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TVHS Celebrates 60 years of Historical House Marker program with re-launch! As you travel throughout the Three Village area, you might notice houses quietly boasting white signs with blue writing on them. These markers are adorned with Setauket-built sloop The Daisy and perhaps the names of original home owners. They are an indication that something special is happening here, and it’s about to get even better! Sixty years ago, one of the first projects Three Village Historical Society took on was marking the homes of ship captains and ship builders in the Three Village area. To commemorate their 60th anniversary, they are embarking on a new leg of that journey with the re-imagined Historic House Marker program - and everyone is invited! Mari Irizarry is the Society Director who loves the enduring concept that all of the Three Village community is our living museum! “In honoring six decades of dedication, reflection, and growth, we commence an initiative close to our hearts: '60 for 60.'  This updated version serves as a revival of our esteemed Historical House Markers program, a pioneering endeavor initiated by Captain Rhodes, a founding member of our Society. The Historical House Markers program pays tribute to the cherished residences, remarkable individuals, and pivotal events that have shaped the very fabric of our community over centuries.  Each marker unveiled becomes a beacon of remembrance, a testament to the resilience and spirit of those who came before us.” This is not only the first project undertaken by the Three Village Historical Society back in 1964, but it reflects what the Society considers one of it most important ideas, that "it regards the entire Three Village area as its museum; the homes, the people and the natural environment as its collection; and the homeowners as its curators." (Three Village Guidebook, 1986) Scott Ferrara, Exhibits & Collections Coordinator at TVHS is leading the committee on the revamping of the Historic House Marker program. He noted that “if you drive around the Three Village area, you see a lot of historic homes. However, only some are marked with the iconic white historic house marker, but even those are sun-faded, have cracked paint, and are well worn. They need to be updated and replaced. It's about time this program is revived. This committee has been formed to bring back this program and offer updated information and materials to the stewards of historical homes in the area.” Ferrara says that the program will also include research packets about each of the homes, digital and printed copies of the findings, and photographs, deeds, or documents pertaining to the property found in the TVHS archives. The Society is also happy to teach willing home owners how to do research on their own, and what resources are available to them to find out more about the historic houses they live in. Why empower home owners to do their own digging? TVHS Historian Bev Tyler believes “many homeowners in the Three Village community are ready to embrace the idea that they are - together with many others - the curators of their homes, and that they wish to understand everything that gives their home its special significance.” Education Coordinator Lindsey Steward-Goldberg “hopes this new version of the program will continue to inspire owners of historic houses to learn more about not only the history of their house but also how that history of the house fits into the historic narrative of Three Village as a whole. "Perhaps best known as the birthplace of the Culper Spy Ring and the heart of the Washington Spy Trail, the Three Villages are a popular destination both for tourists and local Long Islanders looking to connect to their roots. Tri-Spy Tour Guide Margo Arceri uses the homes with historic markers as a reference point on her walking, biking, and kayak tours throughout the area. Arceri loves the fact that “since our town was founded in 1655, there was at last count over 75 pre-Revolutionary homes still in existence in the Three Village area! That’s an incredibly special part of our story that not many other places can say. Our community is full of homes belonging to spies, ship builders, philanthropists, educators, and business owners - those are the true artifacts of our living museum!” So why is the Society bringing back the Historic House Marker program now?  Tyler is determined that “while celebrating the Society's 60th anniversary, there is no better time to work within the community to emphasize the importance of maintaining and celebrating the homes in the Three Village area which make a significant contribution to the quality of life here.” There are a few simple qualifications such as: the house must be at least 60 years old and be connected to an historic event or an individual, or have architectural significance. Starting April 1, home owners can see if their houses are eligible with a quick screening on the Society’s website: www.tvhs.org Irizarry hopes to get at least 60 historic homes to qualify for the markers this year! “As we embark on this journey of reflection and celebration, we invite our community to join us in commemorating this significant milestone. Together, let us honor our past, celebrate our present, and pave the way for a future rich in history and heritage.”

