Yaphank Historical Society Newsletter Historic Yaphank - Where the Past Greets the Present January - February, 2014 Best Wishes for a Happy, Healthy New Year Robert Hawkins House P.O. Box 111 Yaphank, NY 11980-0111 www.yaphankhistorical.org 631.924.3401 Meetings: Third Thursday of the Month; 7:30PM, Hawkins House. Newsletter Editor: Peggy Judd Inside this issue: President s Message... 2 From the Historian.. 3-4 Upcoming Events... 5 In Sadness.......... The Yaphank Historical Society expresses sincere sympathy to the parishioners of the Yaphank Presbyterian Church. The Church, built in 1851, was heavily damaged by fire early December 8 th. Fire fighters from nine departments gathered to fight the fire and finally bring the blaze under control. We share in the sadness of all the members of our community for this tragic event. The Yaphank Presbyterian Church was an important part of early Yaphank history, playing a central role in the community. It was one of several very old historic structures still remaining in our hamlet. We are saddened by its loss. Please see the article in this issue for a look back at the history of the Church. Looking Back 2013.. 6-7 Board of Directors President - Robert Kessler Vice President - Peggy Judd Treasurer - Audrey Kessler Recording Secretary - Kay Donaldson Corresponding Secretary - Marie Desch Librarian - Olive Archer Historian - Karen Mouzakes Curator - Helen Kalbach 3-Yr. Trustee - Tricia Foley 2-Yr. Trustee Kathleen Schmidt & Liz Horan 1-Yr Trustee - Jim Vavrina & Mindy Hausman Honorary Lifetime Board Member - Lucille Stroud In Gladness.......... However, we share happiness and hope for the future with Pastor Glorya Johnson and the many parishioners of the Presbyterian Church who are planning on rebuilding the church. Gary Ralph speaks for all who love the church, sending thanks and prayers to everyone for the enormous support given to the church. Offers of help from many communities---pianos, organs, and even oak pews---have been offered to them. The Historical Society has several documents and pictures in our archives that will be forwarded to the church, helping to replace items lost in the fire. The new church will not be a restoration, but when it is completed the church will retain the look and feel of the old church, including the steeple and bell tower. All donations meant expressly for rebuilding should be addressed to the following: Yaphank Presbyterian Church 65 Main Street Yaphank, NY 11980 Attn: Dave M.
Yaphank Historical Society Newsletter Page 2 Letter from the President Here we are at the end of another year. The Yaphank Historical Society has had a busy and productive 2013. I want to thank my Board of Directors for all of their hard work and support to help make this a good year for the Yaphank Historical Society. And we wish all our members and readers a Happy, Healthy New Year. This past year the Yaphank Historical Society signed a contract with the Town of Brookhaven to manage and renovate/restore the Swezey/Avey House. This very historic home will become the headquarters for the Yaphank Historical Society. We will have our office here, as well as a separate room for our archives. Under the watchful eye of our Historian, Karen Mouzakes, we have already begun to move our archives into their new home. We will also have four display rooms and a large meeting room in which to hold our general membership meetings. We have also been busy at the Booth House. We have finished the restoration of the remaining four windows on the second floor of the house. The first floor windows were finished in 2012. We purchased a dry sink and a display cabinet in our continuing efforts to furnish the house in period-appropriate furnishings. Work has progressed on the Homan House. The Yaphank Historical Society has finished the stone work at the foundation walls. We have graded the property and built a new Bilco Door, and as soon as the siding is finished being fabricated, we are going to do some of the siding on the house. The Society is also going to be working on the interior of the house, cleaning it up and getting it ready for the next phase of interior construction. We hope this next phase will be started sometime in the New Year. The Hawkins House is in good shape; all cleaned up and ready for the New Year. Through the generosity of our friends we have gotten quite a few donations this past year. Connie Dankmeyer of Nellie s of Amagansett has donated tools, furniture and a large Mourning Wreath made entirely of human hair. This is a one-of-a-kind piece which measures four by five feet, and is dated 1875. We currently are having some restoration work done on the framing and having the piece covered in Plexiglas to protect it before we put the wreath on display. This work is being done by Jeremiah McGiff as a donation to the Yaphank Historical Society. Father Chapin, formally of St. Andrews Church, has donated tools, a work bench, books, periodicals, and best of all a 1908 fully restored Runabout Carriage. WE CAN T THANK OUR FRIENDS ENOUGH. I would also like to thank Legislator Kate Browning, Councilwoman Connie Kepert, and Supervisor Ed Romaine for their continuing support of our restoration efforts in the Yaphank Historic District. Special thanks go to the Town of Brookhaven Department of Parks for their support and help with our restoration efforts at the Swezey/Avey House. Lastly, I would like to thank Richard Martin and his staff from Suffolk County Historical Services for all of their help and support in restoring our beautiful community. Robert Kessler Welcome New Members Michael Pisano & Erena DiGonis, Bellport, NY 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 2013-2014 membership year. Please see current member types and current dues rates on page 5 of this Newsletter. Please include your current email 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.
