The Long Island History Project

Chris Kretz

Interviews with historians, scholars, authors and anyone with a story to tell and a passion for this unique region of New York.

  1. Episode 215: The Carnegie Library of Patchogue

    FEB 23

    Episode 215: The Carnegie Library of Patchogue

    The story of the Carnegie Library in Patchogue is a great case study in library history. The village started with an association library in the late 1800s, a subscription-based collection of books that floated between stores and offices and languished for lack of funds. Then the women's suffragist organization Sorosis spearheaded the effort to turn the neglected collection into a New York State-chartered public library by 1900. The next leap was a $10,000 donation (later raised to $15,000) from steel magnate and library philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. The money funded the construction of a neo-classical building on Lake St. that brought state-of-the-art library service to the people of Patchogue. However, by the end of the 20th century the public library had moved down the block, Briarcliff College had come and gone, and the Carnegie building sat empty, soon endangered by looming development. The story has a happy ending as the building now sits at the corner of West Main St. and West Ave, serving as a vibrant teen center and a museum for the Greater Patchogue Historical Society. How did that happen? Listen to Patchogue librarians Jessi Bouchelle and Gary Lutz, along with the Historical Society's Steve Lucas, tell the tale. Further Research Teen Center at the Patchogue Carnegie Library Patchogue Medford Library History Greater Patchogue Historical Society Carnegie Libraries Across America Van Slyck, Abigail A. "" The Utmost Amount of Effectiv [sic] Accommodation": Andrew Carnegie and the Reform of the American Library." The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 50, no. 4 (1991): 359-383. Intro Music: https://homegrownstringband.com/ Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0

    25 min
  2. Episode 214: Occupied Long Island: Voices from the American Revolution

    JAN 19

    Episode 214: Occupied Long Island: Voices from the American Revolution

    Today's episode is a recording of a panel discussion hosted on January 15, 2026 by the Long Island Library Resources Council. The panelists, all notable historians who have researched the Revolutionary War period on Long Island, give their insights into what life was like in the area from 1776-1783. This time of British occupation saw the inhabitants of Kings, Queens, and Suffolk counties suffer depredations brought on by British and Hessian troops as well as by Patriot attacks from across Long Island Sound. You'll hear about the enslaved Black woman Liss from Oyster Bay, about the activities of the Culper Spy Ring, and the experiences of others ranging from British officer John Simcoe to Elizabeth Lewis, wife of Declaration signatory Francis Lewis. The panel itself was funded by a WETA grant awarded to LILRC in support of programming related to the PBS documentary The American Revolution by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt. Further Research The American Revolution (PBS) Dr. Joanne Grasso The American Revolution on Long Island. (Find in a library via WorldCat) George Washington's 1790 Grand Tour of Long Island. (Find in a Library via WorldCat) Dr. Natalie Naylor Women in Long Island's Past: A History of Eminent Ladies and Everyday Lives. (Find in a library via WorldCat) Long Island Studies Institute Claire Bellerjeau Remember Liss.org Espionage and Enslavement in the Revolution: the True Story of Robert Townsend and Elizabeth. (Find in a library via WorldCat) Long Island Library Resources Council Feature image from the New York Public Library Intro Music: https://homegrownstringband.com/ Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0

    1 hr
  3. Episode 209: Three Village Historical Society Oral Histories

    10/10/2025

    Episode 209: Three Village Historical Society Oral Histories

    Christian Avenue sits at the heart of the Three Village area on the North Shore of Long Island. Surrounded by Old Fields, Setauket, and Stony Brook it has long been home to a community of Black and Native American families. The names of the people date back to before the Revolution and include the Harts, Sells, Greens, and Tobias. They also provide evidence of the perpetual presence of the Setalcott Indians and their ties to the Shinnecock. Now designated as the Bethel-Christian Avenue-Laurel Hill Historical District, it's an area steeped in  history. That's what drew Glenda Dickerson to develop her Eel Catching in Setauket oral history project in the late 1980s. A professor of theater at Stony Brook University, Glenda, her students, and colleagues like Fai Walker and Noberto Valle set out to document and celebrate the history and heritage of Christian Avenue. The project culminated with a theatrical production at Stony Brook. Glenda donated all of her materials from the project to the Three Village Historical Society. Today we sit down with Scott Ferrara, the Society's curator, and Rob Anen of the Long Island Library Resources Council to discuss the history of Christian Avenue, the history of the recordings, and the important stories they tell. Voices on the episode: Glenda Dickerson Lucy Hart Keyes Sarah Hart Hines, Theodore Green, and Caroline Sells Moore Florence Beatrice Sells Woodhull and Violet Rebecca Sells Thompson Ida Mae Glass and Barbara Treadwell Cast members performing in Eel Catching in Setauket Further Research Eel Catching in Setauket – An Oral History Collection Three Village Oral History Collection Glenda Dickerson Setalcott Indian Nation Shinnecock Nation Intro music: https://homegrownstringband.com/

    37 min
4.4
out of 5
42 Ratings

About

Interviews with historians, scholars, authors and anyone with a story to tell and a passion for this unique region of New York.

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