Museum Professionals Awarded Scholarships to Attend the Museum Association of New York’s 2024 Annual Conference in Albany this April. The Museum Association of New York (MANY) is proud to announce that 22 museum professionals from across New York State will attend the 2024 annual conference “Giving Voice to Value” in Albany, NY, April 6-9 with full scholarship support. Scholarships include conference registration, travel, hotel accommodation, workshop or special event registration, and complimentary individual MANY memberships for one year. Scholarship recipients were selected through a competitive application process. Applications were reviewed by a panel that included MANY’s board members, staff, and local conference committee members. “We look forward to welcoming these exceptional professionals to Albany and express our sincere gratitude to our donors for helping MANY to expand our service to the field,” said MANY Executive Director Erika Sanger. We are excited to announce that two of the recipients of these scholarships are from Three Village Historical Society. 2024 Scholarship Awards BIPOC Museum Professional in Museum Administration Awarded to a Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color working in museum administration who has played a leadership role in advancing the capacity and sustainability of their museum. Mari Irizarry, Director at Three Village Historical Society William G. Pomeroy Foundation Scholarship Sponsored by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation for museum professionals working in a history-related NYS museum with an annual operating budget of $250,000 or less and who have not attended a MANY annual conference in the past. Scott R. Ferrara, Exhibits & Collections Coordinator at Three Village Historical Society Additional funding is offered by the New York State Council on the Arts to support Professional Development for emerging museum professionals. TVHS was awarded one of these grants and will be using some of the money towards the Museum Association of New York conference in April, as well as the Greater Hudson Heritage Network conference in October. NYSCA/CNY Arts Professional Development Grants The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) fosters and advances the full breadth of New York State’s arts, culture, and creativity for all. In partnership with CNY Arts, NYSCA offers professional development funding for eligible non-profit museums and museum service organizations in New York State that are open to the public. Kimberly Phyfe, Community Engagement Manager at Three Village Historical Society The 2024 Annual Conference “Giving Voice to Value” will be held in Albany from April 6 to 9 and features over 100 presenters in 25 concurrent sessions, pre-conference workshops, and capstone experiences discussing and sharing new ways to communicate the value of museums to stakeholders, funders, legislators, visitors, and communities. We are grateful for the continued support of our community partners, sponsors, donors, and members at TVHS. Congratulations to Mari, Scott, and Kimberly on your awards! To read more from MANY, see their announcement here: https://nysmuseums.org/MANYnews/13326851

By Scott R. Ferrara, MA RPA Collections and Exhibition Coordinator Three Village Historical Society You will not find a Wikipedia page about Blanche Dominick, and you’d be hard pressed to even see her mentioned in any regional or local histories. It seems that Blanche has all but been forgotten in the written texts of our community’s past. There are no known photographs of Blanche, and her life has all but been a mystery forgotten in time. However, Blanche’s life presents an interesting example of nineteenth century life in the Three Villages, and more so, provides an excellent example of how our personal objects and belongings take on a life of their own, long after we are gone. Today, several objects that once belonged to Blanche and her family survived the passage of time and are held in the Three Village Historical Society’s archival collections. In fact, many of the artifacts in our archives did not belong to great and historically prolific people but rather from individuals and families who lived humbly in our community’s distant past. This project was essentially an attempt to "re-humanize" a set of selected items in our archives. This project rediscovered just one of the people represented in our archival collection, Blanche Dominick, and attempted to understand who she was, long after the memory of her had expired. Blanche’s life is fascinating since, to those around her, she was a granddaughter, daughter, niece, and an aunt but [presumably] never chose to become a wife or a mother – something that would have been expected of a woman in the mid-nineteenth century. Investigating her life provides a fascinating micro-historical case study into women’s lives in nineteenth century Long Island. While some of her identified belongings have survived and have been catalogued, it was only recently that her name and story appeared on our radar. In 2022, the Three Village Historical Society broke ground on the construction of the Dominick-Crawford Education Center, known colloquially as “The Barn”. This project plans to use the reclaimed wood from the original nineteenth century Dominick-Crawford barn, that was moved from its original location in Old Field, by incorporating the barnwood into the structural and aesthetic design of the newly built education center. Discussions of this project have raised important questions as to the historical importance of the original structure and the lived experiences of the people who once relied on this barn for their livelihood. The historical society’s decision to reclaim this structure has given it new purpose and value to the greater Long Island community. Historically, the Dominick-Crawford barn draws its namesake from the first and last private owners of the barn structure. It is presumed that George Dominick built the barn in 1847 when he purchased the homestead property with his wife Sarah H. Dominick (née Floyd) (Table 1.). This project focuses on just one of the Dominicks’ daughters, Blanche Dominick – an individual seldom seen in the historical record but whose presence survives within the archives. Archival collections, genealogical data, and historical research have uncovered fascinating information about Blanche’s life. This research into her life may help us learn what life was like for a woman in nineteenth century Old Field. Table 