New York pine barrens are unique woodland communities made up of pitch pine, scrub oak, and grassy areas. Blueberries and ferns blanket the ground. Dozens of threatened or endangered creatures prefer this vegetation, making this rare community their home. [Read more…] about Exploring Rare New York Pine Barrens
Southampton
Matthias Hildreth: First Attorney General to Serve Separate Terms
Very little is known about Matthias Bernard Hildreth, who holds the distinction of being the first person to serve as Attorney General of New York in two separate terms.
Serving as the 9th Attorney General from 1808 to 1810, he worked during a period when New York was under Governor George Clinton’s leadership and the United States was edging toward the War of 1812. [Read more…] about Matthias Hildreth: First Attorney General to Serve Separate Terms
Long Island, Legal History, and Pierson v Post
When Jessie Pierson and Lodowick Post argued over a fox in early 19th century Southampton, on Long Island, NY, they probably didn’t think the resulting court case would echo down the ages.
Yet here we are 220 years later talking with legal historian Angela Fernandez about the odd, improbable history of Pierson v Post. [Read more…] about Long Island, Legal History, and Pierson v Post
Conservation Officers Charge Several Wildlife Poachers
A Schoharie County man is facing several charges for illegally hunting a black bear in the town of Fulton, one of several men accused of poaching New York State wildlife recently. [Read more…] about Conservation Officers Charge Several Wildlife Poachers
Black Librarians & America’s Battles Over Books
In 1727, Benjamin Franklin and friends formed the Junto Club (from the Spanish junta or assembly) in Philadelphia, a debating society that probed questions of morality, politics and philosophy. The group was composed of twelve members drawn from diverse backgrounds, but they all shared a spirit of inquiry and a desire to improve society.
Access to books was limited at the time. Most of them were imported and expensive. There were no public libraries. [Read more…] about Black Librarians & America’s Battles Over Books
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
Grey Seal at JFK Airport, Harp Seal Among Several Recently Rescued
New York State Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) recently took part in rescuing a grey seal from John F. Kennedy Airport in Queens, a harp seal on Staten Island, and another at Shinnecock Bay in Suffolk County on Long Island. [Read more…] about Grey Seal at JFK Airport, Harp Seal Among Several Recently Rescued
The Our Hamptons Podcast
Your idea of the Hamptons on the East End of Long Island may include images of supersized mansions and extravagant parties, but there is an older, richer Hamptons history beneath and beyond that glitzy surface. [Read more…] about The Our Hamptons Podcast
Leadership Changes At Long Island Museums Stir Controversy, Confidence
The Nassau County Museum of Art has abruptly dismissed its Museum Director in a controversial move that is prompting calls for his reinstatement and the Southampton History Museum has announced a new Executive Director without controversy.
This is the second time in six years the Nassau County Museum suddenly and without warning replaced its Museum Director. [Read more…] about Leadership Changes At Long Island Museums Stir Controversy, Confidence
Forgotten Treasures in the Samuel L. Parrish Collection
Samuel L. Parrish (1849 – 1932) was a prosperous NYC attorney who summered in Southampton on Long Island. He was born into a wealthy Quaker family in Philadelphia and attended Harvard, where he developed an interest in Italian art. After graduating, Parrish went to Italy for a year studying Classical and Renaissance art.
In 1877 he opened a very successful law practice in the city of New York. He visited friends and family in Southampton during the summer season and traveled to Italy regularly. While there he decided to open an art museum in Southampton. [Read more…] about Forgotten Treasures in the Samuel L. Parrish Collection
Dead Humpback Whale, Dolphin Wash Ashore On Long Island Beaches
Two marine mammals recently washed-up dead on Long Island beaches.
On Sunday, January 29, New York State Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) Della Rocco, Vandenbos, and Zullo responded to a complaint of a deceased dolphin that had washed up on Egypt Beach in Easthampton, Suffolk County. [Read more…] about Dead Humpback Whale, Dolphin Wash Ashore On Long Island Beaches
Preserving Long Island Black Heritage: Pyrrhus Concer Homestead
Demolished in 2014, the Pyrrhus Concer Homestead in Southhampton, Long Island, was finally recognized as a Historic Landmark by Southampton Village in January 2021. Pieces were salvaged before the house was torn down and preservationists have been working to bring it back to life and properly interpret it ever since.
