Happy 4th of July!

Independence Day! Welcome to July! Meadow Croft is open every weekend for house tours so stop by and check out how life was lived by the Roosevelt family in the early 1900's.

Summer House Tours: They are given every weekend starting in June and running through October. Trained docents will be showing the estate on Saturdays and Sundays from 2:00-4:00. There have been many updates and changes in recent months as the BBPHA volunteers work tirelessly to make your experience at Meadow Croft even better. How was life lived in the early 1900's? We welcome you to join us and find out.

If you would like to plan a tour for a group of 10 or more, email us to set a date: bbphistorical@gmail.com If you would like to learn more or become a docent please contact Jen at 631-235-9342.

Murder Mystery Encore: Our first Murder Mystery Event at Meadow Croft was such a success that planning is underway to provide an encore performance sometime in the early fall. The planning is under way so be on the lookout for the date in our monthly newsletter or on our website. Who dun it?!

Christmas in July? Believe it or not, we begin planning now for our signature event, Christmas at Meadow Croft! This will take place the first weekend in December, the 6th & 7th. This year's theme will be A Traditional Christmas and we are looking for volunteers. We also need musicians that will perform for an hour over the weekend. If you would like to volunteer or have a musical talent to share, please call Leanne at 631-235-1702.

Meadow Croft invites you to three unforgettable summer evenings of after-hours exclusives. Indulge in an experience that blends the beauty of its storied past with the vibrancy of the present. Wander through the Roosevelt summer home and embrace its historical ambiance. Mingle with friends and enjoy a signature wine, cocktail or mocktail. The evenings will be further enhanced by guest presenters who will offer memorable experiences, stories, or music that echo in the footsteps of yesteryear.

Space is limited. Registration is required. $35 per person. Includes a complimentary cocktail or mocktail. Register at www.bayportbluepointheritage.org

As Time Goes By

J.K. Hodge,

Film Composer

Saturday, July 12, 2025

TICKET SALES BEGIN JULY 1

Join us for “As Time Goes By” as we relax and enjoy the wonderful Roosevelt estate in summer. First, have a signature drink and then take a seat in the ladies parlor to hear a love story played on the piano. Enjoy a night of melodies the way people did before the use of recorded music. Film composer, J.K. Hodge will cover 100 years on the piano with some of your favorite tunes and a few unique pieces that may see their first light at Meadow Croft.

J.K. Hodge develops a distinctive and compelling sound that cuts across genres by fusing the delicacy and elegance of classical music with the modern appeal of crossover. His skillful blending of classical melodies with contemporary components is evidence of his avant-garde approach to music.

Event Schedule:

6:00-7:00pm- Enjoy a refreshing cocktail or mocktail and explore the house.

7:00-8:00pm- Piano music in the ladies parlor.

Signature Drink of the Evening: Blueberry Vodka Lemonade

This refreshing cocktail combines the crispness of lemonade, a summertime favorite, with the fruity sweetness of blueberries and the kick of vodka. It has a base of blueberry-infused vodka, fresh lemonade, blueberry syrup, and a whisper of mint, picked fresh from the Meadow Croft garden. A fresh blueberry garnish enhances the overall experience. ***Non-alcoholic drinks will be available***

Save the dates for the next two After Dark events! More information and details in next month's Newsletter on these two events.

Postcards from Papa: Letters, Legacy, and the Land We Tend

Brittany Cutrone

Laughlin Vineyard, Proprietor

Saturday, August 23, 2025

TICKET SALES BEGIN AUGUST 1

AND

The Tall Mutha Shucka

Keenan Boyle

Oyster Farmer, Shucker, Educator

Friday, September 5, 2025

TICKET SALES BEGIN AUGUST 24

The Bayport Blue Point Heritage Association is proud to sponsor our second FREE Summer Concert of the year! We have received all of the permissions and permits and are excited to welcome all of you to Bayport Memorial Park on July 24 from 6:00-8:00 (weather permitting) for some wonderful music featuring Gene Casey.

Please bring lawn chairs or blankets, refreshments and bug spray! This is for families of all ages. Dancing is encouraged. Special thanks to Dave Harenberg who arranges our musical guests and Jenny Harenberg who creates the graphics and posters! We hope you can join us for this FREE concert!

Be on the lookout as there will be a table set-up at our FREE concerts this summer where the BBPHA will be selling brand new items for sale! There will be t-shirts, hoodies and vinyl stickers. All sizes available. Local history books by our late town historian Gene Horton will also be on sale. Make your purchase by cash or Venmo.

Support the BBPHA and purchase one of these items on July 24 at our second Summer Concert. Thanks!