1. Dominick Farm and Barn Deed History Unmarried Women in Nineteenth Century Rural New York Archival collections are important because historical research has not traditionally examined many demographics of people and archival materials can provide the necessary information to learn about disparate life experiences in the past. For example, the lives of women in the past were recorded only through their relationships with men, thereby relegating women to secondary roles in the historical record. It was very rare for a woman’s life to have been written about and this has complicated our present understandings and perceptions of the past. One unique fact about Blanche Dominick is that she remained unmarried throughout her life. This was uncommon in her time but certainly not unheard of (Table 2.). Most women in rural communities chose to marry because their married status was clearly defined in society [1]. Blanche’s marital status may help us learn more about the cultural factors that shaped her lived experiences and behavior. Table 2. Marital Status of the Female Population Fifteen Years Old and Older in New York State in 1855, 1865, and 1875. [2] Women in nineteenth century New York remained single for numerous reasons. Historian Nancy Grey Osterud [3] found that most women in rural New York married before they were 30 years old and that their decision to remain single relied on several voluntary or involuntary factors from courtship strategies to family obligations. For example, if a woman didn’t find any suitors that she found appealing then she could wait until someone better came along. If no desirable suitor came along (within her child-bearing age), the woman would be pressed into marrying someone not so desirable or possibly remain single indefinitely. Osterud [4] argues that nineteenth century women looked to their own family as an example, or rather that the relationships of her parents and family helped “shape women’s sense of what they could and should expect in a husband as well as their sense of what their lives would be like if they did not marry”. Blanche’s father certainly set a high standard for what Blanche and her sister Sarah should settle for. After all, a series of love letters between Blanche’s parents [5] still exists in the archival collection of the Long Island Museum. Blanche’s father, George, moved from his NYC life to become a rural farmer in his wife’s neighborhood and did not remarry after the passing of his wife (which was common during this period). Any suitor that came calling for Blanche or Sarah had best be worth their time. Even though Blanche never married, Sarah did; to a wealthy man named Edward Ridgeway [6]. Another possibility as to why Blanche never married may be due to family obligations. It was often the parents hope that one daughter would stay with the family as a sort of caretaker. Osterud argues that the last daughter to leave home would sometimes be labeled as “less marriageable” as a strategy to keep her home. Parents and siblings would conspire to keep one daughter at home to be the family mainstay and handle domestic and financial affairs of the parents. This system would provide the parents with someone to help with daily life and subsequently “provide their daughter the adult responsibilities she would have had if she were married”; and the social perception of adulthood that often accompanied those responsibilities [7]. Single women in the nineteenth century often did not have the social autonomy one would expect but rather would be expected to care for their elderly parents (or the young)- facing similar social responsibilities as that of wives and mothers.             Blanche was born in Old Field, New York on February 4th, 1845. Her family history provides us with an interesting look into her upbringing. Blanche’s matrilineal line is difficult to decipher. While we have the names of her female ancestors, we don’t have their stories- only those of male ancestors. There is little we know about the women in Blanche’s family tree outside of basic genealogical data - but with little information we can still learn something. For example, Blanche’s great grandmother was named Elizabeth Hutchinson and she most certainly lived a difficult life. Elizabeth was six months pregnant when her husband, Richard Floyd of Setauket, died on a trip to West Virginia in 1771. Elizabeth named her son Gilbert Floyd (Blanche’s grandfather). Unfortunately, Elizabeth died in 1778, when Gilbert was only seven years old. Over time, Gilbert became Captain Floyd, captain of the 266 ton, 14-gun, private armed vessel The Boyne [8]. Captain Gilbert Floyd married Sarah DeWitt and together had a daughter they named Sarah Hutchinson Floyd- likely to honor the memory of Gilbert’s mother (Elizabeth Hutchinson). Sarah Floyd (née DeWitt) tragically died in 1822, when her daughter Sarah H. was only three years old. Sarah H. (Blanche’s mother) would eventually marry George Dominick and take on the role of the ‘farmer’s wife’ until her death in 1870.             On Blanche's father’s side, her great grandfather Francois Dominique was born in La Rochelle, France in 1736, emigrated to the American colonies, and became a reputable lumbar merchant on Cherry Street in Manhattan around 1771 [9], later anglicizing his surname to Dominick. In 1762, he was registered as a volunteer firefighter in NYC [10]. Francois later had a son named Jacob Dominick in 1785 (Blanche’s grandfather). Jacob remained in the city and listed his occupation as “accountant”, according to court documents in 1819. Jacob’s son, George (Blanche’s father), was born on October 23rd, 1812. Eager to leave the city, George moved to Setauket at only 16 years old and was presumably living under the roof of Captain Gilbert Floyd –George would go on to marry Captain Floyd’s daughter, Sarah H. Floyd.             George and Sarah’s romance started as early as 1834 as indicated by a series of love letters written between the two, and later married each other the following year. Their first born was a son named Benjamin Floyd Dominick- named after George’s brother. Later, Blanche was born on February 4th, 1845. Lastly, Sarah was their youngest daughter. In 1846, the last will and testament of George’s father was executed, and George received his inheritance. He likely used this money to purchase the homestead in 1847 and, by 1850 , he became a farmer and proud owner of the newly formed Dominick farm in Old Field. The agricultural census data from the U.S. Census Non-Population Schedules of New York provides more insight into the daily life of Blanche and her family throughout her childhood.             