have many people who
volunteer their time and help in many ways to keep the museum open and
events happening. Thank you to these generous people for their time and
talents:
Erich Haesche: for his hard work on the Heirloom Garden outside of the main house. It is planted with gorgeous flowers, herbs and vegetables. Much like it would have been in 1900. Thanks to MaryLou Cohalan for helping too!
Jennifer Economos: Jennifer planted roses in the flower box by the main sign on Middle Road. Thanks Jen for sprucing-up the sign, it looks beautiful!
Dave Harenberg: Dave has been our FREE Summer Concert organizer for a few years now. We appreciate all the time (and paperwork) Dave does to make these concerts happen! See below for the next FREE concert to be held on July 21 at Bayport Memorial Park.
Jerry McCloskey: Thanks to Jerry who organizes, trains and schedules all of the docents to perform house tours each weekend. Thanks to all of our docents who volunteer their time as well!
Frank Giebfried: Thanks to Frank who recently conducted not 1 but 2 Summer Solstice Walking Tours. It is a wonderful historical tradition that he works hard to keep alive!
Hope to see you at our weekend
tours, the FREE concert, or maybe the historic boat tour this summer!
Sunday, June 5, 2022
June 2022 Newsletter
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.
BBPHA
Follow us on Instagram: @BBPheritage
Reminder: tours start on June 4th
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