Every year the Bellport-Brookhaven
Historical Society holds a Gala fundraiser, which is the opening night
party for their museum exhibition. The Gala is the only fundraiser held
by the Bellport-Brookhaven Historical Society and always occurs in the
summer. The Bellport-Brookhaven Historical Society is a not-for-profit
organization devoted to the preservation and interpretation of Long
Island's past, and particularly the history of the Bellport, Brookhaven
and East Patchogue area.
The first Gala was held in 2003 and
honored the Grucci family. The museum show that year was called "The
Gruccis of Bellport." In the summer of 2004, their exhibit was "As Time
Goes By: Remembering Ingrid Bergman." The 2005 Gala honored a long time
member of their board, Mr. Robert Duckworth, and the museum exhibition
was called "Hidden Treasures." The theme for the 2006 Gala
was "100
Years on the Bay" and honored the centennial of the Bellport Bay Yacht
Club. 2007
honored "Bellport-Brookhaven: Then and Now" and included an exhibition
of paintings, drawings, and photographs of the Bellport-Brookhaven area
from 1871 - 1923. The 2008 Gala celebrated the
life, interests, and contributions of Dennis Puleston, a Renaissance man
of our time.
Posters from past Gala's are on sale at the Museum Exchange Shop, 31
Bellport Lane, Bellport, NY, 631-286-0888. The exchange shop is open
Thursday-Friday, 11:00am-5:00pm.
Click here for more information about the
Bellport-Brookhaven Historical Society.
Bellport-Brookhaven
Historical Society
Gala Opening Event
Saturday June 11, 2011
Nearthebay and the World of Birdsall Otis Edey
An exhibition
on the life, times and home
of Bellport resident and benefactor
Sarah Birdsall Otis Edey
Tickets to
the gala include
A tour of her home, Nearthebay
Opening preview of the exhibition
The Gala Cocktail Reception, Dancing and Auction
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To complement
the program
the Historical Society will also present
a lecture on the history of Nearthebay, an
Historic Bellport House
Saturday, May 28 at 4 pm Open to the public,
free of charge
12 Bell Street
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About Nearthebay and the World of Birdsall Otis Edey
The gracious old
houses of this area are not just charming; some
of them were home to fascinating people. This
year the Historical Society focuses on the life
and times of Birdsall Otis Edey (1872-1940),
dynamic suffragist, pioneer of Girl Scouting,
humanitarian and vigilant historic
preservationist and her beloved Bellport home
Nearthebay, the fine Greek Revival house built
c. 1838 and owned by her family from 1865 until
1945. Through her Village Improvement Society,
Birdsall Otis Edey campaigned persistently to
preserve and improve the appearance of Bellport.
Her success in having the Montauk Highway bypass
Bellport, Brookhaven Hamlet, and East Patchogue
is her great legacy.
Nearthebay House Tour
Welcome to Nearthebay
as it looks today under the stewardship of the
current owners, art consultants Arnie and
Elizabeth Lizan. With a two-year restoration
project, the Lizans have maintained the historic
architecture and ambience of this landmark, yet
incorporated their love of color and
contemporary art in its interior.
As part of the gala program, Nearthebay may be
toured Saturday, June 11th from 3-6PM
Nearthebay and the World of Birdsall Otis Edey Exhibition
The exhibition is
primarily drawn from the Edey family archives,
generously loaned to the Society by the Paige
family, heirs of Birdsall Otis Edey. Nearthebay
was owned by Birdsall’s family from 1865 until
1945. Birdsall was born in 1872 and married
Frederick Edey at Nearthebay in 1893, The house
she inherited served as the favored backdrop to
the life and times of this dynamic figure.
Although Birdsall had homes elsewhere, she
considered Bellport her real home describing it
as “this blessed corner of the earth where I
belong.”