On January 15th, 1870 Blanche’s mother died from dropsy, an old term for edema (or massive swelling of limbs). Likely ridden with grief and the reminder of his own mortality, George signed over the family homestead to his two daughters, Blanche and Sarah, in that same year of 1870. George’s brother Benjamin moved into the home sometime between 1865-1870, possibly to help with the farm duties. Then, on August 5th, 1876, George Dominick rejoined his wife. By 1880, Blanche and her sister Sarah were now owners of their childhood home, living with their uncle Benjamin who worked as a “boatman” (Figure 1.). In the 1880 census, Benjamin is listed as the “head of the household”. In this same census, young Sarah’s occupation was listed as “At Home” while Blanche’s occupation was listed as “Keeping House”. According to the handbook used by census takers in the 1880’s: “The term "house-keeper" will be reserved for such persons as receiving distinct wages or salary for the service. Women keeping house for their own families or for themselves, without any other gainful occupation, will be entered as “keeping house.'' Grown daughters assisting them will be reported without occupation.” [11] Even though Blanche and her sister were the legal owners of the home, it was socially required that the head of the household be a male. This practice ensured the household would maintain its perceived respectability within the community – a nineteenth century social norm that has fortunately been abandoned. [12] Blanche’s life came to an end three years later when she was only 38 years old. She had apparently been suffering from some unknown health condition and died during a surgical procedure in New York City [13]. Her brother, Benjamin Floyd Dominick, recorded in his family bible that Blanche died on November 4th, 1883, in “New York” (Figure 2. & 3.). Other death entries in this bible were recorded as happening in “Setauket”. This implies that Blanche had died in New York City [14]. This is confirmed by her obituary in the Port Jefferson Times published on November 10th, 1883, which reads: “Miss Blanche Dominick, an estimable young lady of Old Field, who has been au afflicted sufferer for several years past, died at a hospital in New York where she had been induced to go for surgical treatment. The funeral took place at Setauket where the deceased was brought for internment on Thursday last. Miss Dominick was held in high esteem by friends and acquaintances and her departure in early life caused mingled feelings of regret.” [15] Farm Life According to Census Data An analysis of agricultural data from the Dominick farm was gathered from state (non-population) census records from the years 1850, 1860, and 1870 [15]. These census recordings were taken every 10 years but only accounted for information of the preceding year. These data show the amount of agricultural goods produced in the preceding year, as well as cash value of the farm and livestock. An analysis of the Dominick farm was conducted by recording the Dominicks agricultural data and production and comparing these data to the average of the census page (their neighbors) ranging from 40-41 neighboring farms listed on a census page each enumeration year. Table 3. Production of Farm Crops on the Dominick Farm. [DF: Dominick Farm; A: Average of Census Page] Table 4. Production of Livestock and Livestock Products. [DF: Dominick Farm; A: Average of Census Page] These data indicate that the Dominick Farm was under-performing, or rather they were below the average when compared to the 40-41 farms in their area during each enumeration year. Regardless, the Dominicks had increasing profits decade-to-decade. The Dominick farm was not listed on the 1880 agricultural census indicating that the Dominick’s discontinued in this business and their homestead ceased being a productive farm. It is likely that after the loss of Sarah H. Dominick in 1870 and then George in 1876, their daughters Blanche and Sarah, along with George’s brother Benjamin, decided not to continue in the family business. After all, their uncle Benjamin’s occupation was a “boatman” (not “farmer”) according to the 1880 census and probably didn’t care much for farming. Also, the girls were probably not too thrilled to toil the fields and stables if their uncle wasn’t going to share his equal part of the farm duties. Rural women in nineteenth century New York often beared most of the laborious farm duties [17]-more so than their male counterparts. We might imagine the entire Dominick family assisting in the daily routine of toiling in fields of wheat, maize, oats, and potato. We could imagine a young Blanche milking one of the three milch cows or churning butter, of which the Dominick’s produced a whopping 200 lbs. in 1859. Blanche and her sister Sarah had suffered tragedy and change in the 1870’s and likely chose to rely on their inheritance and whatever support their uncle may have provided instead of rushing back to the fields. Blanche and the Artist Figure 7. Transcribed correspondence between William Sidney Mount and Mrs. Elizabeth Spinola. A facsimile of this letter is in the TVHS collection. Blanche is mentioned in a letter between genre artist William Sidney Mount (1807-1868) and Mrs. Elizabeth Nancy Spinola (née Glazebrook), the wife of General Francis Spinola [18] (1821-1891). In the letter (Figure 7.), Mount remarks that “It would be gratifying to see Miss. Blanch E. Dommique surrounded by much brilliancy and pictorial effect”. The Dominick’s were neighbors to the Spinolas (Figure 8.) in Old Field and would have known each other well. The Spinola’s owned much of the area known as Crane’s Neck in Old Field and while the couple died childless [19], it appears they had some personal relationship with Blanche. Interestingly, Mount refers to Blanche using the last name Dommique or Dominique – the French spelling of her surname used by her family in the early eighteenth century; before anglicized by her great grandfather. Blanche may have culturally identified with her French ancestry and appreciated the gesture of the original French spelling of her surname. Interestingly, one of her surviving personal belongings is a French language textbook (Figure 9.). Mount’s decision to spell her surname in this way may possibly infer a more familiar relationship between William Sidney Mount and Blanche Dominick than has previously