The National Park Service (NPS) has released findings and a follow-up corrective action plan for the December 2018 visitor center fire at Sagamore Hill National Historic Site in Oyster Bay, NY. The loss of the visitor center impacted the staff and operations at the park, as the building housed many aspects of park operations including staff, historic house tour ticket sales and a bookstore.
The NPS investigation into the cause of the fire was inconclusive, however they concluded that there did not appear to be any indications that it was intentionally caused. Several accidental causes of the fire were considered, including furnace malfunction, original equipment installation issues and storage practices. The report says the building had a monitored fire detection and alarm system and portable fire extinguishers and Park leadership and staff followed applicable NPS structural fire policies. [Read more…] about Sagamore Hill Fire Findings Released By Park Service
Native women in nineteenth century Long Island communities integrated work into the daily rhythms of their home. These women persisted – and in some cases, thrived – in the face of severe challenges and tragic conditions. They grew crops in gardens, raised chickens, took in washing, did reproductive labor, kept boarders, and performed vital cultural work.
Michael T. Keene’s new book New York City’s Hart Island: A Cemetery of Strangers takes a look at Hart Island, where more than one million bodies are buried in unmarked graves, just off the coast of the Bronx in Long Island Sound.
The Oyster Bay Historical Society has announced a staged reading of “Salt Water People” by American Lore Theater has been set for Sunday, November 3rd, at 2 pm. This event is part of the Waterfront Heroes exhibit, celebrating those who preserve New York’s maritime heritage.
The new book Cove Neck: Oyster Bay’s Historic Enclave (The History Press, 2019) by John E. Hammond and Elizabeth E. Roosevelt, looks at the village of Cove Neck in Long Island.
The Theodore Roosevelt Institute’s Centenary Conference, where nationally recognized experts and scholars will discuss how Roosevelt’s diplomacy, foreign policy and reformism address current geopolitical issues, has been set for October 27th, through 30th, at the Long Island University.
The history of the Rogers Mansion in 
Brad Kolodny’s new book Seeking Sanctuary: 125 Years of Synagogues on Long Island (Segula Publishing, 2019) provides an history, inventory, and photo archive of every synagogue, past and present, in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. 
The Long Island history community recently lost an important member: Gene Horton, historian of Blue Point in the town of Brookhaven. His dedication to local history and his skill in making it accessible and entertaining to others knew no bounds.