The
Exhibition opens with the Gala Fundraising Party
Saturday, June 11th, 6 to 8PM
Ticket price of $150 includes the house tour,
exhibition, and gala party
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Nearthebay,
An Historic Bellport House, Lecture
Saturday May 28 4 pm
12 Bell Street
Open to the public, free of charge
Diane Fisher-Martinson, a former owner of Bellport’s historic Nearthebay mansion, has done extensive research on the 173-year old house, once the home of Birdsall Otis Edey. In this lecture, she will describe the house’s history, architecture and the extraordinary people who have been its stewards.
For more information contact us at nearthebay@bbhsmuseum.org
2010 Gala
The
Bellport-Brookhaven Historical
Society held their annual Summer
Gala on Saturday, June 5th. The them was "Cavafy:
Passions and Ancient Days," a theatrical event
conceived and performed by
Emmy Award Winning Actor Yannis Simonides, based
on the life and work of poet Constantine Cavafy
(1863-1933, born Alexandria, Egypt of Greek
heritage.)
Cavafy, considered to be one of the most
important poets of the 20thth century, is famous
for his startlingly contemporary subject matter
and his appealingly straightforward style.
Actor-writer Yannis Simonides evoked the
remarkably prescient spirit that inhabits Cavafy's
work, gracefully weaving the author's poetry
into the story of his life in cosmopolitan,
multi-cultural Alexandria. The riveting
performance was accompanied by music and images
of Cavafy's time as well as of his beloved
Alexandria.
2009 Gala
The Bellport-Brookhaven Historical Society's annual Summer Gala was held on Saturday, June 13th on the museum grounds at 31 Bellport Lane. Proceeds from the event benefited the maintenance of their museum buildings and grounds. Champagne and hors d'oeuvres were followed by a Live Auction led by Thomas Cornell.Some of the Auction items included:
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| A Carved Egret by Famed
Bird Carver Ken Budny |
An Extraordinary Large Oak Cabinet Carved with Heraldic Figures | A Fine 19th Century Armoire, Fully Restored | ||
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As well as:
- A Private Tour of the Frick Museum by a Frick Great-Grandaughter (for 4)
- A Weber Q-100 Gas Grille
- And many others!
2008 Gala- "Celebrating Dennis Puleston: A Life Exploring Nature"
The Bellport-Brookhaven Historical Society
held their opening night
gala of “Celebrating Dennis Puleston: A Life Exploring Nature” on
Saturday, August 9th. This special exhibit honored the life, interests,
and contributions of Dennis Puleston, a Renaissance man of our time. The
exhibit drew from artwork created by Dennis, artifacts from his
lifetime of exploring nature, and musings made by Dennis as he traveled
the world. It is hoped that this exhibit provided a glimpse into the
thinking and vision of this extraordinary man who lived a simple life in
Brookhaven Hamlet while impacting the lives of those outside Brookhaven
Hamlet in a very positive manner.
Over the course of his 95 years, Dennis wore many hats: sailor,
explorer, ornithologist, director of technical information at Brookhaven
National Laboratory, cruise-ship naturalist, husband, father, author of
several books, first chairman of the Environmental Defense Fund,
painter, botanist, to name a few. The image of an osprey, painted by
Dennis, was selected to represent this exhibition because it signifies
the simple elegance Dennis brought to all of his endeavors. In
particular, Dennis was part of the group responsible for the research
that determined the use of the pesticide DDT was responsible for
weakening the egg shells of the osprey; explaining the declining
population of these once prolific birds in our landscape. It was his
work and the work of the Environmental Defense Fund that prevented the
loss of these beautiful and majestic birds. This exhibit attempts to
honor the life and accomplishments of Dennis, and to encourage others to
follow in his footsteps.
The Historical Society is very pleased that the 2008 honoree
was Jim Tripp, the General Counsel of the
Environmental Defense Fund, who will celebrate his 35th anniversary with the fund
in the spring of 2009, and who has
been a Bellport homeowner since 1981.
Funds raised from the Opening Night Party were used by the Historical
Society, a no-profit organization, to fulfill its mission of preserving
the heritage and beauty of our Long Island communities. Just as Dennis
worked to protect and preserve our natural world, the
Bellport-Brookhaven Historical Society works to protect and preserve our
historical world.