been explored. Later, Mount jotted down in his personal diary: “Dec 21st [1866] 6 degrees above zero- wind east. This evening, Presentation of Veteran’s Medal to General Spinola by the City of Brooklyn. Mrs. General Spinola at home, Friday evening Dec 21st at 8 o’clock- 3 Livingstone Place, New York. Blanche E. Dominique. It speaks meritoriously for the General to be so honored at his own home” [20] Mount only jots down Blanches name with no context, as if practicing what to write in the letter to Mrs. Spinola. Nevertheless, his variation in spelling Blanche’s surname between the two documents suggest an intentional decision to use the French version of Dominick. At this time, Mount was 59 years old, and Blanche was 21 years old – both died unmarried. Mount’s motivations for writing this, as well as the nature of his relationship with Blanche may forever be a mystery. The Legacy of Blanche Dominick Blanche’s life is a testament to the legacies of mortality. Although we may never truly know who she was, her memory remains through the objects she owned, altered, and left behind. This historical exercise attempted to uncover the life of an individual who might never have been remembered otherwise. Frankly, our archives are important; whether we want to learn more about the most famous Three Village residents or if we simply want to know about the life of a Victorian Era farmer’s daughter. The TVHS archives are a vital community resource that has helped researchers answer questions anywhere from their own family genealogies to understanding global systems throughout the past. Blanche Dominick may not have been historically prolific but the mark she left behind helps us understand what life was like in the distant, and often forgotten, past. The objects she once used such as barn equipment found in the Dominick barn to a French language book helps us piece together who she was as a young woman living in Old Field. Further, it had been reported in past decades that a windowpane in her family home still bares the carving “Blanche Dominick” that she had presumably etched in the glass when she lived there. This windowpane etching is quite profound when considering the details of her life. She might have carved this as a young child practicing her name, or while starring out the window pondering her life her future, or maybe to stay connected to her childhood home after the passing of her parents. Quite frankly, we may never know her motivations for making the inscription but the fact it had been noted by the Historical Society and remarked on allows us to see and remember her regardless. On January 6th, 2024, the Dominick house, now a private residence, caught fire and was quickly responded to by a joint effort between the Setauket and Port Jefferson Fire Departments. The extent of damages to this historic home and the condition of Blanche Dominick’s inscription is currently unknown. However, this sobering example shows how delicate the historical resources are in the community and how important their preservation is. The historical and cultural resources of the Three Village area help to shape our heritage and memory of the past. So, what happens after we pass away? What memory of us will survive after the last person who knew us fades away. Blanche Dominick’s life is a testament to our purpose as an historical society. That our memory will not only survive but be safe-guarded, and help others learn about what life was like in our respective times. Everyone’s story matters and there is something to learn from everyone’s life. Even when the last person to remember us passes away, you too may live on in the archives of the Three Village Historical Society. Notes [1] Nancy Grey Osterud, Bond of Community (1991), 123. [2] Data from Vinovskis “Marriage Patterns in Mid-Nineteenth-Century New York State” Journal of Family History 3, no.1 (1978), 53. [3] Nancy Grey Osterud, Bond of Community (1991), 123. [4] Ibid,124. [5] These love letters date from 1834-1856; starting a year before George and Sarah Dominick were married. [6] Despite Edwards fortune, he still agreed to move into Sarah’s childhood home-maintaining the Dominick property. [7] Ibid. [8] Information from US Office of Naval Records and Library. [9] Lyman Horace Weeks, Prominent Families of New York, (1898), 185. [10] J. Frank Kernan, Reminiscences of the Old Fire Laddies (1885), 886. [11] See “Appendix A. Instructions to Enumerators Concerning the Return of Occupations at the Censuses of 1870, 1880, 1890, and 1900”. Statistics of Occupations. Pg. ccxlviii. [12] According to a recent research survey, in 2022 single women were more likely to be home owners than single men. Pew Research Center. [13] Perhaps related to her family medical history- as dropsy had afflicted her mother who died at 51 years old. [14] The Benjamin Floyd Dominick Family Bible is in the TVHS collections. [15] Port Jefferson Times Obituary, 10 Nov 1883. [16] Census data retrieved from Ancestry.com [17] Nancy Grey Osterud, Bond of Community (1991), 142. [18] General Francis Spinola was the first Italian American to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. [19] Arthur L. Douglas Jr., A Short History of Crane Neck (1979), 11. [20] Alfred Frankenstein, William Sidney Mount (1975), 43. References: Douglas Jr., Arthur L. 1979. A Short History of Crane Neck and the Crane Neck Association. The Crane Neck Association, Inc. Old Field, New York. Photocopy on file at the Three Village Historical Society archive- Genealogical collection. Frankenstein, Alfred. 1975. William Sidney Mount. Abrams. New York, New York. Kernan, J. Frank. 1885. Reminiscences of the Old Fire Laddies and Volunteer Fire Departments of New York and Brooklyn. M. Crane Publisher. New York, New York. Osterud, Nancy Grey. 1991. Bond of Community: The Lives of Farm Women in Nineteenth Century New York. Cornell University Press. Ithaca, New York. U.S. Office of Naval Records and Library. 1935. Naval Documents related to the Quasi-War between The United States and France: Naval operations from November 1798 to March 1799. United States Government Printing Office. Washington, D.C. Vinovskis, M.A. 1978. Marriage Patterns in Mid-Nineteenth-Century New York State: a Multivariate Analysis. Journal of Family History 3(1):51-61. Wall, Diana Dizerega. 1999. Examining Gender, Class, and Ethnicity in Nineteenth-Century New York City. Historical Archaeology 33(1):102-117. Weeks, Lyman Horace. 1898. Prominent Families of New York. The Historical Company. New York, New York.

