Yaphank Historical Society Newsletter. Join Us for Tea! Saturday, April 22 nd, :00 pm At The Hawkins House

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1 Yaphank Historical Society Newsletter Historic Yaphank - Where the Past Greets the Present March April, 2017 Robert Hawkins House P.O. Box 111 Yaphank, NY Swezey-Avey House Main Office Hawkins House Gift Shop Meetings: Third Thursday of the Month; 7:30pm, Swezey-Avey House. Newsletter Editor: Peggy Judd Inside this issue: Board of Directors President - Robert Kessler Vice President - Olive Archer Treasurer - Audrey Kessler Recording Secretary - Kayann Donaldson Corresponding Secretary - Marie Desch Librarian - Peggy Judd Historian Tricia Foley Historian Emeritus - Karen Mouzakes Curator - Helen Kalbach 3-Yr. Trustee - Liz Horan 2-Yr. Trustee - Kathy Schmidt & Tony Germano 1-Yr. Trustee - Jim Vavrina & Judi Bird President s Message 2 The Fences of Yaphank 3-4 The Yaphank Cemetery 5-6 Upcoming Events 7 Join Us for Tea! Saturday, April 22 nd, :00 pm At The Hawkins House There will be a delicious array of assorted tea sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, assorted pastries for dessert, and Lady Grey tea. Donation is $30 per person. Please call Marie Desch to make your reservations at There is limited seating this year, so please reserve early. We hope to see you there. The Gift Shop will be open after the Tea for your shopping pleasure. And ladies, wear your Victorian finery if you wish. There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea. - Henry James Save the Date! Sunday, July 16 th, :00 5:00pm Join us for a special event honoring Mary Louise Booth The Mary Louise Booth Tea, Tour and Talk Born in Yaphank in 1831, Mary Louise Booth was an author, editor, women s rights advocate, abolitionist, and esteemed figure in the world of publishing in America and Europe in the 19 th century. Details coming soon in our next Newsletter and on our website.

2 Yaphank Historical Society Newsletter Page 2 Letter from the President In addition to our ongoing preservation work at the Homan House and the Swezey-Avey House, the Society has been involved in community outreach. Some of that activity is mentioned below. We have worked on many Eagle Scout projects over the last few years, enabling the award of special badges to the Scouts that completed these projects. Based on Society-provided plans and guidance, the Scouts have built benches along our nature trail, built an outhouse at the Mary Louise Booth House, removed, installed and painted fencing at the Swezey-Avey House, and built picnic benches at the new parking and picnic area at the Homan House. The Scouts also installed concrete-grade beams and a fence to help preserve the logs that we were able to save from the dredging of Willow Lake, resulting in an outdoor display reflecting the work done by the Swezey Saw Mill that used to be located across the Lake from the Swezey-Avey House. Future plans for the Eagle Scouts include building an informational kiosk at the Swezey House and building three mini-lending library kiosks at the Homan House and the Swezey House. The Girl Scouts have also been busy. One group created an herb garden at the Booth house and another group supplied and planted flowers around the Swezey-Avey House and the war memorial monument located in the parking area. The Society has kept the Swezey-Avey House open during the summer months for the children attending the summer day camp at Longwood School. The school transports the children to the park in groups of forty so they can kayak, paddle board, and swim at the lake. We open the house for the children to use the bathrooms and then Society members give the children tours of the House and the exhibit rooms. The tours have proven to be of interest to many of the children, especially when the exhibit of the Yaphank Lakes was on display in the large meeting room. As part of our community efforts, the Society has been hosting our neighbors to the north, the Davis Town Meeting House Society while they are waiting for the restoration of the Davis Town Meeting House in Coram to be completed. This group uses the building for their meetings and has held several social gatherings there. The Society also hosted the Yaphank Cemetery Association this past year, offering meeting room accommodations. Current construction efforts: We have started a new project at the Swezey-Avey House. We are converting an upstairs back kitchen area (not currently being used except for some storage) into library and storage space. Our collections have been growing over the last few years and as large as the house is, we are running out of room. We will be building shelving to create additional safe storage space for our archives and collections. This will also allow our many visitors easier access to view the many items that are in our collection and a reading table for more lengthy research. When we took down the paneling that was on the walls, we discovered the original trim and plaster walls hidden behind the paneling. When the Town created office space in the late 60 s, they simply installed brown paneling over the top of the plaster. Our intention now is to restore the trim and re-plaster the walls and restore this room to its original appearance. We are seeking funding at this time for this project and we will keep you up to date as the project progresses. Robert Kessler Funds for this newsletter were provided by the Suffolk County Legislature, Kate Browning, 3rd Legislative District. Thank You! Renewal Dues Reminder Your membership is important to us. Dues are currently payable for the Yaphank Historical Society membership year. Please see current member types and dues rates on page 7. Please include your current address when you send in your dues. We look forward to hearing from you soon. If you have already submitted your dues, your payment is much appreciated.

