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Three Village Historical Society

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Three Village Historical Society

At the Three Village Historical Society, you can learn about the area's rich and fascinating past
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The Three Village Historical Society has been operating for nearly 60 years to preserve and improve important aspects of the Three Village Area. Finally purchasing a headquarters in 1998 from the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities. Along with an extensive archive of historical information, the Three Village Historical Society offers classroom education about Long Island histor

y and field trips to various locations throughout the Three Village Area. There are numerous events such as the Spirits Cemetery tour, Culper Spy Day and the annual Candlelight House Tour featuring a variety of Historical Homes throughout the Three Village Area. Several Society members have published books on the area which are available at the gift shop. The Historical Society continues its success in upholding its mission and vision goals to develop educational resources and nurture the development of the area's historical heritage.

09/01/2026

Some of the most important stories of the American Revolution happened right here on Long Island.

📍 Three Village Historical Society & Museum | Setauket, NY

Founded in 1964, the Three Village Historical Society preserves the history of Setauket and the surrounding Three Village area — a community with deep connections to colonial Long Island and the American Revolution.

The museum is located inside the historic Bayles-Swezey House, built around 1805, and features exhibits exploring local life, maritime history, generations of Three Village residents, and one of Setauket’s most famous stories: the Culper Spy Ring.

During the Revolutionary War, Setauket became a critical part of the intelligence network that secretly provided information to General George Washington.

Today, the Historical Society keeps those stories alive through exhibits, walking tours, educational programs, historic collections, community events, and its weekly Farmers & Artisans Market.

📍 93 N Country Road, Setauket, NY 11733

If you love discovering the places where Long Island history actually happened, this is one you’ll want to visit.

09/01/2026

🍎 What difference does a dollar make?

This September, every $2.50 reusable Community Bag purchased at the Stop & Shop in East Setauket gives $1 directly back to the Three Village Historical Society & Museum!

One grocery trip.
One reusable bag.
One dollar invested in preserving the history of our 3V community.

🥰 Sometimes supporting your local non-profit is as simple as picking the right bag at checkout.

Thank you for helping us turn everyday errands into meaningful impact (don't forget the milk!)

08/25/2026

⛵️ Liberty Clipper ⛵️

Ever wondered what it felt like to sail into Port Jefferson Harbor two hundred years ago?

Now you can find out!

⚓️ The Liberty Clipper - a magnificent 125-foot tall ship inspired by the swift Baltimore Clippers of the Revolutionary era - is now sailing from Port Jefferson, offering unforgettable day sails, sunset cruises, and hands-on experiences where you can help raise the sails, take the helm, and experience life aboard a traditional schooner.

More than a beautiful vessel, she’s a living classroom where history comes alive with every gust of wind and every raised sail.

🪝 Even more exciting, the crew hopes to make Port Jefferson Harbor their permanent home, bringing maritime history to life right here on Long Island.

As a proud community partner, the Three Village Historical Society is thrilled to offer our members 20% off any sailing experience aboard the Liberty Clipper with code TVHS20

🔎 We can’t wait to SPY you on board!!!

08/24/2026

👟 race through history 👟

Some races take you through a park.

🔎 This one takes you through the birthplace of America’s first spy ring.

Join us on Sunday, September 27 for the Third Annual Culper Spy Day 5K, presented in partnership by the Three Village Historical Society & Museum and Tri-Spy Tours.

🇺🇸 Follow the footsteps of the Culper Spy Ring through historic Setauket, passing the very roads, fields, battlefields, and colonial homesteads where ordinary people carried extraordinary intelligence that helped change the course of the American Revolution.

Whether you’re chasing a personal best, walking with friends, or making it a family tradition, this is a race for everyone.

🏆 Hosted by Strong Island Running Club

Every registration supports year-round educational programs at the Three Village Historical Society, helping preserve and share the stories that shaped our nation.

✨ More than a 5K - this is a history lesson in motion and your chance to become part of the story yourself!

🏅 Sunday, September 27
📍 Historic Setauket
🏃 Runners • Walkers • Families Welcome

📲 register today at TVHS.org

08/21/2026

💚 markets create memories 💚

Are you sad about Summer ending soon?

Today is cloudy and cool and already feels a little like Fall - but that doesn't mean the fun stops here!

🥰 Grab your favorite people, your farmer's market tote bag, and maybe a little sweater and come spend Friday with us at the Farmers Market!

Today features live music, lawn games, face painting, a little free library, puppy adoptions, an adorable coffee truck, delicious dinners, and farm fresh produce from across Long Island.

Meet the people who grow your food, sample something new, stock up on weekend essentials, stay for a picnic, and stretch out these last lazy days of Summer as long as you can.

📘 While you're here, explore the museum exhibits, get your LI 250 passport stamped, join the LI History Hunt, and meet the author of a new Culper Spy Ring book!

It's always a beautiful afternoon at the Three Village Farmers & Artisans Market and we can't wait to share it with YOU!

08/19/2026

🗃️ Archive Wednesday | Property Deed, c. 1714

Have you ever wondered what a property transaction looked like more than 300 years ago?

This original deed, dated March 30th, 1714, is preserved within our Satterly Family Papers and is among records relating to Setauket’s historic grist mill. The document records Arthur Tuthey of Brookhaven, a carpenter, conveying his interest in a water mill, mill dam, and adjoining stream to Daniel Turner.

