Oysterponds Historical Society Joins Long Island “Digital Tapestry” Initiative

Orient, NY – August 13, 2024

OYSTERPONDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY JOINS

LONG ISLAND “DIGITAL TAPESTRY” APP EXPERIENCE

Free App Uses Augmented Reality to Bring Revolutionary War History Alive

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 Oysterponds Historical Society (OHS) joins a dozen Long Island museums and historical societies now offering visitors history in the palm of their hands with a free app that uses augmented reality to create immersive learning experiences.

Each app has been developed in conjunction with historians at participating museums and highlights little-known stories tied to one of three historical themes: the African American experience, the American Revolution and Theodore Roosevelt. While diverse in focus, the museum apps are part of the Long Island “Digital Tapestry” initiative, developed by the technology company 360XR and funded by the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation.

“Oysterponds Historical Society is delighted to be able to utilize 21^st century technology to share fascinating stories about the American Revolution and how the people of present-day East Marion and Orient lived through a challenging time of divided loyalties and hardships and ultimately emerged triumphant,” said Alison Ventura, Executive Director of OHS. “And we are grateful for the generosity of the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, which has allowed OHS to share this remarkable program with our visitors.”

The 1776AR app uses next-generation digital storytelling to engage visitors and make history fresh and relevant to new generations of museum-goers. Visitors simply download the app and point their cameras at designated spots to launch the experience. Augmented reality technology enables historical figures to “come alive” to recount pivotal moments in local history.

This app is compatible with both Apple and Android devices and is available from the Apple App Store or Google Play store.

Upon downloading the app, visitors to OHS’s Orient, NY campus will embark on a fascinating 30-minute augmented reality tour guided by key Revolutionary War-era community figures. They’ll see and hear from the following: teacher, storekeeper, innkeeper, and diarist Augustus Griffin; merchant, husband, father of nine, innkeeper, and owner of the Webb House, Orange Webb; supporter of the patriot cause James Griffing, who escaped being captured by British soldiers by jumping out of his 2nd floor window; and two courageous Oysterponds women, Mrs. Deborah Townsend and Mrs. Corwin, who fought back against the occupying British soldiers, valiantly protecting family and property.

Even when the Oysterponds Historical Society is closed, visitors can still access the program and take the tour.

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Besides OHS, the participating institutions are:

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Raynham Hall Museum

30 West Main Street, Oyster Bay NY 11771

www.raynhamhallmuseum.org

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Three Village Historical Society

93 North Country Road, Setauket NY 11733

www.threevillagehistoricalsociety.org

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Shelter Island Historical Society

16 South Ferry Road, Shelter Island NY 11964

www.shelterislandhistorical.org

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Smithtown Historical Society

239 E. Main Street, Smithtown NY 11787

www.smithtownhistorical.org

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Ketcham Inn

81 Main Street, Center Moriches NY 11934

www.ketchaminnfoundation.org

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Green-Wood Cemetery

500 25th Street, Brooklyn NY 11232

www.green-wood.com

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East Hampton Historical Society

151 Main Street, East Hampton NY 11937

www.easthamptonhistory.org

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Oyster Bay Railroad Museum

1 Railroad Ave., Oyster Bay NY 11771

www.obrm.org

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Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon Center

134 Cove Road, Oyster Bay NY 11771

https://roosevelt.audubon.org/

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Meadow Croft Estate

299 Middle Road, Sayville NY 11782

www.bayportbluepointheritage.org

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Montauk Historical Society

2000 Montauk Highway, Montauk NY 11954

www.montaukhistoricalsociety.org

Oysterponds Historical Society (OHS)

Local residents created Oysterponds Historical Society (OHS) in 1944 in order to bring people together to share and celebrate the unique history and culture of the North Fork, Long Island hamlets 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.

Today, OHS maintains seven historically-significant buildings located in the heart of Orient, New York’s landmark historic district; cares for 8½ acres of grounds, including Poquatuck Park, a cherished community gathering spot; and actively manages a collection of over 60,000 items, including historic artifacts, documents, diaries, works of art, and archival objects dating from pre-colonial times all the way through to the present.

OHS offers myriad compelling exhibitions of contemporary or historical significance, lectures, webinars, and other community events and activities open to the public, as well as resources for genealogical and archival research. Several OHS’s historic buildings are open to the public on a regular basis during the summer months: Village House is period-furnished with noteworthy pieces from the OHS collection and shown as a late 19th-century boarding house, demonstrating a significant chapter in its history. The 18th-century Webb House is also period-furnished and contains a permanent Maritime exhibition. The recently refurbished and repurposed 19th-century Red Barn boasts a brand-new, multi-media exhibition comprised of pictures, tools, equipment, and artifacts of farming and fishing as well as winter activities and early transportation. The objects on display are intended to evoke images of life in the Oysterponds community as the 19th century transitioned to the 20th.

For more information, please call (631) 323-2480 or visit www.OysterpondsHistoricalSociety.org.

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