Video of SHHS Preservation Forum December 3rd 2022
Here is a link to the hour and twenty five minute video of the entire Preservation Forum.
The recent Preservation Forum was a resounding success. Over 60 people attended SHHS's second Preservation Forum held Saturday December 3rd at Christ Episcopal Church, and everyone agrees it was much needed and a great success.
Nancy Achenbach, President of SHHS kicked off the forum with opening remarks at 1:00 p.m. and then Randolph Croxton began moderating the event. The panel consisted of four (4) chairpersons of the Village Boards: Will Sharp, Harbor Committee; John Shaka, Planning Board; Jeanne Kane, Zoning Board of Appeals; and, Steve Williams, Historic Preservation & Architectural Review Board.
The goal of the forum was to share the village's preservation oversight process, to increase transparancy, and to "de-mystify" the day-to-day practical details required for the successful managment of preserving history. Questions for the panel were submitted before the event as well as on the way in to the event.
Some of the comments heard following the event were:
"Much needed!"
"Timely"
"This cleared up so much for me!"
"We need more of these."
Click here to watch the complete video.
Mashashimuet Park Through the Years
Presented by the Park Board of Trustees
2022 Exhibit Opening
Reception & Refreshments
Sunday July 10th - 5:00 p.m.
___________________________
Mashashimuet Park is not only a centerpiece in Sag Harbor but has been the center for community, school and family events for generations. This beautiful park has been the stage for Band Concerts & Plays, Trotting, Bicycle, and Running Races, Tournaments & Team Sports like Baseball and Field Hockey, and, of course, Skating on Otter Pond.
In 1908, Sag Harbor benefactress, Mrs. Russell Sage, began the process to create what would later be named Mashashimuet Park for the youth and families of the area. William Wallace Tooker named the park "Mashashimuet", Algonquin for "Place of the Great Springs".
Let's celebrate this centerpiece together. Come join us for the Opening of this year's Exhibit and hear the Park Board of Trustees talk about "Mashashimuet Park Through the Years".
Treasure Lost
Michael Heller, a third-generation resident of the East End - is relocating to Greece!
Heller is a photojournalist, documentary photographer, a long-time member of the Hook & Ladder Co. #1 for the East Hampton Fire Department, and the Staff Photographer for the Sag Harbor Express. As such, he has documented Sag Harbor's history in the making.
As Sag Harbor's landscape has been renovated, repurposed and preserved, Heller has been on hand to document four significant, recent projects.
Between 2011 and 2016, Heller photographed the renovation and construction of the John Jermain Memorial Library; the images of which can be found in its archives.
In 2011, Heller was onsite as the four-year project to laboriously convert the lifeless Bulova Watchcase Factory into condominiums began. He documented this event from start to finish in his book Watchcase - The Story of A Rebirth.
On that frigid day in December 2016, Heller was on the scene as a firefighter and then photographer when the building at 90 Main Street, which houses our iconic Sag Harbor Cinema, burned for hours on end. This event he documented in a book entitled A Phoenix Rises - The Fall and Rise of the Sag Harbor Cinema.
And, most recently, Heller was on hand to document the renovation of Long Wharf, from beginning to end, which he documented in A Short History of Sag Harbor's Long Wharf.
Sag Harbor's history in the making ... all documented and preserved by Michael Heller's unique images and words. Heller has given so much to our small village - he is a treasure - one who will be sorely missed.
Michael will not be embarking on this new adventure alone. He will be joined by another Sag Harborite - Jackie Marks, who once served as the Historical Society's archivist before taking a position with the Amagansett Library. Their departure will leave a hole in our small village, one that will not be filled anytime soon. We wish them all the best for their future.
"May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The Rain Fall Soft Upon Your Fields."
A Traditional Irish Blessing
Michael Heller received our Sag Harbor Historical Society 2018 Dorothy Ingersoll Zaykowski Award for Contributions to the Appreciation and Preservation of Sag Harbor History. Photographed here with Jack Youngs, the then-President of SHHS and Nancy French Achenbach, our current President.
The Sag Harbor Spur
If you want to study the development of commerce and communities in the U.S., you only have to follow the railroads. The development of the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) (1844) opened Long Island for settlement and farming along the railroad line. Between 1870 and 1939, a 4-mile-long spur operated between Bridgehampton and Sag Harbor which enabled the Fahys Watchcase operations to move to Sag Harbor and encouraged the creation of the East End's best trotting course in 1879, located where Mashashimuet Park is today.
Watch the video linked here, by SHHS Trustee, Nancy Remkus, to hear how the LIRR was chartered to connect New York and Boston; be introduced to the Long Pond Green Belt, along which the railroad ran; and, learn about ice harvesting on Round Pond and how the LIRR transported it to New York way back then.
Beachcombing Can Be Fun!
One of the exhibits now on display at the Historical Society's headquarters, the Annie Cooper Boyd House at 174 Main Street, is "Beachcombing for Evidence of Sag Harbor History - 80% Proof" by Jean Held.
Jean has been beachcombing Haven's Beach ever since the village began dredging the west side of Long Wharf four years ago and piping the dredged material at the beach. Sag Harbor and history enthusiasts have collected a treasure trove of artifacts. In Jean's case she has then applied her considerable research skills to determining each artifact's origins. She's worked long, hard and happily and has now created an exhibit for all of us in which she shares her "finds" and some conclusions. Items found date from the Revolutionary Ward to the present It's a fascinating glimpse into how Sag Harbor society has related to itself, the rest of the U.S., and the world for the last 250 years.
Come see the small treasures found at the bottom of our harbor.
Helping Our Garden Grow
We at the Sag Harbor Historical Society, honored Earth Day and National Garden Month in a special way by inviting families to help us plant an herb garden and bring Annie's spirit to life ... and we had a wonderful time!
Bonnie Grice, dressed in period costume, welcomed the gardeners behind the ACB HOuse where Annie's own kitchen garden would have been. Folks chose thier herbs, Parsley, Sage or Rosemary, and BOnnie was there to assist and offer planting tips and a bit of herb history. Each herb was tagged not only with its name but the gardener's name as well. WE thank the Peconic Land Trust and the Sag Harbor Garden Center for sponsoring this event and providing the herbs.
Between 11:00 and 1:00, Nancy Remkus played music and sang songs on the stairs of the house, facing an audience safely spaced in chairs with no sense of crowding ... on our new front lawn!
Hopefully every gardiner will return to see how "their garden grows". CLICK HERE TO LINK WITH A SHORT SLIDESHOW that is indicative of how the entire day progressed. Gardiners young and old participated and the individuals shown are only representative of those who helped us celebrate this glorious day in Sag Harbor. Thank you one and all!
Photos by Claudia Ward, Steve Gould and several attendees (many thanks). Slideshow by Claudia Ward and Music by Alexandre Desplat, "The New York Times" from the soundtrack of Julie and Julia
SPRING! National Garden Month
Happy National Garden Month!! Did you know?