The Education Department officially kicked off field trip season for 2024! Three Village Historical Society welcomed 40 fourth grade students from Sayville into our Museum last week. Lead by our Education Coordinator, Lindsey Steward-Goldberg, the students participated in our combination walking and exhibit tour program to learn about the Culper Spy Ring. The two classes switched off locations with one class began on the walking tour and the second class started in the exhibit. Students participated in the walking tour portion of the program with our volunteer docent & history enthusiast, Rob von Bernewitz. Rob led students around part of the original settlement of the Town of Brookhaven to share real locations of history. One of the sites they visited was the final resting place of Abraham Woodhull, leader of the Culper Spy Ring. He is buried at Setauket Presbyterian Church and his grave is one of the most popular tourist attractions for anyone celebrating our Revolutionary past. Students also visited the Village Green and Patriot’s Rock where the Battle of Setauket took place. The final stop on the tour was Brookhaven's oldest continuously operating church circa 1723: Caroline Episcopal Church. There, they entered the carriage shed to learn about the one-room schoolhouse where members of the Culper Spy Ring attended school. Meanwhile at Three Village Historical Society, students were inside our exhibit Spies! How a Group of Long Island Patriots Helped George Washington Win the Revolution. Docent Clementine Kolodzinski engaged students in our hands-on learning experiences, such as learning how to write in invisible ink using quill pens. They got to decode a secret letter that was written in Benjamin Tallmadge’s Code. There was also time to learn how to decode a sentence written in a different method of code, Austin Roe’s Reverse Code. After the students finished these learning experiences, they had an opportunity to see the exhibit and learn more about the Culper Spy Ring. Within the exhibit, students and teachers saw the latest addition to our exhibit: books that once belonged to Abraham Woodhull (alias Samuel Culper) and his family. Teachers and students enjoyed their visit at Three Village Historical Society. One of the teachers said, “We had a great day! My students enjoyed the invisible ink.” They also added that the area for the walking tour was beautiful. To book your field trip, walking tour, or in school program with Three Village Historical Society, contact Lindsey Steward-Goldberg at 631-751-3730 or email lindsey@tvhs.org

There is no doubt that Long Island played a major role in the success of the American Revolution. In fact, Setauket was home to numerous individuals who comprised a network of clandestine intelligence operatives known as the Culper Spy Ring. One of those Setauket spies was Abraham Woodhull (1750-1826). Woodhull, known for his alias Samuel Culper Sr., resided in British-Occupied Setauket during the war and used invisible ink to send encoded messages of enemy troop movement to General George Washington. Unfortunately, there are few artifacts and belongings of Woodhull’s which survived, both through the passage of time as well as the 1931 fire that razed his former home. On July 26th, 2023, the Three Village Historical Society (TVHS) acquired two books at auction that belonged to the Woodhull family, one of the books bearing Abraham Woodhull’s signature. These books hold promise as a cultural resource for the community, and for their research potential of Three Village history and the history of our nation. The society welcomes researchers who wish to study these historical objects further. The Three Village Historical Society is currently exhibiting the Woodhull books for a limited time. These books can be viewed at TVHS headquarters located at 93 N Country Rd, East Setauket NY Thursday, Saturday, Sunday 12 – 4 pm Friday 2 – 6 pm during our weekly Farmers Market Admission to SPIES! How a group of Long Island Patriots helped George Washington win the Revolution $5 Children & Students $10 Adults Free for Members​ Write Up courtesy of Scott Ferrara, Exhibits & Collections Coordinator Photographs courtesy of Kimberly Phyfe, Development Coordinator Acknowledgments: Acquisition of these historical items would not have been possible without the combined efforts of the Three Village Historical Society’s Staff and Trustees. Specifically, the Collections Committee comprised of Christina Tortora Ph.D., Brian Bennett and Judi Wallace, as well as Brookhaven Town Historian Barbara Russell, Three Village Historian Bev Tyler, the Society’s director Mari Irizarry, and President of the Board of Trustees, Jeff Schnee.