Yaphank Historical Society Newsletter Page 3 The Yaphank Presbyterian Church by Karen Mouzakes Presbyterianism was the first formal religion established in Brookhaven Town at Setauket in 1665. That first church helped to form another Presbyterian Church at Brookhaven, which in turn formed a Presbyterian Church at Middle Island. That structure still stands on the corner of Church Lane and Rt. 25 in Middle Island. Everyone in what was then Millville attended the Middle Island Church. But as early as 1817, church services were held at Millville s schoolhouse or at the homes of parishioners like the Swezey family when travel to Middle Island proved too difficult. All of the churches activities were directed from the Middle Island church. In 1851 a movement began in Yaphank (the name had changed from Millville for the new post office) to build their own church. Van Rensselaer Swezey and Nathanial Tuthill were presiding officers of the movement. Two subscription lists were circulated, one collecting $729 and another $375. The Ladies Sewing Group, chaired by Mrs. William Sidney Smith, contributed $54.13. Along with a few other small contributions, this gave a grand total of $1,170.63. This sum was set aside to purchase a site for the erection of a house for the public worship of God, to be conducted in the Presbyterian form at some suitable place to be selected between Yaphank Mills on the Lower Lake and Swezey s Mill on the Upper Lake. the Yaphank Church requested permission from the Long Island Presbytery to split from the Middle Island Church. Permission was granted. S.F. Norton and E.L. Gerard were elected ruling elders. It was at this time that the steeple and bell tower were added to the church. The Oak Villa Parsonage was constructed by S.F. Norton soon after. The Presbyterian Church was the heart of the community. In 1876, the Rev. James Denton, a muchdecorated Civil War Veteran, lived at the Oak Villa Parsonage next to the church with his wife and two daughters. He led a lively flock. His father W.L. Denton came from Jamaica to Yaphank each summer to publish the Yaphank Courier. The Courier, a 1- cent newspaper, kept the whole village connected by advertising village events and happenings. Great Presbyterian Church, 1950. entertainments, Magic Lantern Shows and lawn parties took place on the church property. Such a site, the present site, was purchased from James and Susan Maria Weeks, who were Episcopalians, for $50.00. The deed was filed in June 1853. The contract to erect the meetinghouse was given to Charles Woodhull of Sayville for the sum of $1,066. Other expenses included: $18.00 to Lester Homan for carting materials, $15.00 for digging the basement, $35.00 for painting inside and out, $18.00 for stoves and $1.25 for recording the deed, shutter fasteners and a key. The entire cost was $1,153, which left a balance of $33.32 in the building fund. That first meetinghouse was a boxlike structure of pegged construction. The Presbyterian Society of Yaphank and Millville was dedicated on Christmas Day in 1851. (Many years later in 1958, the name was officially changed to the Yaphank Presbyterian Church.) The Yaphank church continued to be governed by the Middle Island Session for the next twenty years. In 1871, five representatives of Mollenhauer Concert Invitation.
Page 4 Yaphank Historical Society Newsletter The Yaphank Presbyterian Church (continued) The same church basement, where literary entertainments were held, was the seat of the Temperance Movements of 1878 and 1881. To quote the Patchogue Advance of April 16, 1881: Yaphank Astir a rousing meeting was held Monday evening of this week for the suppression of promiscuous traffic of intoxicating drinks in the Presbyterian Church of Yaphank, Sunday School classes and Youth Groups did good works. Each 4 of July an evening fireworks display took place on the Oak Villa Parsonage lawn with ice cream to follow in the church basement. th The Annual Fourth of July Lawn Party, 1902. The interior of the sanctuary, taken in 1978. The church bell, photo taken in 1978. The Annual Strawberry Festival began all those many years ago and it continues to this day. The Tree Lighting Service, on Christmas Eve, was attended by pretty much the whole village no matter what your faith. The whole of Yaphank has always been welcome at the Yaphank Presbyterian Church. We appreciate all that they have done for our community over these many, long years. We know that the church and its parishioners will continue on as an integral part of Yaphank s future.
Yaphank Historical Society Newsletter Page 5 Swezey-Avey House Renovation It s Official Although Historical Society members started renovation work on the Swezey-Avey House quite a few months ago, official status of the project has been announced by the Town of Brookhaven. A sign announcing our joint efforts was recently installed at the front gate of the house. The Society has taken the lead in the renovation project and considerable progress has been made on both floors of the building. As noted in the Letter from the President, the Historical Society will be using the building as their administrative headquarters, formal archive repository, and for meeting and display rooms. The Society is actively seeking funding for this important project. We take this opportunity to thank the following for their generous donations and support: Henry P. Kovarik Foundation Andy Kaufman, Brookhaven Rail Terminal, Yaphank, NY Hunter Kaucky, Eagle Scout Project, Troop 433, Mastic, NY A complete update will appear in the next issue of the Newsletter. UPCOMING EVENTS No January General Meeting February General Meeting Thursday, February 20, 7:30pm, Hawkins House Guest Speaker will be Tom Williams, Vice-President of the Post-Morrow Foundation Program: The Carmans River A Social and Environmental History Refreshments will follow the meeting. March General Meeting Thursday, March 20, 7:30pm, Hawkins House Guest speaker will be Bruce Kagan Program: Women s Rights The Struggle for the Vote Refreshments will follow the meeting.
Looking Back 2013 Yaphank Historical Society Newsletter Looking Back 2013 Page 6
Looking Back 2013 Yaphank Historical Society Newsletter Looking Back 2013 Page 7
Yaphank Historical Society Newsletter Page 8 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 Hawkins House, (631)924-3401 OR (631)924-2241. Our members support our local businesses. St. Andrew s Episcopal Church 244 E. Main Street Yaphank, NY 11980 631-924-5083 Sunday Services: 8:30 & 10 A.M. Sunday School at 10 A.M. Service