EHHS: ‘Tom Twomey Free Lecture Series thru 2026 | The Spirit of 76 Podcast | Marine Mammals ….

Dear Friend, 

Kicking off our Semiquincentennial celebrations to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the East Hampton Historical Society has launched a new monthly podcast entitled Spirit of 76: East Hampton in the American Revolution. These three-minute segments describe the progression of the American Revolution in East Hampton each month during 1776. As podcast listeners will learn starting with the January episode – available now – East Hampton residents were far from passive witnesses to the War of Independence, they played an active role in helping found the American republic.

The Spirit of 76 podcast was researched, written, and narrated by East Hampton High School student Colin Kelley who relied on an array of historical documents. As Colin explained, “local history helps us understand how large events were experienced by real people in our own communities. Using a variety of primary and secondary sources, I wrote these segments, organizing them chronologically to show how East Hampton experienced the Revolutionary War as it unfolded.” Thanks to East Hampton Library for enabling Colin to record in their podcast studio.

The project was conceived by East Hampton Town and Village Historian Hugh King, who wanted to explore how the momentous events of 1776 shaped East Hampton past and present. As Hugh noted, “In addition to chronicling East Hampton’s history relative to the Revolutionary War, the podcast reminds us that the words of the Declaration of Independence are critically relevant to our lives today.”

You can listen to the Spirit of 76 podcast via Spotify, as well as finding it on the Historical Society’s blog on our website and via our mobile app on www.BloombergConnects.org. January 1776 is available now and I hope you’ll tune in every month to learn more about East Hampton in the American Revolution!

Sincerely,

Steve Long, Executive Director 

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Monitoring Marine Mammals

at the East Hampton Town Marine Museum

Friday, January 16 and Monday, January 19

The East Hampton Historical Society is leading an innovative program at the East Hampton Town Marine Museum to educate our community about marine mammals in the mid-Atlantic. One of the whale species we focus on at the Marine Museum is the North Atlantic Right Whale. It is critically endangered, facing severe threats from human activity, especially vessel strikes.

On Friday, January 16 at 3 PM and Monday, January 19 at 1 PM, you’re invited to join our “Marine Mammal and Maritime History” program presented free-of-charge in collaboration with the South Fork Natural History Museum. During this special tour of the Marine Museum at 301 Bluff Road in Amagansett, you’ll see photographs and data obtained from NOAA, MotionInfo, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and local agencies monitoring marine mammals. You’ll definitely have a “Whale of a Time”!

Photo by Stacy Myers

TOM TWOMEY SERIES

Kicks off January 30 at 7 PM

David Cataletto presents “Landmarks & Legends: East Hampton Unveiled”

This year, the East Hampton Historical Society is thrilled to partner with the East Hampton Library on the Tom Twomey Series. Offered throughout the year in the East Hampton Library’s Baldwin Room, the Series kicks off January 30 at 7 PM with East Hampton educator David Cataletto presenting Landmarks & Legends: East Hampton Unveiled. Exploring the rich history behind East Hampton’s place names, David will describe how Native American, African, and European influences shaped the Town’s landmarks, places, and roads.

Upcoming Lectures

Thursday, February 26 at 5:30 PM: Uncovering the Past: Archaeology at Sylvester Manor

• Dr. Nedra Lee shares discoveries about the lives of enslaved people who lived and worked at Shelter Island’s Sylvester Manor, revealing a complex and interconnected history that still shapes our lives.

Friday, March 27 at 7 PM: Valedictory Orations, Songs and Speeches, Harangues and Dialogues: Clinton Academy 1821-1921

• Clinton Hall’s 100-year history as East Hampton’s center of entertainment is brought to life in this program hosted by Town and Village Historian, Hugh King.

Friday, April 24 at 7 PM: History of East Hampton in the American Revolution

• Leah K. Lebec presents her late father’s groundbreaking research elucidating what happened during the revolutionary era, providing a unique perspective on East Hampton’s struggles during the nation’s War for Independence.

Thursday, May 21 at 5:30 PM: Historic Gardens of East Hampton

• Author of The Gardens of the Hamptons, Blue Carreon describes the history of many of East Hampton’s most iconic gardens.

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Programs are free of charge and take place in the Baldwin Room

at the East Hampton Library, 159 Main Street. Advanced reservations are suggested by not required.

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For more information and to reserve a seat, please visit www.TomTwomeySeries.org.

From the Collections

Evidence suggests that instead of working with Pelletreau, Sayre was actually apprenticed to James Tiley, a gold and silversmith in Hartford, Connecticut. According to an April 1780 newspaper ad placed by Tiley in the Connecticut Courant and the Weekly Intelligencer (shown here), Sayre ran away from his apprenticeship and likely returned to Southampton. Tiley provided a very detailed description of Sayre that was not very flattering. Apparently, Sayre was about 5 feet, 7 inches tall and left Hartford with several articles of clothing including silver shoe buckles. Upon returning to Long Island, Sayre opened a silversmith shop in Southampton and married Mary Halsey in 1784.

The serving spoon by Paul Sayre in the Historical Society’s collection has the initials “T M G” on the tip of the handle. It was donated to the Historical Society from the estate of Alice Miller Osborne Ham who lived for many years on Buell Lane. Because both of Alice’s parents were German-speaking immigrants who arrived in the U.S. in 1901, it’s likely impossible that the spoon was made for her ancestors. She may have acquired it through marriage or via purchase at some point before she died in 2013 at the age of 105.

Update on the new Collections Storage Center

Thanks to the generous support of the New York State Council on the Arts and to dozens of donors in our community, construction is progressing rapidly on the new Collections Storage Center at Mulford Farm. During the past two months, BK Builder and an army of subcontractors have worked on finishing the electrical work in the building and installing the HVAC system, gutters, flooring, insulation, and sheet rock, and preparing for the arrival of the elevator. We anticipate construction will be finished with plenty of time for the installation this spring of our new compact mobile shelving and collections storage equipment, which is made possible through a matching grant from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation.

We are looking forward to celebrating the completed project this summer!