The 9th annual Culper Spy Day will take place on Saturday, September 9th, 2023 in Setauket Culper Spy Day is in its 9th year and a treasure of the Three Village community. The American Revolution was swayed through a series of intelligence gathering by brave residents believing our country was a cause worth fighting for. Local Long Islanders passed information on to George Washington through cunning spycraft, codes, and couriers. Culper Spy Day is a celebration of their legacy and loyalty. Guests at Culper Spy Day can expect to learn about American Revolutionary history in their own backyard! The hometown heroes who risked their lives and turned the tide of the war lived here on Long Island, working with George Washington right under the noses of their British neighbors. Through re-enactors, storytellers, demonstrations, and self-guided & docent-led tours, visitors at Culper Spy Day will enjoy information and inspiration at all of our historic sites. The TVHS grounds will transport you back to early life on Long Island. Visitors will have a chance to walk with and speak to patriots and loyalists, and to hear from them what life may have been like for them during the 18th century on Long Island. We are also hosting organizations and authors who each have a unique part of the Revolutionary story to tell. At the Three Village Historical Society, our mission is to preserve our shared history. The Culper Spy Ring is an essential part of how we won the Revolutionary War and became a country - that’s a history we can ALL share! Culper Spy Day is a celebration like no other, and we love seeing history come to life year after year. Culper Spy Day is presented by the Three Village Historical Society and Tri-Spy Tours. Made possible by the generosity of our title sponsor, Heritage Spy Ring Golf Club. The event is free and open to the public. Fees and / or timed ticketing may apply for certain activities. Rain date is Sunday, September 10th. A full schedule of events can be found online at www.tvhs.org/culper-spy-day

It's the event that every history buff waits for, coming together to celebrate our Revolutionary roots! The Three Village area is full of hidden intrigue and stories of how America’s first spy ring secretly provided General George Washington with the information he needed to turn the tide of the American Revolution. Activities on the grounds of TVHS 10am - 4 pm and at participating sites around the Three Village area On Culper Spy Day, you will have the chance to visit the places where history was made and learn about the patriots who risked their lives. A collaboration of more than 30 historical and cultural organizations - from Montauk to Manhattan - will gather in the Three Village area for an activity-filled day that will highlight the amazing history behind George Washington’s Culper Spy Ring. Activities throughout the day will include both self-guided and docent-led tours of historic homes & sites. There will be Revolutionary War Encampments, colonial cooking demonstrations, musical performances, mobile exhibits, and re-enactors on the rebel and loyalist sides! Walking through history Culper Spy Day is presented by the Three Village Historical Society and Tri-Spy Tours. Made possible by the generosity of our title sponsor, Heritage Spy Ring Golf Club. The event is free and open to the public. Fees and / or timed ticketing may apply for certain activities. Rain date is Sunday, September 10th. A full schedule of events can be found online at www.tvhs.org/culper-spy-day

TVHS gives a sneak peek of the barn build during the first FRIENDraiser June 28th, 2023 Construction has finally started on the new Dominick-Crawford Barn History & Education Center and is moving right along! We have seen tremendous progress in the last month with the site being dug out, the foundation outline being poured, the framing going up, and walls just started! The first guests of the hard hat tour during the FRIENDraiser Hard Hat Tours Highlights of the tour are where the beautiful barn doors and windows are going, our dream for the elevated gift shop and book store experience, the much-needed storage use for the second floor, installation of future exhibits, and how our two new restrooms will be ADA compliant and accessible. There will also be a paved patio area, historic inspired gardens, and an outdoor classroom to enjoy. Open to all Perhaps the most exciting part of the barn is its open space and versatility! We plan to host workshops, lectures, and educational programs for learners of all ages. It will also be the center for events for our society, and provide an indoor option in case of inclement weather. And boy did we have some inclement weather! In the end, the sun shined for our supportive friends to come get up close and personal with our barn build! Guests were treated to small group hard hat tours of the building by Board President Jeff Schnee, along with Steve Englebright who began this project with us many years ago, and Tom Schietinger the barn's contractor from Improvements by Design. To learn more about the Dominick-Crawford Barn or to make a gift, please visit tvhs.org/buildthebarn

Welcome to the 9th season of the Three Village Farmers Market. As we gear up for Opening Day at the Farmer’s Market, Three Village Historical Society is proud to announce that we will be managing the market on our property. ​ TVHS succeeds Linda Johnson, who has faithfully served as the market’s manager for the past 8 years. TVHS looks forward to stepping into our new role and continuing to grow this local treasure in the heart of the Three Village community. As market manager, TVHS will oversee the market’s week-to-week operations to ensure everything runs smoothly for shoppers and vendors alike. We will also stay up to date on the legal requirements for farmers’ markets to ensure the Three Village Farmers Market remains in compliance. As our market offers wonderful exposure to the neighborhood, we look forward to partnering with more non-profits, community-based organizations, educators, and entertainers each Friday. To that end, TVHS welcomes anyone curious about joining the market to contact us by emailing market@tvhs.org or following the market on Facebook and Instagram. ​ A unique opportunity on Friday evenings, the Three Village Farmers Market will take place each week from May 26 through September 1 from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. From September 8 - October 27, the time changes from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Regardless of the weather, we are excited to offer a variety of vendors selling farm fresh produce, artisanal bread & cheese, freshly brewed coffee & tea, local honey, nuts & spices, jams & jellies, baked treats, hand crafted goods, prepared foods, and so much more. Each week will feature special surprises to delight children & adults of all ages! TVHS is excited to offer free hands-on activities for our littlest learners each week at our education table. We will also be giving free tours of the Bayles-Swezey House circa 1805 featuring our two current exhibits Spies! and Chicken Hill: A Community Lost To Time. With the start of this year’s Three Village Farmers Market, TVHS Director Mari Irizarry feels excited to start our time as the market’s management. “We look forward to welcoming the community to our grounds week after week,” she said. With the continued support of the community and sponsors like Apple Bank, Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich, and Miller Mohr & Kelly Design Group, she knows that the market’s 9th year will stand out as a great one. ​ Opening day of the Three Village Farmers Market is Friday, May 26th from 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. on the grounds of the Three Village Historical Society at 93 N. Country Road in Setauket, NY.