3 Yaphank Historical Society Newsletter Page 3 The Fences of Yaphank s Historic District By Tricia Foley Love your neighbor as yourself, but don t take down the fence - Carl Sandberg The white picket fence is symbolic of the quintessential American house in the country that so many dream of. And Yaphank in the 19 th century had its share of fences all along Main Street, defining its lovely homes and surrounding farmlands. There were picket fences in front of the houses in town, and paddock fences in front of fields and along the roads leading to and from our hamlet. Whitewashed or weathered, they represent a well-tended home, a definition of property, an architectural style. These wood fences were sometimes square cut, sometimes with angled pickets, some had variegated lengths to create patterns and some were made of round dowels. There were pattern books with many styles for people to choose from, just as today there are many styles to choose from at local garden centers and lumber yards. The scale varied, with shorter fencing for smaller houses, taller fences for more imposing structures in the late 1800 s. They were situated with posts at the corners or ends of the fence runs. The early American fences were simple with practical whitewashed pickets to let the rain wash off, with a modest cap or ball finial. The later Federal and Greek revival period featured styles with carvings of eagles or classical urns representing the strength of the new American republic. The Victorian era featured more decorative styles of carved wood pickets and trims reflecting the design aesthetic of that period. In the early 1800 s, there was usually a lantern hung by the front gate, to come and go in the dark before streetlights. The gates might have a strap hinge and latch or a simple iron bolt, Colonial Williamsburg was known for their 18 th century ball and chain closures. There might be a large center opening gate for a carriage entrance to the barn or carriage house in the same white fencing style. In some cases, a painted or lime-washed white picket fence adjoined a flat plank paddock fence or a weathered split rail fence to define a field or garden. As we restore the four houses under our stewardship in the Historic District, we have researched late 19 th century photographs of Yaphank in our Historical Society archives for references of the fences that once graced our hamlet. It s not just the houses, but the landscaping and gardens, the pathways and fences that help tell the story of the homes and who lived in them, and what they looked like in their time. Working with Suffolk County Parks Department s Historic Services Division, we are interpreting them to restore the style of our mid-to-late 19 th century period community. The Mary L. Booth House has a modest picket fence and gate with a path to the front door, which is connected to paddock fencing around the woods leading to St. Andrew s Church on the east and the Buckingham Cemetery on the corner of Main Street and Yaphank Avenue. The Hawkins House has a taller square picket as reflected in the early photo we found of that property. The Homan-Gerard Mill complex also has a white picket fence, which ties together the original house and mill land, designated a National Register for Historic Places property. At the other end of town, a new white picket fence majestically sweeps along the front of the Swezey-Avey House property, transforming this important house on the lake, the headquarters of our Historical Society, courtesy of the Town of Brookhaven. We hope that you will appreciate seeing the old fences of Yaphank in these vintage photos of our early houses on the next page. And please visit and enjoy the new fences along Main Street.

4 Page 4 Yaphank Historical Society Newsletter The Fences of Yaphank (continued) The Hawkins House, with a taller, square picket. The white picket fence at Swezey-Avey House. Picket fence at the Mary L. Booth house. The Homan-Gerard mill complex, with paddock fencing. The Presbyterian manse, built in 1871 by S.F.Norton. The Lilacs, built in 1828, was the home of James H. and Susan Maria Weeks. It was later a successful boarding house, run by Clara Weeks for many years.