Look what we've found as sleepy old winter as finally retreating ... and here in our own front yard at the ACB House! The colors of Spring are startling on these small, incredibly bold and strong shoots that decide to announce themselves, even if briefly, to let us know that Spring is here.
We hope you all are enjoying these glorious days and the colors that have replaced every shade of gray imaginable. And this year, we'll all share our joy in each season, in each other, and all the new and clever get-togethers people around our village have planned. Being cautious and respectful to friends and neighbors, of course.
We hope this small slidehow (click here), uplifts your hearts as it has ours at SHHS. We are so excited about planning our events for the new "front lawn" and sharing them with you soon.
Happy Spring!
Researching Our Irish Ancestry
Last Tuesday March 16th, St. Pat's Eve, the John Jermain Memorial Library and the Sag Harbor Historical Society co-sponsored "Kiss Me I'm Irish - How to Research Your Irish Ancestry". We are happy to report that it was a great success. Fifty seven (57) curious souls rergistered for the event on Zoom and 46 were able to participate. Tucker Roth, one of the Society's trustees attended and reported this:
"Sarah Gutmann's Genealogy program on tracing Irish Heritage was informative and fun. She took us through the process, provided resources and tips on navigating websites like Ancestry.com, Family Search, and census records as well as sources particular to Irish records: the extensive database of the Catholic Church, the National Archives of Ireland and the New York Emigrant Savings Bank. Ancestry.com can be accessed, without charge, through the JJML."
If you want to see some of this event, just click on the LINK HERE.
This event complements the Society's Exhibit for 2021 "Then & Now: A Story of Immigration in Sag Harbor" and represents the first collaboration with the library in a long time. And, we sincerely hope it will be the first of many.
Celebrating Women's History Month - Our American Beauty: Dorothy Ingersoll Zaykowski
“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”
Marcus Garvey
In old Sag Harbor-style, 30 years ago this summer, the community paraded down to Long Wharf to greet the first shipment of Sag Harbor - The Story of an American Beautywritten by local author and historian Dorothy Ingersoll Zaykowski. Dorothy's book continues to be the go-to book for Sag Harbor's unique, celebrated and colorful history beginning with the foot paths of the Algonquian tribe and extending to the glory days of a harbor alive with whalers and whaling ships, coopers, rope-makers, blacksmiths, and the smell of blubber boiled down in try-pots. In the village, church steeples raised to the heaven, and our Main Street was alive with locals, world travelers, barbers, horse-and-carriages, shops, hotels, saloons and brothels.
Today, celebrating this significant anniversary, Dorothy, and all those who helped her, Nancy Remkus and Jean Held have created THIS VIDEO, in which you will meet some of the folks who have been directly affected by this book and the work of, our friend and former trustee, Dorothy Ingersoll Zaykowski.
Celebrating Black History Month - The Fortunes
Caroline Charlotte “Carrie” Smiley Fortune was born in December 1860. As Carrie’s granddaughter, Elizabeth Bowser, wrote in Voices of Sag Harbor, Carrie “was born a slave in Jacksonville, Florida, the daughter of a plantation owner named Smiley and an Indian girl.” Elizabeth explained, “Plantation owners made a practice of recruiting Indian girls from the then western frontiers of the United States.” and “my grandmother Carrie, [was] the issue of her Indian mother and the slave-owning plantation owner.” In the late 1870s, Carrie moved to Sag Harbor to be the personal seamstress for the wife of a Captain living near the neighborhood of Eastville. Carrie, soon made friends in Eastville and taught them her fine dress-making skills. Just look at the exquisite details in the dress she’s wearing in this photograph.
In 1878, Carrie’s sweetheart, T. Thomas Fortune, arrived from Jacksonville and claimed her as his bride, and they settled in Brooklyn. Carrie kept in touch with her Sag Harbor friends, and the Fortune’s visited frequently during summertime, eventually becoming one of the first African-American families to “summer” in Sag Harbor. Carrie and Thomas had 5 children, 3 of whom died. Carrie, herself, died in 1940 at the age of 80.
T. Thomas Fortune (1856-1928) was born a slave in Marianna, Florida and was freed by the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. He attended Howard University briefly, leaving to be a journalist. Fortune established The New York Globe, which later became New York Age, the nation’s leading black newspaper which survived until 1960. “The condition of black people in the southern United States became his primary concern, and the press was his weapon to change those conditions. By 1887, he had established himself as the most prominent black journalist of the time.” Also in 1887, Fortune organized the National Afro-American League “to secure the defense of the black community against lynchings, riots, and other terrorist violence” (source: blackpast.org). This organization served as a model for later civil rights organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Fortune shepherded and opened doors for leaders like W. E. B. DuBois and Ida B. Wells. Fortune's wife, Carrie Smiley Fortune, was a founder of the National Urban League. Fortune died in 1928 at the age of 72.
Scandal: Friends and neighbors are having a love affair ....
... with Sag Harbor. Listen to many profess their lifelong love for our unique little village. Click on this link.
LIGHT UP THE HARBOR RECOGNITION
Light Up the Harbor!
The Results Are In!
We were so impressed with all of entries to the Society's 2020 Light Up the Harbor Event. Heaven knows we all need some light and joy in our lives in these trying times and our friends and families stepped up to the challenge. We had so many entries selecting a handful for special recognition was not easy but, at the end of the day, we all win with this endeavor - participants and spectators alike. Take a look at this SLIDESHOW BY CLICKING HERE. It was created by Nancy Remkus, a SHHS Trustee, showcasing every one of the entries. Tell us they aren't all winners! We'll share the results below as well as a route map that you can drive to see each and everyone of these special creations.
And the Results Are ...
Recognition
- Robert Gibbs & family, 287 Main Street
- Liz McGuire & Maggie Reilly, 291 Main Street
- Jeff Peters & Mary Ann Miller, 365 Main Street
- Susan Fick Pluchino & family, 6 James Place
Honorable Mention
- Marla Alper & Chris Coffee, 31 Madison
- Shawn Beyer-Mitchell & family, 303 Division Street
- Farrin Cary & family, 11 Oakland Avenue
- Yadira Castiblanco & family, 58 Howard Street
- Mare Dianora & family, 26 Grand Street
- Lisa DiGirolamo & family, 53 Highview Drive
- Bonnie Jackson & Bill Porter, 36 Payne Avenue
- Joe & Karen Lauro, 249 Main Street
- Marie-Christine McNally & the Popadick Family, 25 Burke Street
- Richard Pantina & family, 82 Harbor Drive
- Frieda & James Renner, 22 Forrest Street
Congratulations to one and all! THANK YOU for Lighting Up the Harbor this year, for all of us to see!
Speaking of seeing, if you feel like taking a drive to see this year's participants and all the lights, print out this post which includes a list of the participants "in geographic order" and an indicative map of where they are. It's a circular route that will allow you see every entry to "Light Up the Harbor 2020" ... and more! We hope you enjoy this as much as we have.