Long Island museums and historical societies from Brooklyn to Montauk are teaming up to offer the Long Island History Hunt, a FREE epic adventure at a dozen sites where presidents, spies, and patriots helped shape history. Visit the website and scan the QR code below to register, and then visit a designated museum or historic site. At each location, visitors are invited to take a selfie challenge and upload their photo. Visitors who complete a challenge at any site are automatically eligible to win a prize. Those who complete a challenge at all 12 sites will be entered into the grand prize drawing that includes: $500, an 18th century-style luncheon at the Ketcham Inn in Center Moriches, NY, family museum memberships, and a basket of curated surprises. This challenge runs from July 1-September 30, 2025. If you have specific questions, you can email at longislandhistoryhunt@gmail.com .

Become a Revolutionary Trailblazer! We are proud that Meadow Croft is included in this adventure!

Participants are also welcome to visit nearby designated New York State Parks to take a break, have a picnic, or just enjoy nature. The Long Island History Hunt is sponsored by the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation and brought to you in partnership with the New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

On June 8, 2025 students from the Sayville HS History Club came to Meadow Croft to act as docents and give tours to their family members. This is the second year we have partnered with the History Club to give them an opportunity to volunteer some time and training to show off this beautiful estate, known as Meadow Croft.

After an initial visit to the house the week prior, each student chose a room to learn about and then shared that knowledge with the families of these student historians. Mr. Aronsen, their advisor, helped make this experience possible. Thank you to our board member Jen Economos who provided the factual information and arranged for the students and their families to enjoy this "historical" experience. Thank you!

On a gloomy, hazy day toward the end of June, a wonderful group of 4th graders from Academy Street Elementary School in the BBP School District, walked to Meadow Croft to take a tour and learn a little local history. Thanks to Jen Economos, Mary Bailey, and Sandra Iden for providing tours to the 4th graders and helped show the boys and girls around the estate property. The students were well behaved and asked great questions! Future historians in the making!

Thank you for visiting and learning a little bit about the local history of our hamlet!

On June 20 our own Frank Giebfried was the tour guide for an evening stroll that marked the beginning of the summer season. This year's tour found us back in Bayport, as we strolled up Bayport Ave. from Middle Road to Railroad Ave. Along the way, we discussed and explored the interesting history of the historic homes and lives of the families who once occupied this beautiful part of our hamlet. The tour included the homes of local business owner James Snedecor, soft drink bottler CH Hawkins, ice box manufacturer John McKee, hotel owner Charles Frieman and many others. We also learned about our first railroad station and the travels of our first post office. Our tour ended at the former Frieman Hotel, now the People's Pub, which has been serving guests for over 150 years. We enjoyed hosting you for this local summer tradition that our friend Gene Horton began years ago!

The BBPHA is pleased once again to be awarding a $1000.00 scholarship to a deserving HS student from the BBP High School. This award is given to a graduating senior in the name of our dear friend, local historian, and former director, Gene Horton.

Congratulations to George Rogers IV on this scholarship! George will be attending Georgetown and majoring in political economy. Good luck George and congratulations to all who are graduating!

The Great South Bay is not only a beautiful part of our community, but it has amazing homes and landmarks located on the bay as well as a tremendous history to share!

This year's historic boat cruise will share the history of Fire Island and the communities located there. We will set sail on August 12th, 2025 from the Sayville Ferry dock. With the sun setting, we will cruise out to the bay as local Historian Frank Giebfried will highlight some historic information about Fire Island. The boat will head up the Connetquot River and make a stop for an hour at The View restaurant for cocktails (sorry, not enough time for dinner, however snacks/drinks are allowed on the boat) and then the ferry will cruise back to the Brown's River ferry dock under a beautiful full moon.

Information on purchasing tickets and other important information will be in the August Newsletter. There are only a limited number of seats to this event so plan early!

These articles first appeared in the Bayport Blue Point Gazette. They were written by Gene Horton and reprinted here with permission.

June 2002

This summer, do yourself and your family a favor and visit Meadow Croft, the summer home of John E. Roosevelt and family. John Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt were cousins and the President, whose home was in Oyster Bay, is known to have visited Meadow Croft. The Roosevelt estate, Meadow Croft, is located on the north side of Middle Road between Bayport and Sayville by Bryan's Bridge spanning Brown's River. Sayville architect, I.H. Green designed the 1891 Roosevelt home.

Meadow Croft is dedicated to the Suffolk County Historic Trust and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington D.C. Bayport Heritage Association maintains the interior of the building. From June to October, guided tours of Meadow Croft are conducted by Bayport Heritage Association docents on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. A slide show about the Roosevelt family is presented, followed by guided tours if the interior of the house and grounds including the outbuildings and kitchen garden. Admission is free, but donations are gratefully accepted. Private group tours can be arranged.

This season, a special John Hodge exhibit will be on display in the "Bayport Room" at Meadow Croft. John Hodge was a Bayport folk artist know for his wood carvings and paintings of birds and wildlife.

Meadow Croft is a hidden jewel in this area and its 75 acres beckons the visitor to step back in time and experience life as it was around 1010 on this large summer estate in our midst. Update: As of 2017, Meadow Croft is open for tours from 2:00-4:00 on Saturdays and Sundays, June through October.