Edgewood Oak Brush Plains State Forest is an 813-acre property with unique paths to explore the natural beauty and history of the Long Island property, which formerly housed Edgewood State Hospital (later Mason General Hospital), a World War Two-era psychiatric facility commandeered by the War Department to treat soldiers experiencing battle trauma and PTSD. [Read more…] about Former Mental Hospital, Now An Oak Brush Plains
Huntington
David Maltbie: The ‘Other’ Nathan Hale
The story of Nathan Hale is a foundational myth of the American Revolution: an earnest but inexperienced patriot takes on the role of spy and unfortunately ends up a martyr to the cause.
Hale was identified by Major Robert Rogers, who pretended to be a fellow patriot, got him to reveal his mission over a drink before arresting him. When searched, British forces found hidden notes and military drawings. Under the laws of war, captured spies were not granted military trials or treated as prisoners of war. [Read more…] about David Maltbie: The ‘Other’ Nathan Hale
The 1970s on Long Island Experience
If you lived through the 1970s, you know the decade was about more than orange shag carpets, platform shoes, avocado-colored walls, oversized Detroit-made “land yachts” and spinning Saturday Night Fever or Grease on vinyl. The completion of the Long Island Expressway was followed by the 1973 OPEC Oil Embargo; the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 became the 1776 Bicentennial – the period was layered and complex.
Across Long Island, social, political, and demographic shifts fueled cultural and artistic innovation, even as new questions and vulnerabilities emerged. [Read more…] about The 1970s on Long Island Experience
Food History: Long Island’s Pickle Kings
Consider the pickle. Whether sour or sweet, sliced or speared, it’s a seasoned veteran vegetable with a story to tell. New York City plays a big part in that tale, as does Long Island.
The latest Long Island History Project podcast reaches deep into the barrel of food history and talks with Paul van Ravestein, co-author along with Monique Mulder of The Pickled City: The Story of New York Pickles (Princeton Architectural Press, 2026). [Read more…] about Food History: Long Island’s Pickle Kings
Wildlife & History: Target Rock National Wildlife Refuge
A highly popular shore fishing destination, Target Rock is just one of five properties that form the Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex. It also has an interesting history.
Located on Lloyd’s Neck in Long Island Sound 25 miles east of New York City, the land was originally maintained as a garden estate by the Eberstadt family who donated it in 1967 to establish a sanctuary for migratory birds. [Read more…] about Wildlife & History: Target Rock National Wildlife Refuge
2024 Awards for Preservation Excellence on Long Island Announced
Preservation Long Island, a regional nonprofit that works with communities throughout Long Island to protect and celebrate historic places, is thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2024 Awards for Preservation Excellence.
The awardees will be honored at an awards ceremony and reception on January 25, 2025 in Cold Spring Harbor. [Read more…] about 2024 Awards for Preservation Excellence on Long Island Announced
National Wildlife Refuges in New York State: A Guide
The National Wildlife Refuge System began on March 14, 1904, when President Theodore Roosevelt established the Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Since then the system has expanded to include more than 570 different refuges. There are 13 National Wildlife Refuges in New York State: two in Western New York, two in the Lower Hudson Valley/Catskills region, and nine on Long Island. [Read more…] about National Wildlife Refuges in New York State: A Guide
Long Island History Project: The Howard School in Kings Park
In this episode of the Long Island History Project podcast Dr. Tammy C. Owens of Skidmore College joins to discuss her 2019 article “Fugitive Literati: Black Girls’ Writing as a Tool of Kinship and Power at the Howard School.” [Read more…] about Long Island History Project: The Howard School in Kings Park
Long Island’s Endangered Historic Places Podcast
Every other year, Preservation Long Island compiles a list of historic places on Long Island that are endangered.
Each list is a mix of structures from different periods of time, each with its own history and own preservation challenges yet all worthy of preserving for future generations. [Read more…] about Long Island’s Endangered Historic Places Podcast
Long Island Endangered Historic Places List for 2023
Long Island properties in Brentwood, Huntington, Kings Park, North Hempstead, Oyster Bay, Riverhead, and Smithtown are included in Preservation Long Island’s biennial list of Endangered Historic Places.
Preservation Long Island’s 2023 Endangered Historic Places List features seven nominated sites that span Long Island from a lighthouse on the Sound off Kings Point, to an early power plant in Riverhead. From historic homesteads to an expansive former mental health campus, the latest list highlights the historical richness of the region. [Read more…] about Long Island Endangered Historic Places List for 2023
New York State Library Announces Grants to Preserve Library Research Materials
The New York State Library recently announced the 2023-2024 Conservation/Preservation Discretionary Grant Program awards to preserve deteriorating library research materials. [Read more…] about New York State Library Announces Grants to Preserve Library Research Materials
Art of Edward Lange Project Launched With Website, Events
![Edward Lange, [Northport, Lower Main Street], 1880 from the Collection of Preservation Long Island](https://www.newyorkalmanack.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Edward-Lange-Northport-Lower-Main-Street-1880-from-the-Collection-of-Preservation-Long-Island-scaled.jpg)
Preservation Long Island has announced the Art of Edward Lange Project, a collaborative effort to reexamine the life and art of Edward Lange (1846–1912), a German immigrant and prolific landscape painter who worked in and around Huntington, Long Island during the 1870s and 1880s. Lange sketched and painted town centers, local businesses, and private residences. [Read more…] about Art of Edward Lange Project Launched With Website, Events
Heckscher Museum of Art Appoints New Executive Director
The Board of Trustees of The Heckscher Museum of Art in Huntington, on Long Island, has appointed Heather Arnet as the organization’s Executive Director and CEO. [Read more…] about Heckscher Museum of Art Appoints New Executive Director
Historic John Coltrane Home Gets $1M Grant
The John and Alice Coltrane Home in the Dix Hills neighborhood of Huntington, on Long Island, NY, was awarded a million dollar grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support the preservation of the house, enhance organizational capacity, and expand programmatic offerings.
The multi-year grant is expected to be used to support rehabilitation of the home where great works of twentieth-century music were created, and to hire a full-time executive director to lead the project. The home is where jazz saxophonist John Coltrane lived from 1964 until his death in 1967 and in which he composed A Love Supreme. [Read more…] about Historic John Coltrane Home Gets $1M Grant