Happy Holidays friends, family, neighbors ... one and all!
CANCELLED: In-Person Light Up the Harbor; But Recognition Abounds!
At 2:00 p.m. on Sunday December 20th, join SHHS outside the Annie Cooper Boyd House to hear The Dickens Carolers perform and for the presentation of the Holiday Home Decorating awards. SHHS asks everyone to participate by decorating their house for the holiday season. LIGHT UP THE HARBOR! We may not be able to congregate close to one another this year but we can share our holiday greetings and cheer with family, friends, and neighbors. Register your home by emailing a photo to info@sagharborhistorical.org; please include your NAME, ADDRESS, AND preferred EMAIL ADDRESS. Recognition awards will be based upon Creativity, Enthusiasm, and Originality. Bundle up and join us please.
Century Arts Foundation
The Sag Harbor Historical Society wants to express its deep and sincere appreciation to the Century Arts Foundation for awarding the Society a $5,000 grant for re-landscaping the front lawn of the Annie Cooper Boyd House to accomodate public gatherings and educational events. The project will entail moving the current garden to the side and back of the house and expanding the lawn up to the boxwoods by the porch. In the days of COVID-19 and even post-COVID-19 days, social distancing, preferably outdoors is needed. The expansion of the front lawn will allow us to sponsor properly socially-distanced events on the front lawn of the Annie Cooper Boyd House. Many, many thanks to Century Arts, we will be forever grateful.
Annie's Field of Jack O'Lanterns 2020
The rain ceased just in time for this year's Annie's Field of Jack O'Lanterns at SHHS. Everyone was so creative, some patriotic and some even reflective on this unusual time of a pandemic. Whales, Anchors, Gremlins, Flags, Laughing and Spooky Faces, as well as an imprisoned Joe wearing a Covid Mask. We hope you enjoy this slideshow of many of the contributions and the kickoff to this year's holiday season. Photos and slideshow by Claudia Ward with a very special thanks to Brendon Remler for sharing some of his images especially the ghostly image at the end. Music by Vince Giordano and The Nighthawks Orchestra. Here's the link: https://vimeo.com/474394563
Sag Harbor Historical Society Uses Video To Help Tell The Village’s Story
This article, written by Stephen J. Kotz, was printed in the Sag Harbor Express on October 29, 2020
The photo is tagged "Nancy Remkus films Nancy Cory at the Old Whalers' Church as part of her series for the Sag Harbor Historical Society. STEPHEN J. KOTZ"
"What started as a series of PowerPoint presentations to introduce students at the Sag Harbor Elementary School to the village’s rich history has morphed into a series of short videos that its creator hopes will help draw attention to the Sag Harbor Historical Society.
Nancy Remkus, a retired teacher and member of the society’s board, has been making the videos with the aid of other society members.
“We want to share more Sag Harbor stories with people and hopefully encourage more people to become members of the society,” Ms. Remkus said.
The initial video featured Deanna Lattanzio, another retired educator, giving a tour of the society’s headquarters, the Annie Cooper Boyd House, which is set back from Main Street just a few paces south of the village’s business district.
Ms. Lattanzio was also enlisted to tell the story of the Cilli Farm, the only farm in the village, which had been owned by her grandfather. Bethany Deyermond, another retired teacher and society board member, took on the role of Sag Harbor’s major benefactress, Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage, who gave the village the John Jermain Memorial Library, Pierson High School, and Mashashimuet Park and Otter Pond, among other major gifts.
Another video traced the history of the Long Island Rail Road’s service to the village, which was discontinued in the 1930s. Trains followed a spur from Bridgehampton through the Long Pond Green Belt before crossing a trestle along Sag Harbor Cove and arriving at a depot at what is now the site of the village post office.
Ms. Remkus also filmed two videos of historical society board member James Marquardt reading from his book, “True Stories of Old Sag Harbor.”
So far, though, the most involved production enlisted five narrators from the historical society telling stories of some of the more colorful “permanent residents” of Oakland Cemetery.
WLNG radio host Bonnie Grice tells the story of Captain David Hand and his five wives, four of whom died before the age of 30, while Bethany Deyermond tells the story of Joseph Fahys, who brought his watchcase factory to the village in the 1800s.
Jack Youngs tackles the story of Ephraim Byram, a village clockmaker, inventor, and philosopher, while Ms. Remkus narrates a segment on the philosopher and adventurer Prentice Mulford.
And Ms. Lattanzio describes the life of Fannie Tunison, who was born paralyzed, but who was able to learn how to use her mouth and tongue to thread a needle and sew. She later became her family’s major breadwinner by reading fortune cards and doing other tasks.
Last week, Ms. Remkus started her latest video, one that will tell the story of Dorothy
Ingersoll Zaykowski, whose book, “Sag Harbor: The story of an American Beauty,” is a highly regarded history of the village. For that video, she taped Nancy Cory, a member of the Old Whalers’ Church, Catherine Creedon, the director of the John Jermain Memorial Library; Tony Garro, who leads historic walking tours of the village; and Bryan Boyhan, the former publisher of The Sag Harbor Express.
The videos are available on the historical society’s Facebook page and website, sagharborhistorical.org, under the Blog heading."
Oakland Cemetery & Five of its Renowned Residents
Join us as trustees of the Sag Harbor Historical Society introduce you to five legendary residents of Oakland Cemetery: Capt. David Hand, Ephraim Byram, Joseph Fays, Prentice Mulford, and Fannie Tunison. Listen to the stories of how these five amazing people impacted the history of our village and world. Home to many amazing souls, Oakland Cemetery is the final resting place for many of our friends, relatives and neighbors and many people from our past who have helped to shape history. Interspersed with historic photos and illustrations, these videos share the stories of these remarkable and interesting individuals who at one time or another all called Sag Harbor home.
We hope you enjoy this video and the performances of our trustees Bonnie Grice, Jack Youngs, Bethany Deyermond, Nancy Remkus and Deanna Lattanzio. Thank you all for creating these videos about Sag Harbor's history. https://vimeo.com/manage/471697113/general
The Anchor to Windward
The Anchor to Windward
These days the headquarters for the Sag Harbor Historical Society (SHHS) at 174 Main Street is known as the Annie Cooper Boyd House after its famous resident artist, but Annie called it her lovely little "Anchor to Windward". Why?
Mooring during threatening winds, experienced sailors cast an anchor to windward - the direction from which the wind is coming - in order to hold fast and keep from being dashed and destroyed upon the shore. An anchor to windward provides security and Annie found that security in this little cottage she inherited from her father. She wrote its name, "The Anchor to Windward", on a beam above the stairs on the inside of the porch and she even placed an anchor on the roof.
An anchor rests there to this day.
