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| A message from Alison Ventura, OHS Executive Director…
As summer’s busy pace eases into fall, it’s a good moment to reflect on all that filled our calendar this year—and to look ahead to a few noteworthy happenings still on the horizon.
None of it would be possible without the members, volunteers, and supporters who keep showing up for OHS, year after year. It truly does take a village to keep the Oysterponds Historical Society running and thriving, and we’re deeply grateful for ours. |
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A look back at a few of this past year’s noteworthy events…
This year was filled with programming for every taste: from a fascinating Ice Boat Talk with John Holzapfel to a lively Bingo Night; Jonathan Galassi’s captivating poetry reading; a Revolutionary War re-enactment in Poquatuck Park by the 3rd Regiment that brought history vividly to life; a Webb House Tavern Night packed with fun and delicious fare; the 17th annual Heritage Day; a toe-tapping concert by Oysterponds favorites, the Mudflats; Bea Lalli’s joyous 100th Birthday Ice Cream Social; and a kid-friendly Magic Show starring the mesmerizing Amore!
We’d like to call out two events for particular acknowledgement:
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As the year’s most important fundraiser—attended by well over 275 guests—the event raised over $75,000 for OHS’s operating budget. The hard work and resourcefulness of all the volunteers guaranteed that the night would be a smashing success.
Ticket sales, along with generous bidding in the silent and live auctions, put us in a stronger position to safeguard Oysterponds’ stories, preserve and share our collections, and inspire the next generation of historians, artists, students, and explorers.
We would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge—once again!—the sponsors for the event: Treiber Farms; Riverhead Building & Supply; Beaver Tree; Greenport & Southold IGA; Kolb Heating & Cooling; Peconic Landing; Mattituck Environmental Services; Neefus Stype Agency Inc.; and Orient by the Sea Friends of OHS. We extend our sincere gratitude for their support and their dedication to the local community.
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Sincerely, Oysterponds:
The History of Orient & East Marion in Letters & Diaries
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| OHS hosted Sincerely, Oysterponds, a free community reading of letters, diary entries, newspaper articles, poems, and more that, taken together, told the story of Oysterponds through the centuries. Attendees packed Poquatuck Hall to the rafters and heard Steve Rabinowitz, Chris Wedge, Jennifer Babtist, Billy Hands, Sharon Lesser, Alex McIntosh, Rebecca Nazer, Charles Dean, and Jonathan Galassi. It was a moving evening of discovery, community, and connection that recounted the very human story of Oysterponds as only the voices of its own people could tell it. |
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Another Summer of Compelling Exhibitions
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Photo courtesy of MaHong Bloom.
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The heart of OHS is its collection, and the historical objects within it inform the exhibitions open to the public every year. 2026 was no different: Village House featured six new exhibitions, including Curlicue Wicker; Lost Oysterponds; Children’s Vehicles; Recent Acquisitions; Abraham G. D. Tuthill; and Robert Berks’ Mary McLeod Bethune Memorial.
Webb House, besides its permanent Maritime Exhibition, welcomed a new exhibition, “When the War Came Home: Oysterponds & the American Revolution,” made possible by a grant from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation.
The Red Barn continued to draw visitors with its permanent multi-media exhibition of pictures, tools, equipment, and artifacts spanning the history of North Fork farming and fishing, as well as winter activities and early transportation.
And, lastly, OHS has been honored to host “The Weather” (pictured), a remarkable exhibition by acclaimed artist Barbara Bloom. Bloom utilizes seascape paintings from the OHS collection and displays them such that sea and the sky are partially obstructed, revealing only glimpses of their drama or calm. Accompanying these are gray-green-blue carpets featuring raised-dot patterns forming Braille texts, each with a different literary description of the weather. The exhibition accentuates the complexity of seeing… leaving much to the imagination
And there’s still time to visit all of them—for the first time or once again! OHS’s buildings and the exhibitions therein remain open Fridays 2-5pm, Saturdays 11am-5pm, and Sundays 2-5pm until Sunday, September 27th.
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Spotlight on Additions to the OHS Collection
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Isabelle Booth Scott and her daughter Anne Booth Depage had reached out to us early in 2025 about donating a portrait of Captain Constant Booth, a direct descendent and an early owner of OHS’s Webb House. The donation was two-part, as it included the very telescope that the Captain is depicted holding in the portrait!
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At the start of the summer, Anne and her husband Joe (pictured above with OHS Collections Manager Amy Folk) visited from California and were delighted to see that the portrait of the Captain, attributed to Asher B. Durand, now proudly hangs above the displayed telescope in the front parlor of Webb House—the home he was born in!—ready to greet visitors.
Thank you, Isabelle and Anne, for your most generous—and historically-relevant—donation to OHS!
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Portrait of George Washington
Abraham Tuthill Oil on panel, c. 1825
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This portrait was painted by Abraham Gulielmus Dominy Tuthill (1776-1843), who was born in Oysterponds. Evidently based on engravings of Gilbert Stuart’s famous portrait of Washington, the painting is undated but certainly dates from the years following Tuthill’s studies in London with eminent American-born painter Benjamin West. This portrait of Washington descended in his sister, Mary Maria Tuthill Vail’s family and was documented in 1950 as being in Montpelier, Vermont in the collection of Mrs. R.W. Huse, his sister’s great great-granddaughter.
The Portrait of George Washington, shown above as it hangs in Village House, was purchased this year by OHS with funds provided by Martha Cassidy & Susan Gardner, Leslie & Clifford Cohen, Charles Dean & Sinan Karabas, Tenoch Esparza & Jonathan Galassi, Ann ffolliott, Joyce & John Holzapfel, Sylvia Newman & Fredrica Wachsberger, and Alison & Michael Ventura.
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| OHS is delighted that, in its role of as an important community hub, it is able to provide a platform for the outstanding artwork produced by our friends and neighbors.
50% of the purchase price will go to the artist and 50% will represent a contribution to OHS.
Sat. 10/10, Sun. 10/11 and Mon. 10/12: 11am to 5pm
Tue. 10/13, Wed. 10/14 and Thur. 10/15: 2pm to 5pm
Fri. 10/16, Sat. 10/17, and Sun. 10/18: 11am to 5pm
Old Point Schoolhouse
1555 Village Ln, Orient |
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Robin Becker, considered by many to be the foremost feminist poet of her generation, will give a poetry reading and host a Q & A following her presentation.
Audience members will hear poems that concern Becker’s lifelong exploration of beloved animals, childhood, family life, intimate relationships, and cherished places. A former William Steeple Davis Trust Artist-in-Residence, Becker will read poems composed during her fellowship year, including one based on her close study of Davis’ childhood drawings.
Saturday, October 22nd @11am
Old Point Schoolhouse
1555 Village Ln, Orient
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Not a current OHS member? Join the OHS team!
If you are a member, we offer a heartfelt thank-you and ask that you please consider making a donation.
Volunteers are the backbone of OHS—if you’d like to volunteer in 2027, please email us at office@ohsny.org.
Your continued support makes it possible for us to bring the community together to share experiences and celebrate the history and culture of this special place.
Thank you!
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Mission
Oysterponds Historical Society (OHS) brings people together to share and celebrate the unique history and culture of Orient and East Marion. By presenting shared experiences from the past, we connect our rich heritage to the present and pass it on to future generations.
www.oysterpondshistoricalsociety.org
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