Chris Kretz

Chris Kretz produces and co-hosts the Long Island History Project. He is the Head of Stony Brook University's Southampton campus library and the co-author of Oakdale from Arcadia Press.

Synagogues of Long Island (Podcast)

July 29, 2020 by Chris Kretz Leave a Comment

Brad Kolodny started with some curiosity and an Instagram account but wound up with a coffee table book full of his images documenting synagogues from every corner of Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

He tracked the evolution of the architecture, from simple buildings to post-modern masterpieces, as well as the growth of the Jewish community on Long Island itself. The post-Second World War boom led to a boom in synagogues as well.

On this episode of the Long Island History Project podcast, we discuss the history of Long Island synagogues, the role they play in their communities, and what drives a man to document their storied histories. [Read more…] about Synagogues of Long Island (Podcast)

Long Island Preservation Award Winner Interviews (Podcasts)

June 26, 2020 by Chris Kretz Leave a Comment

The Long Island History Project, in collaboration with Preservation Long Island, hosted a week-long awards ceremony highlighting their 2020 Preservation Award winners.

The five interviews cover projects including 19th century sawmills and Gilded Age mansions, ranging from Seacliff on the North Shore to Oak Beach on the Atlantic. [Read more…] about Long Island Preservation Award Winner Interviews (Podcasts)

NY Almanack’s John Warren Featured On Podcast

June 5, 2020 by Chris Kretz Leave a Comment

On the latest episode of the Long Island History Project, we discuss the wider world of New York State history with John Warren, founder and editor of New York Almanack (formerly the New York State History Blog). He shares his experiences working in the history field as a documentarian, author, and public proponent for learning more about our state’s past. [Read more…] about NY Almanack’s John Warren Featured On Podcast

Old NYS Newspapers Online (Podcast)

May 29, 2020 by Chris Kretz 1 Comment

The NYS Historic Newspapers site provides access to over 10 million pages of content published in local papers over the last two hundred years. If newspapers are the first draft of history, this is the mother of all manuscripts, filled with stories and people from every corner of New York state. [Read more…] about Old NYS Newspapers Online (Podcast)

Capturing the Life in the Historic House (Podcast)

May 22, 2020 by Chris Kretz Leave a Comment

Home isolation does not mean we can’t experience that thrill of curiosity and discovery that comes with a visit to an historic house.

Kendra Gaylord, creator and host of the Someone Lived Here podcast, does just that. From Steepletop in Austerlitz, New York, to Sailors’ Snug Harbor in Staten Island, each episode weaves an on-site visit with the story of who lived there. On our latest episode, you’ll hear why Kendra created the series, how she does it, and who had the best gift shop. [Read more…] about Capturing the Life in the Historic House (Podcast)

Gruesome, Lucrative: Long Island Whaling History (Podcast)

May 8, 2020 by Chris Kretz Leave a Comment

On this episode of the Long Island History Project, we speak with Brenna McCormick-Thompson, coordinator of the Whaling Museum and Education Center in Cold Spring Harbor. You’ll hear how she works to tell the story of Long Island whaling through objects, historical records, and even the streets of Cold Spring Harbor itself. [Read more…] about Gruesome, Lucrative: Long Island Whaling History (Podcast)

Long Island Project: Setauket’s Deeper History

January 31, 2020 by Chris Kretz 2 Comments

There is more to Setauket, Long Island than the story of the Culper Spy Ring. The deeper story, which includes the original Setalcott inhabitants and generations of African Americans, does not often show up in the historical record.

On the latest episode of The Long Island History Project, we speak with anthropologist Christopner Matthews about how archaeology can help bring this neglected past to life. [Read more…] about Long Island Project: Setauket’s Deeper History

Fire Island: Long Island History Project’s 100th Podcast

December 27, 2019 by Chris Kretz Leave a Comment

Fire Island is more than a barrier beach. Over the years, this ever-changing stretch of sand between Long Island and the Atlantic Ocean has been a haven, a hunting ground, a retreat, and a source of endless fascination.

Fire Island is also the theme of our 100th episode of the Long Island History Project. [Read more…] about Fire Island: Long Island History Project’s 100th Podcast

Long Island’s Brown Brothers Pottery Podcast

December 22, 2019 by Chris Kretz 1 Comment

Pottery was once an important economic driver on Long Island, with readily available clay along the North Shore providing the basis for a profitable industry.

Local collector Mark Smith has made a particular study of one such concern, a business in Huntington that spanned most of the 19th century and into the 20th.

In this episode of The Long Island History Project, Mark relays the history of Brown Brothers (and their Huntington successors and predecesors) using his private collection of pottery as illustration. [Read more…] about Long Island’s Brown Brothers Pottery Podcast

A Long Island History of Alcohol

November 26, 2019 by Chris Kretz 1 Comment

Long Island has a long and complicated history with alcohol stretching back to the first Dutch settlers. From early distilleries and breweries on the western end of the Island to the emergence of temeperance societies in Sag Harbor, alcohol has played a continuing role in the life of the people.

The culmination came in 1920 when Prohibition went into effect. For the next thirteen years, the manufacture, sale and distribution of intoxicating liquours was probibited. Until Prohibition was repealed in 1933, Long Island was in for a wild time as rum runners vied with the coast guard, police raided speakeasies, and every person had to decide for themselves how they would handle the challenges and opportunities that arose. [Read more…] about A Long Island History of Alcohol