Jim Marquardt Reads
Author and SHHS Trustee, Jim Marquardt, reads one of his True Stories of Old Sag Harbor "It Took a Village" in the linked video.https://vimeo.com/444294252
Two New Trustees
Two New Trustees at SHHS
Over the last several months two new trustees have joined the Historical Society's Board - one is a thespian and one is a writer, and neither can be accurately described by a single word.
Bonnie Grice, the "thespian", has many passions which include history and theater. She started her own theater company, "boots on the ground theater" in 2016 to bring history to life both on stage and in reenactments. You may have seen one of the latter last August when she dressed as a suffragette and walked Main Street celebrating the 100th anniversary of women's right to vote.
Bonnie is also a veteran radio broadcaster and DJ. A two-time Gracie Allen winner, Bonnie has made her mark at a variety of radios stations coast to coast. Most recently Bonnie has had two programs on Sag Harbor's own WLNG: "Rock On" on Saturdays, 3:00-6:00 pm, and "Brunch with Bonnie", Sundays 11:00 am - 1:00 pm. We are excited to have Bonnie and all her energy join the Board.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jim Marquardt is the "writer". He has worked for NYC communications firms and corporations as an advertising/promotion copywriter, publicity writer and magazine editor. For twenty-five years he was President of Marquardt & Roche, Inc., Advertising/Public Relations in Stamford, CT.
Jim "retired" to Sag Harbor over twenty years ago but keeps on writing - he's reviewed fiction for Dan's Papers, written fiction that has appear in the North Atlantic Review and the East Hampton Star, and has been a columnist for the Sag Harbor Express for more than ten years, writing about Sag Harbor's colorful history. His stories create an intimate picture of some of the events and people that formed the unique character of a town that has been called an "America Beauty". Many of these stories have been published in his book True Stories of Old Sag Harbor.
Suffragettes Marching in Sag Harbor Once More
Yes it's true, two suffregattes were seen marching along Main Street in Sag Harbor the morning of August 26. This time, howver, they were not petitioning to get the right to vote, rather they were celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Secretary of State certifying the ratification of the 19th Amendment to our Constitution -giving the right to vote to women. But not all women could vote starting in 1920. It would take almost five more decades before black women would be able to vote. The Women's Suffrage Movement lasted 80 years for some but 125 years for others. Our two suffregettes, Bonnie Grice and Karen Campbell (both SHHS trustees) shone a spotlight on the rights of everyone to vote.
Open Sundays: "Then & Now: A Story of Immigration in Sag Harbor"
Open at Last: Sundays between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m.
You may know Aubrey Peterson, a local young man, who has been a docent at the Sag Harbor Historical Society since he was in the 7th grade. This fall he will be a senior, and he has created this year's exhibit, "Then & Now: A Story of Immigration in Sag Harbor".
Visiting the Annie Cooper Boyd House with his mother when Aubrey was young, seeded a lasting interest in history. We hope you will visit the Historical Society one Sunday soon to follow the timeline of Sag Harbor's history through the lens of its natives and immigrants: the Native Americans like Stephen "Talkhouse", the English like Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage, the African Americans, the Irish, the Jews, the Italians, and Others. In the meantime, enjoy the virtual tour of the exhibit created by Nancy Remkus, a SHHS trustee, and, of course, Aubrey by clicking this link. https://vimeo.com/449050318
Life on the Sag Harbor Cilli Farm
Video - Life on the Cilli Dairy Farm: Deanna Lattanzio is a third generation Sag Harbor resident, a retired teacher from Sag Harbor Elementary School, and a Sag Harbor Historical Society Trustee. She is proud of her Italian heritage. Her grandparents came to America, bought a farm in Sag Harbor in 1922 and began a dairy known as the Cove Side Dairy. Cilli Farm started with just 12 cows but grew to have up to 65 cows.
Deanna continues to be involved with the Elementary School participating in numerous Morning Programs. One that she created for the children was all about the Cilli Farm and a day in the life of a Sag Harbor dairy farmer. Nancy Remkus filmed Deanna's onsite presentation and we are now sharing it with you here.
Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation
The Sag Harbor Historical Society (SHHS) wants to express its sincere appreciation to the Robert D.L. Gardiner Foundation for awarding the Society a $2,000 grant to reimburse a portion of operating expenses incurred during the onset of Governor Cuomo's Executive Order: "New York State on Pause". The Corona virus hit New York hard and fast and SHHS, like so many other non-profit organizations, shut their doors and followed the quarantine directives coming from Albany. But, being closed does not stop the bills from coming in. Insurance premiums, utility bills, phone and internet bills all still had to be paid with no surety that income would follow. March events were cancelled, and then April and May's. Plans for SHHS's primary fundraising event in June were well under way but it too had to be cancelled. And the opening of the 2020 exhibit is "on Pause" for now, as creative minds are trying to determine the best and safest way to continue to share Sag Harbor's history this year. We all are facing these challanges and we are deeply grateful for the Gardiner Foundation's support at this time.
Please visit the Foundation's website to read about it's fascinating history and it's primary purpose which is to support "the study of Long Island history and its role in the American experience".
Journaling 101
Journaling is seen by some as an intimate recording of personal thoughts and feelings, others consider it a cathardic exercise that relieves tension, and others think of it as an historical documentation of a specific point in time. It truly can be all of these things. The following entries were submitted for our Jounaling posts. The voices are distinctly different, just as the individuals behind them are. Thank you for sharing these thoughts and perspectives. Please continue by sending your submissions to http://sagharborhist@gmail.com
DAVID BRAY
I was not residing in Sag Harbor after 50 years but had just begun being a resident at Peconic Landing when the sequestering began. I am still sequestered after almost two months. Peconic Landing is still providing services which I might not be receiving if I still was residing in Sag Harbor.
BARBARA SCHWARTZ
The pandemic of 2020 and how I celebrated my 90th birthday.
It is March 20, 2020 and I am recording my birthday in the midst of the Corona virus. I have lived through the depression, stock market crash, World War II, 9/11 in NYC and I will survive this. During World War II I never felt afraid, we kept busy knitting for the soldiers, collecting aluminum foil, growing victory gardens and other activities. We heard about the war on the radio or saw pieces of it in newsreels on Saturday at the movies but it wasn’t broadcast 24 hours a day on TV as it is now. We had to deal with rationing, I still have my ration book, and we had to darken our windows at night but we weren’t quarantined and isolated as we are now.
A party at Brian & Linda’s was planned for tonight with Deirdre, Liam, Ann, Kathy & Maureen but it had to be cancelled as we were staying indoors. I baked cupcakes and iced them in the morning and that evening face-timed Deirdre and Liam and Sam and they were face-timing with Anna and Nick. We lit our candles and then sang Happy Birthday to one another and blew them out. Liam and Sam baked a pineapple upside down cake for Deirdre. As we were singing my doorbell rang and out in the road in front of my house were my neighbors, about a dozen of them, singing Happy Birthday to me. What a day it was. Despite the gloom and darkness, there was light and gladness tonight. Thank you Sag Harbor.