5 Yaphank Historical Society Newsletter Page 5 The Yaphank Cemetery By Helen Kalbach In Yaphank there are over half a dozen burying plots. Some are family grounds, and some are mosscovered remnants of a broken-down church. Here and there by the roadside, and in the deeper secludes, lay sleeping dead. * The Buckingham Cemetery is one of those early family burial grounds. John Homan was the first to be buried there not far from the site of his saw mill. Other family members and the Gerards and the Buckinghams, joined him there. Many were important businessmen in Yaphank. The Presbyterian Church and Saint Andrew s Church were the graveyards of choice for many Yaphankers. But for some, nothing would do but to create a new non-sectarian burial spot. The Association held its first Annual Meeting in the basement of the Presbyterian Church on Main Street. For 144 years they faithfully met there, until December of 2014 when the church was completely destroyed by fire. The 145 th meeting was in the Community Center on the Presbyterian Church property. The minutes of these Annual Meetings are enlightening. In the first year, lots were sold, subscriptions were taken, and a board fence was constructed to the west and south of the graveyard. The 1878 Minutes read, As the night was very dark and stormy but few were in attendance. That evening, A resolution was passed to have the land in the cemetery ploughed up and the turf removed from the same for highway or otherwise. At a later date, A. P. Homan and S. W. Higgins formed a committee to see about improving roads and paths and trimming trees and shrubbery. In 1887, the Minutes contain financial information regarding a debt of $ Decisions were made to concentrate on resolving any debt before further cemetery improvements. In 1890, the Minutes continue to be concerned with the outstanding debts. In 1917, these were the lot prices listed: center lots 18 x 24 were $30; side lots 18 x 18 were $20; north lots single tier 9 x 18 were $10; and single graves were $3. Every cemetery has a mystery and Yaphank is not exempt. In 1919, when the Cemetery at Camp Upton was decertified, the Yaphank Cemetery Association agreed to provide a 60 x 160 section of the grounds for the burial of bodies from Camp Upton only. The Association would....disinter and reinter at a cost of $15 each, provided that the boxes were in good condition, and that there was not over five inches of frost in the ground at the time. Headstones, without cement foundations, would be provided by the U. S. Government through the War Department. In September 1919, Fred M. Ruland was paid $420 for the removal and reburial of 29 bodies. Our records show that the War Department The Yaphank Cemetery Association was organized in 1870 in accordance with the revised Statue of Rural Cemeteries. Free from domination of any church, individuals can purchase lots, and thereby become members. All funds from lot sales are used for fencing, grading and general cemetery maintenance. The early elected officers and trustees were the familiar Yaphank paid $2 per grave for maintenance until Then names of Homan, Mills, Ackerly, Hammond, Smith and payment stopped. Our Cemetery Association Minutes Baker. Eliza and Samuel Norton, whose portraits are in has no further records regarding these burials. Where in the Library of the Hawkins House, were early purchasers the Yaphank Cemetery is the Camp Upton section? The of a plot in section isn t noted on any of our maps. Who are the 29 soldiers and where are the headstones? Were the soldiers buried at Yaphank as planned? Now after 96 years and recent research, we have the answers to those questions!! The 29 soldiers were buried in our Cemetery, they each had headstones, and the War Department paid all expenses. However, their graves no longer reside in Yaphank. In 1921, a decision was made to once again move the graves of these World War I soldiers. Meticulous war records, maintained by the National Cemetery Association at the Calverton National Cemetery Offices, has a list of the names of the soldiers, disinterment and reinterment dates for each, and their new burial plots. The missing soldiers are all now buried at Cypress Hills National Cemetery on the Queens/Brooklyn border. Headstones (perhaps the original ones) mark their graves.