A handwritten transcription preserved alongside the deed helps us decipher its eighteenth-century script. The document begins:

“To all Christian People to whom these presents shall come Greeting, Know ye that I Arthur Tuthey of Brookhaven in the County of Suffolk on Nassau Island in the Province of New York…”

And if you look closely, you can even see the original wax seal still preserved on the deed more than 300 years later! It is an incredible surviving detail of how legal documents like this were authenticated in the early eighteenth century.

The deed goes on to establish Turner’s right to the mill property and its associated privileges, offering a fascinating glimpse into how property transactions were recorded in early eighteenth-century Setauket.

The grist mill associated with these papers, built in 1665, once stood next to Setauket’s Satterly-Jergensen House on Old Field Road at the south end of the mill pond. The historic mill was later dismantled, and today its reconstructed form can be visited in Frank Melville Memorial Park.

From an original deed ,complete with its surviving wax seal, to a landmark that can still be visited today, this document provides a tangible connection to more than three centuries of Setauket history.
Pictured: Arthur Tuthey to Daniel Turner, Deed, March 30, 1714/15
Satterly Family Papers, Grist Mill Papers, Three Village Historical Society & Museum Collections

08/14/2026

🥬 farmers markets matter 🥬

Farmers markets connect us with fresh food, local farms, and the people who grow it. Every purchase supports a small business, strengthens our local economy, and helps preserve Long Island's agricultural heritage.

🥒 But what keeps people coming back week after week? It more than pickles on a stick or a bottle of North Fork wine. It's how you feel while you're here.

The Three Village Farmers & Artisans Market is a "Third Space" - a place that isn't home and isn't work, but somewhere people naturally gather. On Friday evenings, our historic campus transforms into a community living room.

💚 Families picnic on the lawn, children play together, neighbors catch up, musicians perform, local authors share their work, and visitors explore the Museum free of charge. Farmers answer questions about what's in season, kids meet the people who grow their food, and local history becomes part of everyday life.

Whether this is your first time visiting the farmers market, or you're here every week, or you've been here for all 12 years, thank you for making our market the best on Long Island.

08/13/2026

⛵️ sail away ⛵️

All aboard the Liberty Clipper

🌅 TVHS members & guests were treated to an absolutely magical sunset sail around Port Jefferson Harbor and into the Long Island Sound

Our crew cruised at a leisurely pace on a mostly windless evening, enjoying the warm summer air and picturesque panoramic views

🌊 The joyful smiles on board said it all - families and friends spending time, sharing stories, and sipping champagne all while being reminded of the natural beauty of our amazing island

It wasn’t all fun & games of course - we had to help hoist the sails, steer the ship, and jig the rigging (might be making words up now…)

⚓️ All in all, everyone loved their experience aboard the Liberty Clipper and TVHS hopes to welcome the ship to Port Jefferson Harbor as their official summertime home very soon!!!

We are excited to bring you history on the seas and new programming to this historic vessel so stay tuned

💛 Thank you to our friends at the Liberty Clipper for this extraordinary invite - we’ll be back!

08/13/2026

👟 During Long Island 250, don't just learn about history ...walk through it

Join TVHS & Tri-Spy Tours to discover the landscapes where members of the Culper Spy Ring lived, gathered intelligence, and changed the course of the American Revolution.

🔎 Led by historian Margo Arceri, these immersive walking tours invite you to experience history where it actually happened. Every stop, every stone, every path reveals another layer of the remarkable story that unfolded right here in the Three Village area.

As Margo says, "The community is our museum... and everywhere you turn is an artifact."

✨ 2 new tour dates just added:

📅 Sunday, August 23
📅 Saturday, September 5

🎟️ Reserve your spot today at TVHS.org

08/12/2026

🗃️ Archive Wednesday: The Opening of Quaker Path, 1903

Building off last week’s Archive Wednesday post mentioning the Childs family and their connection to what would become the Setauket Neighborhood House, this photograph offers another glimpse into their presence in the Three Village community.

Taken on July 25th, 1903, the photograph documents festivities surrounding the opening of Quaker Path, a new road connecting Old Field with the Stony Brook railway station, which included a parade. This was accomplished by the Old Field Association which was formed in 1902 by Frank Melville Jr. (1860-1935). A handwritten inscription identifies Mrs. Eversley Childs ( 1867-1944) as receiving “First prize for decorations without flowers.” This likely refers to a parade category in which participants decorated using materials other than flowers perhaps ribbons, greenery, or other ornamental materials.

Around this time, Eversley Childs (1867-1953) and his family had established themselves at Crane Neck, purchasing more than 350 acres and eventually expanding their holdings to approximately 500 acres. In the decades that followed, the family made lasting contributions to the Three Villages, including support for the Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, improvements around the Stony Brook LIRR station, and of course the gift of the former Elderkin property for use as the Neighborhood House. Stony Brook University Special Collections currently preserves the Eversley Childs Collection, which includes materials relating to the Childs family, further documenting their influence in the area SBU Special Collections

More than 120 years later, Quaker Path remains a familiar part of our community. This photograph reminds us that even the roads we travel every day have histories of their own and that the opening of Quaker Path was once an occasion worthy of a parade and celebration!

Do you have any memories, photographs, or stories connected to Quaker Path? Share them with us!

📸 “Opening Quaker Path,” July 25, 1903. Collections of the Three Village Historical Society and Museum.

Address

93 N Country Road
East Setauket, NY
11733

Opening Hours

Monday	12pm - 4pm
Friday	3pm - 7pm
Saturday	12pm - 4pm
Sunday	12pm - 4pm

Website

https://www.tvhs.org/

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