March 21, 2020 The celebration continued. My neighbors who were in California and Florida sent their greeting on Facebook and said they were sorry they could not be here to join the singing.
My grocery delivery from Serene Green arrived and in the bag was a little pound cake and a birthday card. Everyone has been so nice.
I place an order with Peapod two weeks ago and it will arrive the 30th. They are really busy. My drug store delivered my prescription so there is no need for me to go out.
Today I sent both of my granddaughters, who are nurses, chocolate covered strawberries to thank them for what they are doing in the hospitals under trying circumstances.
Wednesday my order from Everyplate arrived and I started cooking my dinners. It was a box with enough ingredients to make six dinners. That should keep the wolf from my door. On Monday my Peapod order finally arrives, it has taken two weeks to get a delivery date.
I have cleaned my office, organized my desk and will now start on the storage room down stairs. I should have the house pretty organized by the time we are able to go outside again. I do hope we can still have my birthday party with the whole family that is planned for July. We will just have to wait and see.
JUDITH LONG
Coronavirus Diary (March 16)
Liquor store guy asked me to supply my own pen to sign the receipt. I did.
NPR reports that health workers are taught how to get in and out of their hazmat suits correctly. The protocol is called “don” and “doff”—so courtly, so lovely.
Odd disappearances at Schiavoni's: plenty of eggs, milk and produce. No cheese, oranges, or honey-crisp apples (plenty of other varieties).
Chapped hands from scrubbing for 20 seconds. Never used to wash hands much, as they got clean washing dishes (am I alone in never having owned a dishwasher?).
It looked like Easter Sunday at Long Beach on Wednesday. Tons of adults and kids strolling, walking dogs, riding bikes, flying kites, greeting each other, smiling. Coronavirus briefly forgotten
Coronavirus Diary—II (March 21)
Not isolating! The virus is turning us into socialites. Emailed next-door neighbor Lee and suggested a short walk. We’ve been mentioning this idea for months. Have never done it. Now we do it at social distance. We bump into her neighbor on the other side, who offers us help if needed: “I know you live alone.” (On people offering help: It’s the old double-edged sword: pleasing but I feel as I do when someone gives me their seat on the subway. Really? I look that feeble?)
On to the deli, where we social-distance chat with a couple of Latinos eating at the picnic table. Back down the sidewalk, we bump into Lee's daughter. More social-distance chit-chat. (I may now be able to tell her two daughters apart.) We head across the street and call on another neighbor—a first. We all seem more chatty and friendly these days.
The Long Beach lot is parked up as if it’s a Sunday in June. Some jerk in a sports car had the nerve to honk repeatedly at a walker strolling down the parking lot, as we tend to do. She held her ground and did not move over. We don’t reward rudeness. All he had to do was say Excuse me.
A friend sends a picture of empty bread shelves at her grocery, except one section: gluten-free bread. Full. No one wants it. Ha ha ha ha.
Holiday Open House
The SHHS Holiday Open House last Sunday was a truly festive event for all. The Annie Cooper Boyd House heralded the event with a wonderful banner created by Peter Solow and his students, and was decorated with wreaths and garland thanks to the genrosity of Phil Bucking's Sag Harbor Nursery. Between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m., children and adults listened to the magical stories of Sag Harbor author Billy Baldwin, including The Cookie that Saved Christmas, decorated Christmas ornaments, and enjoyed cider a cookies while singing Christmas carols to music played by Nancy Remkus and Peter Cummings. Billy brought homemade sugar cookies and the Sag Harbor Bakery donated a huge plate of holiday cookies. Billy also sold copies of his book and graciously donated a portion of the proceeds to the Society. The Trustees of SHHS sincerely thank everyone for their generoisty and wish one and all a very happy holiday season.
Enjoy the slide show. http://vimeo.com/379013364
Annie's Field of Jack-O'-Lanterns
Halloween Eve at the Annie Cooper Boyd House was filled with Jack-O'-lanterns all alight, scavenger hunts, music and laughter. Mr. Reed's class from the Elementary School came the previous afternoon and carved their pumpkins on the front lawn, perching them on the porch rail before they left. At dusk, the tea lights inside were all lit creating a festive but eery feeling at this very old house.
Two SHHS trustees, Deanna Lattanzio and Bethany Deyermond, had fun creating a scavenger hunt outside and inside the museum, but it was Halloween Eve when the real fun began, with parents and children working feverishly together to check off every one of the 27 items on the list that included everything from a bell to a butter churn.
Music was provided by our own Nancy Remkus and light refreshments were available to all the ghosts, goblins and witches who graced us with their presence.
A Conversation with Bethany Deyermond and the Sag Harbor Express
A member of the Sag Harbor Historical Society Board of Directors and that nonprofits treasurer talks about its newest Halloween happening, “Annie’s Field of Jack-O’-Lanterns,” which will be held on Wednesday, October 30, from 5 to 6 p.m., at the Historical Society’s Annie Cooper Boyd House at 41 Main Street in Sag Harbor.
“Annie’s Field of Field of Jack-O’-Lanterns” will be held for the first time this year, inviting members of the community to the Annie Cooper Boyd House to show off their own carved jack-o’-lanterns and enjoy music, treats and a ghostly parade through the historic residence. Where did this idea come from?
Of course, the Lion’s Club in Bridgehampton has always had a wonderful event every year the Monday before Halloween and it is a really neat event. Sag Harbor has a lot of Halloween events, but we have never had anything like that and the Annie Cooper Boyd House is the perfect place for a lit pumpkin display — it is set back from Main Street and has a beautiful front porch. For us, this is another way we can get community members to notice the house and hopefully come in and enjoy what it has to offer. Our greatest mission right now is the preservation of that building — it is really what we need to focus on right now — and this is another way to introduce members of our community to this important building.
The Annie Cooper Boyd House, an 18th century home owned by artist and diarist Annie Cooper Body, was left to the Historical Society and serves as both its headquarters and museum. Fundraising through events like this will help aid the society as it moves forward with repairs to the building?
Yes. Right now we are very much focused on fundraising to replace the roof, which of course has to be done historically, in the correct way — we cannot just slap an asphalt roof up there — with wooden shingles. We are not even really sure the last time the roof was replaced but it is very much needed now — there is already a leak onto the front porch and it is our responsibility to ensure that house is maintained properly. Our gala, unfortunately, did not cover the full expense of the roof replacement or the other things we try and accomplish as a historical society, so we are hoping by drawing in more community members through events like this we can get more support for the society and for the building.
What are other ways the Historical Society supports Sag Harbor history?
Obviously, at this point, we are not in a position of preserving historic buildings ourselves — they are privately owned — but we did work with the Village of Sag Harbor on the restoration and preservation of the Old Jail House. And we do get the word out about the importance of preservation. Homeowners and even realtors will come to the Historical Society when a house is bought or goes up for sale to learn about the history of these places, and the society keeps files detailing that history.
