Suffolk County Historical Museum: AMERICA 250 Events & Exhibits Schedule at the Museum

To register for programs, call 631-727-2881 x100.

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LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER!!!

AMERICA 250 Lecture: William Floyd of Mastick: He Dared to Sign, presented by MaryLaura Lamont. Saturday, June 6, 2026 – 1:00 PM.

Members Free; Non-Members $8. Includes light refreshments. RSVP and prepayment required: 631-727-2881 x100

William Floyd of Mastic (then, Mastick) risked his life, family, and lands when he signed the Declaration of Independence —one of only four New Yorkers to do so. This presentation explores his life and times, culminating in the historic signing of the Declaration on August 2, 1776.

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AMERICA 250 EXHIBIT:

Visions of Freedom – A Multimedia Exhibition by Women Sharing Art, Inc.

In Our Gish Gallery March 1 – August 22, 2026

EVENING RECEPTION: Thursday, June 25, 2026, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. $5 admission, members free. Light refreshments will be served.

In Visions of Freedom over 30 talented artists bring together diverse perspectives to explore what freedom means in the American experience. Through deeply personal expressions and varied artistic languages, from richly textured mosaics and luminous glass pieces to evocative photographs and expressive paintings, the exhibit celebrates both historical ideals and contemporary interpretations of liberty, identity, and possibility. Drawing on each artist’s unique background and voice, the works invite viewers to reflect on the many dimensions of freedom in a nation shaped by diverse cultures, struggles, and stories. Visions of Freedom is not only a visual display of craftsmanship across media but also a thoughtful dialogue about the ideals at the core of America’s ongoing journey.

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America 250 Lecture: “Bearing the Nation: Enslaved Women, Labor, and the Creation of the United States” with Melanie Cardone-Leathers. Saturday, June 27, 2026 – 1:00 PM. $8, members free. Registration and prepayment required: 631-727-2881 x100.

Slavery is often told as a southern story, but in revolutionary-era New York, the largest slave-holding state in the North, enslaved women were central to households, farms, and cities, sustaining patriot families and local economies. This presentation explores how enslaved women on Long Island and across New York cooked, labored, and raised children whose enslaved status followed their own, all while navigating war and an unequal legal system. Drawing on archival records, the presenter will recover the lives that history has overlooked and challenge the enduring myth of a “gentler” northern slavery.

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America 250 Exhibit: For the Blessings of Liberty: Suffolk County and the American Revolution

On August 27th, 1776, the American army under command of General George Washington suffered defeat by the British at the Battle of Brooklyn. Washington’s army retreated, and Long Island would be under British control for the next seven years – longer than any other part of America.

Nearly a third of Suffolk County residents were able to flee to the mainland, but for those left behind – by choice or necessity – those seven years would be filled with uncertainty, divided loyalties, curfews, raids and confiscation, forced labor, and demands of the ever-present British soldiers.

Through our collection of historical artifacts – some of which are on display for the first time – the Suffolk County Historical Society explores this crucial period in our county’s history to examine the dear price we paid for the “Blessings of Liberty.”

In Our Weathervane Gallery May 9, 2026 – May 2027.

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Suffolk County Historical Society MUSEUM
300 W. Main St., Riverhead, NY 11901
631.727.2881 www.SuffolkCountyHistoricalSociety.org
Gallery Hours:Wednesday – Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m, excluding holidays.

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