Preservation L.I: Wood and Water Exhibit thru 11.22nd | Preservation Update | Paddle Party, 11.27th & More ….

Executive Director Jackie Powers at entrance to Preservation Long Island’s current exhibition, on view through November 22, 2026.

Scenes from Culper Spy Day at Sherwood-Jayne Farm. October 3, 2026.
Top (left to right): Tour group under a 200-year-old black walnut tree; view of colonial musicians from farmhouse window. Bottom (left to right): Kids’ craft table; Big Bill the Tory (aka David Burt).

Dear Friends of Preservation Long Island,I hope you are enjoying the crisp early days of fall. This weekend, take in the changing leaves at our historic properties across Long Island, and catch a guided tour of our house museums before they close for the season on October 11.

Our headquarters exhibition gallery on historic Main Street in Cold Spring Harbor is also a wonderful autumn destination, featuring the spectacular current exhibition, Wood and Water: Furniture on Long Island, 1660–1860, an exploration of more than 200 years of Long Island furniture and decorative arts. On view through November 22, the exhibition is open Thursday through Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. On October 22, the gallery will remain open until 8 p.m. for the village’s Annual Witches Night Out.

In this update, I am also excited to share details and online registration links for our upcoming October and November programs, several of which are related to Wood and Water, including a tour of the exhibition with our Chief Curator and Director of Collections, Lauren Brincat, and Peggy N. Gerry Curatorial Fellow, Steven Baltsas. In addition, a historic furniture-making demonstration and a visit to the Dominy Workshops in East Hampton are on our fall events calendar.

Coming up on October 17 and 18, we are hosting a special weekend celebration at Joseph Lloyd Manor honoring the 315th birthday of Long Island poet Jupiter Hammon.

We are also pleased to invite Preservation Long Island members to a private tour of the American Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on November 4, led by Curator of American Decorative Arts Alyce Perry Englund. Not a PLI member? Click HERE to join.

And one more date to mark on your calendar: Save the Date for our 2nd Annual Paddle Party on November 27 from 5–8 p.m. at the Piping Rock Club. Details and registration coming soon.

On the historic preservation front, you will also find below a summary of the latest advocacy efforts to defend the National Historic Preservation Act.

Historic Preservation Under Threat – Update on Proposed Changes to National Historic Preservation Act

On August 27, a coalition of more than 800 public, private, and nonprofit-sector organizations sent an open letter to Congress calling on lawmakers to protect and strengthen Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and reject efforts by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) to rewrite the regulations. Preservation Long Island is a signatory to the letter.

According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, if implemented, these proposed changes would dramatically diminish the effectiveness of the NHPA and the legal protections currently in place for historic and cultural places across the country. We continue to monitor developments in the review process and the timeline for public comment.

Click HERE to view the full list of signatory organizations and read the August 27th open letter to Congress.
Click HERE for updates and guidance from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

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Wood and Water Exhibition Fall Special Programs

Click the squares to learn more and reserve your spot.

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A Weekend Honoring Poet Jupiter Hammon

Join us at Joseph Lloyd Manor for special weekend tours and programs celebrating the 315th birthday of Jupiter Hammon (ca. 1711–c. 1806), a prolific writer, poet, and preacher who was enslaved by the Lloyd family. America’s first published Black poet, Hammon authored many of his most significant works while enslaved at Joseph Lloyd Manor, which is now designated as a National Literary Landmark.

Saturday, October 17 – Joseph Lloyd Manor will be open for free guided tours at 11am, 12:30pm, or 2:00pm.
Click HERE to register for the guided tours.

Sunday, October 18 – Joseph Lloyd Manor will open at 11am for a screening of actor-griot-playwright Malik Work’s short film interpreting Hammon’s An Essay on Slavery, followed by a discussion with the filmmaker. Visitors are also welcome to take self-guided tours from 11am-2pm.
Click HERE to register for the film screening with Malik Work.

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**Last Chance for Guided Tours and Long Island 250 Passport Stamps at Our Historic Properties**

Houses close for the season on October 11

Joseph Lloyd Manor and the Custom House are open for seasonal tours through October 11, 2026.
Tours of Sherwood-Jayne Farm are available through October 10, 2026. Reservations for house tours are recommended and can be scheduled in advance online. Click HERE to schedule your visit.

Long Island 250 Passport Book

Collect stamps from each of our historic properties for the official Long Island 250th Anniversary Passport Book. The Passport Book for Suffolk County is available online through Amazon, Lulu.com, and as a free download. A limited number of paperback Passport Books are available for sale at our historic properties for $9.

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