Will “Annie’s Field of Jack-O’-Lanterns” include a contest?
We decided against a content and what to make this a community event — not just a children’s event but one where we can have families come down and join us. And we will have a pumpkin out where we are asking guests to support us with a $5 suggested donation.
We are looking into the future for the Historical Society — we want to get younger families into the building with their children so they can see what we are all about and maybe join us in what we are trying to do. It will be a nice event, we will serve cider, Nancy Remkus is singing and Jean Held’s exhibit cataloging items she has found on Havens Beach will still be up. When kids come in and see it they think it is really neat and here they are learning a lot about Sag Harbor history.
Are you carving a pumpkin?
Of yes. I will do a good, old-fashioned, jack-o’-lantern. And everyone on our board of trustees is going to carve a pumpkin as well and we will display them about a week before the event. The Friday before, October 25, Nancy Remkus and Deanna Lattanzio are attending Morning Program [at Sag Harbor Elementary School] to talk about the history of Sag Harbor with the kids, which is something they will be doing every month. We are going to talk to them this month about Annie and the House and ask them all to come down with their pumpkins and help fill up our yard.
History of Pyes
Last Friday, the Historical Society's "Friday on the Porch" was "The History of Pyes" by Rev. Karen Campbell, with hands on (rolling pin on) experience. It began with an overview of the history of pie including an explanation of how "Four and twenty blackbirds" were "Baked in a pie". This was entertainment. The kitchen staff would blow smoke in the faces of the blackbirds to stun them, hustle them into a pie, quickly cover them with a crust, and swiftly deliver the delicacy to the lord of the manor before they "came to". When he cut into the pie, the blackbirds would fly out to everyone's amusement.
Rev. Campbell kindly made a small packet of the pie dough ingredients for each participant, who assembled the ingredients and rolled out the pastry dough in the airconditioned whaleboat shop. Apples, peaches, raspberries and blueberries were the filling selections today; no blackbirds here. Small and large pies went home with the day's bakers to be baked off there. Word has it that they were all simply delicious.
Sag Harbor Elementary School 3rd Grade Visits SHHS
A month ago, the 4th grade visited the ACB House, home of the Sag Harbor Historical Society; today, the 3rd graders arrived with lots of curiosity, energy, and chatter. Jack Youngs our VIce President was the leader for this event, pointing out all the nocks and crannies of the 1796 ACB House, giving perspective on the Whaleboat Shop, and tying it all in to their village, and its history. Before they left, Mr. Youngs brought out the rubber mallet and let those who wanted to ring the old school bell.
4th Graders Visit SHHS and Ring the Bell
The Sag Harbor Elementary School 4th grade came to visit SHHS last week and the ACB House and Whaleboat Shop were teeming with inquisitive boys and girls full of energy and curiosity. Before they left they were encouraged to strike a little history - our historic school bell from 1871. Each student struck the bell with all their might - sending deep rings throughout the neighborhood.
2019 SHHS Annual Meeting, Opening & Award
It was a beautiful Spring afternoon in Sag Harbor to gather on the porch of the Annie Cooper Boyd House for the official opening of the Sag Harbor Historical Society's 2019 season. It began with the Annual Meeting, summarizing the past 12 months, describing upcoming events in this season, and announcing the recipient of this year's Dorothy Ingersoll Zaykowski Award for Contributions to the Appreciation and Preservation of Sag Harbor and its History. This year's recipient is Christine "Tucker" Burns Roth, author of Images of America Sag Harbor. Congratulations Tucker. (The book is available for sale in the ACB House as well as here on our website.)
Once business was concluded, the gathering shared refreshments and were able to view this year's exhibits. One is "Outtakes from Images" which are unique images that were not included in Tucker Roth's book. The second is "Long Wharf Archaeology & Havens Beach Over Time", curated by Jean Held.
Anyone who's been in Sag Harbor for the last year plus knows that "they" dredged around Long Wharf and deposited whatever came up over at Havens Beach. Some have been concerned for safety and rightly so but some adventurers have been out there almost daily, in all kinds of weather for months on end, collecting treasurers that were "thrown overboard"? And yes, among the treasures there's also trash. Evidence collected from Havens Beach include many things from whalebone corset stays to colonial pottery sherds, as well as plastic bottles and beer cans. Evidence of our history and also evidence of the need for us all to protect this beautiful harbor we call our own.
We hope you'll visit us this season. We're open Saturdays, Sundays & Holidays 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Voices from the Past
This past weekend was the Cultural Heritage Weekend in Sag Harbor and despite gray, damp weather, the village was abuzz. At the Sag Harbor Historical Society (SHHS), "Voices from the Past" were heard on Saturday afternoon as trustees and members read letters, curated by Trustee Barbara Schwartz, from William Cooper's sister and two daughters, all of whom migrated westward in the latter half of the 19th century and missed their family at home. The Annie Cooper Boyd House was filled with interested listeners, each of whom was provided with a handy Cooper family tree as a reference. The letters underscore some of the challenges, describing fires and floods as a few of the gravest, and the voices clearly resound with the authors' loneliness and yearning for family and friends at home in Sag Harbor.
Sag Harbor in the Great War Exhibit
Several Sag Harbor Historical Society members contributed personal items to add to the Sag Harbor Historical Society's contributions for Southampton Town Historian Zach Studenroth's display on Southampton in World War I, 1917-1918. The display, done for the hundredth anniversary of the United States' entrance into World War I is visible in the Southampton Town Hall on the second floor.
While items lent by Dorothy Zaykowski, Jack Youngs, and M.A. Rodriguez were credited in the exhibit text by Zach Studenroth, no caption appears for the Blue Star flag lent by Nancy French Achenbach.
Have you heard SHHS on WLNG?
SHHS Trustee Nancy Remkus created a series of timely spots talking about Sag Harbor History called the "Sag Harbor Minute." Have you heard them on WLNG?
Here's Nancy and fellow trustee Deanna Lattanzio talking about her family's history as dairy farmers:
Nancy and Deanna are back again to discuss local farming, including Sag Harbor's dairy farms and backyard livestock.
Thanksgiving: SHHS & Sag Harbor awarded grants to save Jail Museum!
Alexander Hamilton, David Frothingham, and SHHS
This week is the 225th Anniversary of the first copy of Frothingham's Herald which was printed in Sag Harbor, right near the Annie Cooper Boyd House. The Herald was the first newspaper printed on Long Island, predating the Sag Harbor Corrector by more than 20 years.
For many years, the Herald was believed to have been printed in the Annie Cooper Boyd House, which was sometimes referred to as the Herald House. Annie Cooper Boyd believed her home was the site of Frothingham's business, and she certainly shared the story with many visitors to her tea room.