Though born into slavery, over the course of his life Concer would become one of the most well-respected members of the Southampton community. After being freed as an adult, Concer went on to have a long and storied career as a whaler and boatsteerer. He was one of, if not the first, African Americans to enter Japan. Thanks to well-kept records including whaling logs and documents related to his local philanthropy, Pyrrhus Concer’s life is one of the most complete histories of a formerly enslaved person in America.
[Read more…] about Preserving Long Island Black Heritage: Pyrrhus Concer Homestead
New Technology Being Deployed At Lake Agawam Algal Blooms
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the start of a new research project to evaluate the potential efficacy of ultrasonic devices to reduce harmful algal blooms (HABs) on Lake Agawam in the village of Southampton on Long Island. [Read more…] about New Technology Being Deployed At Lake Agawam Algal Blooms
Tour of Southampton’s Gardens Set
The Southampton History Museum has announced “An Outsider’s View,” a tour of Southampton and North Sea gardens and landscape settings, set for Saturday, September 12th, from 1 to 4 pm.
With designs ranging from a structured formal garden of clipped hedges and detailed gates to a waterfront cottage garden bursting with flowers and native flora, each setting will provide a look at the interplay between the landscape and the home’s architecture and history. [Read more…] about Tour of Southampton’s Gardens Set
Southampton History Museum Reopens By Appointment
The Southampton History Museum’s Rogers Mansion, in Southampton, Long Island, NY, is now open for tours. Their current exhibit High Style in the Gilded Age. [Read more…] about Southampton History Museum Reopens By Appointment
Southampton History Museum Cancels April Events
The Southampton History Museum has announced that all of April’s program have been canceled due to circumstances regarding COVID-19. [Read more…] about Southampton History Museum Cancels April Events
Whaling Captains Lecture in Southampton
In 1893, Southampton historian William S. Pelletreau wrote that it was “safe to address almost any middle-aged man one might meet as ‘Captain’, for the chances were that he was one.”
Zachary Taylor, curator at the Southampton History Museum, is set to give PowerPoint lecture on sea captains who made Southampton their home, using research and photographs from the Museum’s archive on Saturday, March 7, at 1 pm. [Read more…] about Whaling Captains Lecture in Southampton
Rogers Mansion Candlelight Tours in Southampton
Rogers Mansion in Southampton, NY, is set to host self-guided tours of the mansion on Saturday, December 14th, and Saturday, December 28th.
Guests will be able to see a 20 room home as it was in the 1920s filled with holiday decorations. Also, the exhibit “High Style in the Gilded Age: Southampton 1870-1930” will be on display showing ball gowns worn by Southampton women along with their stories from that era. Some of the women featured will be Consuelo Vanderbilt and Millicent Rogers. Refreshments will be served. [Read more…] about Rogers Mansion Candlelight Tours in Southampton
Southampton History Museum Harvest Fair Set for Sept 21st
The Southampton Historical Museum’s 2019 Harvest Fair has been set for Saturday, September 21st, from 11 am to 4 pm, at Rogers Mansion, 17 Meeting House Lane, Southampton. This event is free and open to the public.
Activities include outdoor crafts, tool making demonstrations, Shinnecock Tribe dancing, farm animals, a thrift shop and an 1850 wedding re-enactment. [Read more…] about Southampton History Museum Harvest Fair Set for Sept 21st
Gilded Age Exhibit Opens In Southampton, LI
The Southampton History Museum will open the exhibit High Style in the Gilded Age: Southampton 1870-1930, on Saturday, August 17, with an opening reception from 4 to 6 pm, at Rogers Mansion, 17 Meeting House Lane, Southampton, Long Island. [Read more…] about Gilded Age Exhibit Opens In Southampton, LI