6 Yaphank Historical Society Newsletter Page 6 The Yaphank Cemetery (continued) In the 20 th century many familiar improvements were made to the Cemetery. The decision to macadamize the Cemetery Lane 12-feet wide was made in The stone left over from this road would be given to the Town providing it be used on the upper bridge at Yaphank. In 1939, after two years of discussion, the Building and Grounds Committee was empowered to spend up to $232 on a suitable gateway and entrance. At this same meeting, Nellie Prosser proposed that a section near the front entrance be set aside as a memorial to the late Henry Jones who died serving his country in World War I. An appropriate monument was erected by his father, John S. Jones. Today, as in the past, the Yaphank Cemetery continues to be an integral part of community life at Yaphank. References: *Yaphank As It Is and Was, L. Beecher Homan, Old Minutes Book, Yaphank Cemetery Association. National Cemetery Administration, Calverton, New York. A peaceful cemetery view. General Meeting Programs The Yaphank Historical Society hosts special programs of local and historic interest presented at our General Meetings. Please note that attendance at any of our events is not limited to members only. We hope to see members, friends, and guests at any of our upcoming events. Everyone is welcome. Costume as Commentary on Women s Roles and Technology in Mid-19 th Century A presentation by Margaret Guardi March 16, 2017 Please join us at our March General Meeting to be held on Thursday, March 16 th, at 7:30pm, at the Swezey-Avey House. Our guest speaker will be Margaret Guardi, Historical Researcher. She will illustrate and discuss the many layers of dress for women in America in the mid-19 th century and how fashion reflected the role of women and technology in that era. Examples of the clothing and its application will be presented. New York in the Civil War A presentation by Richard Welch April 20, 2017 Please join us at our April General Meeting to be held on Thursday, April 20 th, at 7:30pm, at the Swezey-Avey House. Our Guest Speaker will be Richard Welch, Historian and Author. Mr. Welch will discuss the involvement of New York State in the Civil War, with references to Long Island participation wherever possible.

7 Yaphank Historical Society Newsletter Page 7 Yaphank Historical Society MARCH -- MAY 2017 UPCOMING EVENTS March General Meeting Thursday, March 16 th, 7:30pm, Swezey-Avey House Guest speaker will be Margaret Guardi, Historical Researcher Program: Costume as Commentary on Women s Roles and Technolgy in Mid-19 th Century Refreshments will follow the meeting. Spring Cleaning and Dusting Saturday, April 8 th, 10:00 4:00pm Volunteers needed! Help get our historic houses ready for our Spring Events. Spend a few hours during the day cleaning and share a wonderful buffet supper. Supper served at 5:00pm at the Swezey-Avey House. April General Meeting Thursday, April 20 th, 7:30pm, Swezey-Avey House Guest Speaker will be Richard Welch, Historian, Author, and Suffolk County Historical Society Board Member Program: New York in the Civil War Refreshments will follow the meeting. Spring Victorian Tea Saturday, April 22 nd, 2:00 4:30pm, Hawkins House Donation is $30 per person Always a sold-out event, so please reserve early. Reservations: call Marie Desch, Davis Town Meeting House Society Victorian Tea Party Saturday, May 13 th, 2:00 4:00pm, Old Coram Fire Department, Middle Country Rd, Coram, NY Donation $30 per person. Reservations please call: Barbara Hoff, Mailing address: P.O. Box 4, Coram, NY May General Meeting Thursday, May 18 th, 7:30pm, Swezey-Avey House Program: To Be Announced Refreshments will follow the meeting. Spring Community Yard Sale Saturday, May 20 th, 9:00am 4:00pm (rain date Sunday, May 21 st ) Donation: $10 per vendor. Set up on the Hawkins House Lawns. Call with questions. Bank of the River Gift Shop at the Hawkins House Hours: Thursday afternoons, noon 4:00pm Phone: Keep current with all our events and projects Visit our website

8 Page 8 Yaphank Historical Society Newsletter Thank You To Our Supporters If you are interested in having your business card printed in the Yaphank Historical Society newsletter, you may do so for a $50 donation per year. Please leave a phone number message at the Swezey-Avey House, (631) Our members support our local businesses. Yaphank Cemetery Association P.o. Box 1 Yaphank, ny For grave sales and questions, please call Steve Trusnovec, Administrator St. Andrew s Episcopal Church 244 E. Main Street Yaphank, NY Sunday Services: 8:30 & 10 A.M. Sunday School at 10 A.M. Service 494 Long Island Ave., Medford, NY Showroom: Millwork Factory: Automotive Products, Inc. 14 Todd Court Extension Yaphank, NY