Now, how does any of this connect to the "Ten Dollar Founding Father" enjoying a revival thanks to Lin-Manuel Miranda's play? As politics in New York became more splintered during the Federalist Era, restrictions were placed on what could be printed in the press, and newspapers were the battleground for many of these political fights. Printers and editors of newspapers were often strongly allied with the Federalists or Anti-Federalists. Sag Harbor was a bustling port, about to become one of two official ports of entry for New York.
The printer of the Long Island Herald, David Frothingham, or his columnists didn't entirely agree with Alexander Hamilton's Federalists. David Frothingham was arrested for printing material critical of Alexander Hamilton and the Federalist Party under the Alien and Sedition Acts. Frothingham disappeared after his arrest, adding an air of drama and mystery to his story.
SHHS Trustee Barbara Schwartz chased David Frothingham through the archives, trying to determine exactly where he printed his paper, and concluded it was probably across the street from the Annie Cooper Boyd House. This afternoon, SHHS Volunteer Dan Sabloski will share a collection of scanned copies of Frothingham's paper, the Long Island Herald.
For those of you who can't make it in person for this surprise pop-up display, the East Hampton Library's Long Island Collection has digitzed their copies of the Long Island Herald. And you can check out some of the issues Dan Sabloski will be sharing through the East Hampton Library's website.
Here's a link to the East Hampton Library's scan of the very first issue of Frothingham's Herald, which was printed 225 years ago on May 10, 1791.
"As We See It"
"As We See It"
The Village of Sag Harbor is confronted by the challenge of un-regulated and un-fettered development” throughout the community. Historic structures and character are at risk of being lost forever. There is a need to control the treatment of buildings of special architectural or historic distinction and, or, that are of value as a part of the historic background of the Village. Detrimental treatment includes demolition, alteration or extension, and new construction within historic areas. In addition, there is a need to protect the natural environment and our historic waterfront. The Historic District designation, the Board of Historic Preservation and Architectural Review, and the Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan are designed to meet these challenges. With these tools the Village is able to control and manage change in a manner that allows accommodation without being locked into a “museum” mentality.The Village’s Historic District is nationally recognized: on par with Charleston, South Carolina, Nantucket, Massachusetts, Savannah, Georgia and New Orleans’ Vieux Carre’. It was created through the researching and cataloging of hundreds of buildings, residences ranging from the colonial period to late Victorian, and by providing the documented information necessary to have a historic district placed in the National Register of Historic Places. The role of Village’s Board of Historic Preservation and Architectural Review is to administer and apply the requisite standards to proposed construction activities in the Historic District. Our Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan and its companion Harbor Management Plan similarly researched and cataloged the marine history and resources of the Village. The entire Village is contained within the Plan and actions proposed, whether private or public, are to be reviewed to assure that the result will be consistent with the Plan’s Policies and Objectives. The Harbor Committee is tasked with performing this review and to make recommendations to the other Village Boards, including the Board of Trustees.Sag Harbor Boards should be confidant that they work with the support of local, state and federal law. The task of application is in the hands of our elected officials and appointed boards, which will find that they have all the law and guidelines they need to make responsible decisions. The education and training of board members and their advisors, today and in the future, is the key to our success. As members of the community we all, residents and those whose livelihood is derived from real estate related activity, have a responsibility to educate ourselves and potential newcomers as to what we value and hold important for our community. Knowing a building’s context and place in the history of the Village and guiding potential actions accordingly will benefit the individual owner and the community as a whole. Sincerely,Sag Harbor Historical SocietyWe will continue to post our series "As We See It" here, between other posts.
Event- Save your House!: Historic Preservation Options Explained
SHHS Trustees Take a Stand on Preservation and Tear Downs
Dear Mayor Sandra Schroeder, Village Board of Trustees, Mr. Thiele,The Trustees of the Sag Harbor Historical Society wish to go on record in support of your efforts to change our existing zoning codes. Our mission statement requires the Historical Society to help foster respect for Sag Harbor’s exceptional heritage. We believe that a community has a right and even an obligation to protect the historic treasures which it has been fortunate enough to inherit. We are profoundly aware of the courage being demonstrated by the Mayor, all of our village Trustees, and the professionals who are working hard to come up with stronger laws in support of that goal. For the many, many people in this community who care about such things, the need to improve our ability to preserve old homes and the feel of Sag Harbor is quite obvious. For them, changes in the size and scale of Sag Harbor’s houses have been rapid, obvious, and, in some instances, wrong. This community also understands that when people have a financial interest in this jumbo sizing activity they will organize in support of their own interests. This is why we believe it is important for us, an organized group of community residents, with a long term commitment to Sag Harbor, should publicly applaud the Board’s efforts.We recognize that there are inevitable challenges to the preservation of this village, and in the present circumstance those challenges are greater than they’ve ever been before. Money is being spent on paid advertisements and law suits which might erode the fighting instincts of some elected officials. However, we believe that under very trying circumstances, you are demonstrating in a most convincing way that Old Sag Harbor is not yet ready to give up the ghost. We urge you to continue your efforts with full knowledge that you have the support and gratitude of the Sag Harbor Historical Society.Respectfully,The Trustees of the Sag Harbor Historical SocietyJack Youngs, Diane Schiavoni, Muriel Falborn, Deanna Lattanzio, Jean Held, Barbara Schwartz, Deborah Anderson, Neil Slevin, Ryan Horn, John Borjoren, Nancy Achenbach, Pierce Hance, Joseph Zaykowski, Martha Siegler, David Bray, Andrea Meyer, Christine RothSHHS Trustees, and our new part-time office manager, have helped several homeowners research the historic character of their house to help them find the most appropriate ways to add to, preserve and restore their home and property.
Holiday Tea Dec. 27th
1854 Wall & Forrest Map
Fridays on the Porch Speakers
(Mostly) Digital Local History Resources
SHHS and Preservation Tools
SHHS Annual Meeting and Summer Dates
Boat Shop Opening Sneak Peak
Gail Gallagher's posts on Annie Cooper Boyd
"I recently read the wonderful book, Anchor to Windward, The Paintings and Diaries of Annie Cooper Boyd. The book's editor, Carolyn Oldenbusch, offers a glimpse into the life of one of Sag Harbor's early artists by combining quotes from Annie's diaries with sketches and watercolors. There are also some precious early photographs. The book is an introduction to a woman that I immediately wanted to know more about."- Gail Gallagher, Painting the Hamptons "Annie Cooper Boyd"Here's a few teasers from her initial visit, where she focused on many of Annie's decorative details:Gail has since returned to SHHS,to see the bathroom mural Annie Cooper Boyd painted in her bathroom, and she has written a well-researched post about Annie's influences as an artist. Her artist's perspective shows in both of these post.Gail's own artwork is inspired by the landscapes she encounters in the Hamptons, and she immediately recognized this same influence on Annie Cooper Boyd. Readers will quickly see the connections between Annie's images and present-day painters like Gail through Gail's insightful words. It is easy to see the connections to many of Annie's waterfront local scenes with fluffy clouds when looking at Gail and Hugh Gallagher's paintings. Check out her posts on Annie's influences as an artist to learn about who--besides William Merritt Chase--helped Annie develop her skills as an artist!http://paintingthehamptons.blogspot.com/2015/04/annie-cooper-boyd-artistic-influences.htmlGail also wrote about Annie's life in the 1880s as a young woman in New York City. Check out all of her Annie Cooper Boyd posts here:http://paintingthehamptons.blogspot.com/search/label/Annie%20Cooper%20Boyd
Volunteering with SHHS
Breaking Ground for the William Cooper Boat Shop
Fridays on the Porch Recap
Hotels in the Railroad Era
Association of Suffolk County Historical Societies Meeting
Positive Press Continues on Long Island Railroad Exhibit
The Fordham Family's Revolutionary War
Benefit Party this weekend: Tickets available at the door!