The Three Village Historical Society is pleased to announce the appointment of Scott Ferrara as Collections and Exhibits Coordinator. Mr. Ferrara is a Registered Professional Archaeologist with a master’s degree in public archaeology from Binghamton University (SUNY). Currently, he is pursuing his doctoral degree in Anthropological Archaeology at The Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY) and currently also teaches archaeology at Queens College as a Graduate Teaching Fellow. He has excavated sites in Central America, Israel, New York, and New Jersey. He is the author of Accused of Witchcraft in New York, a public history book that compiles the biographies of New Yorkers accused of Witchcraft in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries including Setauket’s own Mary and Ralph Hall in 1664. He is also a U.S. Marine infantry veteran having served two combat deployments to Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. Scott is enthusiastic about managing the archival collections of the Three Village Historical Society, providing more accessibility to information, and fostering new and creative relationships with the Three Village community as well as partners in the New York cultural heritage resource network. “Scott Ferrara has had meaningful impact on archival research, exhibitions and community engagement since joining the TVHS team earlier this year,” said Director Mari Irizarry. “His experience, creativity and enthusiasm equip him well to manage the TVHS collections as it continues to grow and thrive as one of the premier historical societies in the region."

Three Village Historical Society has a new Little Free Library, thanks to Eagle Scout candidate Connor Klug of Troop 1776, a Mount Sinai resident and senior at Mount Sinai High School. Like all Scouts aiming to earn the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America program, 17-year-old Klug needed to complete a service project. When it came time to choose one, he thought immediately of his love of history and knew that TVHS was extremely active within the community. Klug got the ball rolling on his project last fall, when he contacted TVHS director Mari Irizarry. She suggested the community could use a Little Free Library like the ones at West Meadow Beach and along Main Street at Three Village Community Trust HQ. “We welcome hundreds of guests to our property each month for events and exhibit tours. The response I’ve heard on social media about Connor’s library has been overwhelmingly positive,” Irizarry said. “The addition of the Little Free Library adds great value to our community, and a special touch to the Society.” Once Klug got the OK from TVHS, he began the six-month long process of designing the library to look like the Bayles-Swezey house, all the while being mindful of durability and weather proofing. Klug then hit the streets asking for materials to be donated for the project with an approximate cost of $500. He certainly had help to complete the project from family, friends, and Troop 1776. “I learned that being a leader isn’t all about telling people what to do. You need to be confident, moral, and decisive, especially when things don’t go as planned” said Klug. The public is invited to drop off books about history-related topics to be included in the library — and is free to take ones too. The Three Village Historical Society is located at 93 N. Country Road in Setauket, NY.

The Three Village Historical Society is pleased to announce the appointment of Lindsey Steward-Goldberg as Education Coordinator. Ms. Steward-Goldberg comes to the Historical Society with a Master of Arts degree in Public History from Central Connecticut State University. Her experience in connecting multiple audiences to an organization’s resources and values comes from her work at a number of institutions that vary in size, audience and resources. Further, her background in history and education will be pivotal in developing more varied public programs that encourage a wider audience to appreciate local history. Steward-Goldberg is no stranger to museum education. She is the creator and author of Looking Back, Moving Forward in Museum Education a blog that researches and discusses future trends in museum education. Before volunteering with the society’s education committee in 2017, Ms. Steward-Goldberg gained experience as an educator and interpreter at museums across Connecticut and Long Island, preparing her well to enhance the docent program at the Three Village Historical Society. Her experience at these small non-profit institutions has given her the basis for a solid understanding of the wide-ranging needs at TVHS. "I am looking forward to continuing my work with TVHS as we share our educational opportunities with the public. I hope our programs continue to grow and expand to fit the needs of our community" said Ms. Steward-Goldberg. While the society has faced changes over the years, Mari Irizarry, the Society Director, expressed assurance that Steward-Goldberg’s tenure will only help the society continue to make its mark on the minds of learners of all ages. “With Lindsey’s energy and enthusiasm, I’m confident that she will build upon the Society’s accomplishments by expanding our educational footprint throughout Long Island and beyond and inspiring young children’s inquisitive spirits and the communities lifelong love and interest of history and learning,” Irizarry said.