Annual Meeting Open to the Public
The Long Island Railroad Arrives...
Getting Ready for Summer
SHHS Newsletter in the Mail!
Trustees meet with archival expert
Policy for Group Tours
New Exhibit Space
Happy Birthday John Steinbeck!
Preserving Local History: Southampton Petition and SHHS
The Old Jail Museum
SHHS in the Snow and the Meneely Bell
Holidays with SHHS at the ACB House
Holiday Tea December 28th
The Other* Victorious Battle of Sag Harbor–1813: Guest Post by David Thommen
- The Fort On High Street— The Fort at Sag Harbor was built sometime during the summer or fall of 1810 when Brigadier General Joseph G. Trotten was a 22-year-old West Point Graduate, 1st Lieutenant and engineer in the U.S. Army. From 1808 through 1812 he was the assistant to the army engineer and was instrumental in the building of the defenses of New York Harbor and having special supervision of the construction of Fort Clinton at Battery Park in lower Manhattan. He chose our site as it must have afforded the best view for a lookout and best placement for the coastal artillery. The Fort would have been constructed of stone and timber with a wooden parapet wall. The grounds surely would have contained officers’ quarters, militia barracks, mess hall, guardhouse and a storehouse for gunpowder, weapons and shot. The artillery was composed of cannons referred to as 9 and 18 pounders. The weight reference pertained to the weight of the cannonballs they fired. According to cannon expert, Richard Hendrickson of Bridgehampton, a 9 pounder would have a barrel length of about 5 feet and threw a shot about the size of softball. An 18 pounder had a barrel length of 10 feet and its shot was the size of a melon. Our fort was manned by the ranks of the Fourth Regiment of The New York Artillery, the equivalent of today’s Army National Guard. Three thousand men were assigned to the Fort working rotating tours of duty. I have seen estimates that about ten officers and fifty men were assigned at a time. The fort’s site was preserved as a village green when the Sleight Hill /High St. property was subdivided, and the stone was placed in 1902 by Mrs. Mary Gertrude Aldrich of the first Sag Harbor Historical Society.
- The Battle—In the spring of 1813, a British fleet appeared in Gardiners Bay under the command of Sir Thomas Hardy. On May 1st, American Gen. Abraham Rose was ordered by the commander-in-chief to call together the field and staff officers of the most easterly regiment and arrange alarm signals with them, places of rendezvous in case of attack, and to consider methods of arming the people. Henry P. Dering was to have charge of the signals at Sag Harbor in case a landing should be attempted.Guards were kept at the Three Mile Harbor Gut. 16-year-old Charles R. Hand of Amagansett was there one evening and saw British armed boats leaving the fleet and proceed toward Sag Harbor. He ran home, saddled his mare, and galloped to Sag Harbor to give warning all in 40 minutes. The warnings signals were given, and the militia and fort were readied to repulse the attack. Captain Henry Green and militiaman John Gann were the sentinels on the wharf. Green heard a boat and challenged it. Obtaining no reply, he fired and the battle was under way.
“Sir, about 2 o’clock this morning, five barges from the British squadron came and made an attack upon Sag Harbor, took three vessels, set fire to one, but met with a reception so warm and spirited from our militia there stationed, who are entitled to much credit, as also many citizens of the place, that they abandoned their object and made a very precipitate retreat. They threw some shot almost to the extreme part of the place, but fortunately no lives were lost or injury done except to the vessels which they had in possession, one of which was bored through and through by an 18 lb. shot from the fort. It is probable the enemy must have suffered, as they departed in such confusion as to leave some of their arms and accoutrements.”*The first “victorious battle” was Meigs Raid in 1777. For more information on Meigs' Raid, check out SHHS's Fourth of July Post: http://sagharborhistorical.org/wordpress/?p=138
About David Thommen's Ceremony to commemorate the Battle of Sag Harbor in 1813:
The FlagThe flag I have chosen to fly today is of the 15 star and 15 stripe design. Adopted by Congress in 1795 and adding 1 star and 1 stripe each for the admission of Kentucky and Vermont to the Union it flew until 1818. At that time the design was changed back to 13 stipes to represent the 13 original colonies and 1 star would be added for every new state on the 4th of July after its admission to the Union. This is the flag that flew here during the 1812 conflict and according to United States Flag etiquette is appropriate to fly over an historical site. this is also the design that flew over Fort McHenry during the battle of Baltimaore on September 13th and 14th 1814 when Frances Scott Key wrote the words to our National Anthem “The Star Spangled Banner.” The actual battered flag from that battle can be seen at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. It measures 30 x 42 feet.In HonorToday we dedicate this place to honor those who fought to protect our homes and families from hostile invaders and to the memory of militiamen Nathanial Baker and John Pierson who lost their lives on this spot on February 18th, 1815 in an explosion while attempting to fire the cannons once more in celebration of the war’s end.Note that images from David Thommen's memorial event feature veterans in civilian clothes, instead of a traditional uniformed color guard. This is a particularly fitting choice, since the men involved in the Battle of Sag Harbor were members of the militia. This means they were civilians, who often wore minimal or mismatched uniforms, or in the case of an emergency, might just leave whatever they were doing to respond.A Call for Sag Harbor Stories and Pictures
Excerpts from Robert Browngardt's
Art & Architecture's "Walking Tour of Historic Sag Harbor "
Reflecting on “Fridays on the Porch”
Phones Will Be Off at SHHS for 8/29 and 8/30
Join us for our last Fridays on the Porch this year!
Trees, Thanks, and Looking Forward!
4th of July: Sag Harbor Revolutionary War Sites
Fridays on the Porch Start July 12th and Old Jail Museum open July 6th!
A Sneak Peek of Some of the SHHS Benefit Party Pictures!
Join us with Mac Griswold on Saturday!
Annual Benefit Party
Great Resource for Homeowners in the Historic District
Upcoming Events
Please join us for our Annual Meeting May 25th!
Sag Harbor Historical Society now accepts donations via Paypal!
We are happy to announce we are now able to accept donations via Paypal!
Please send us an email if you have any problems at payments@sagharborhistorical.org.