Three Village Historical Society

Three Village Historical Society: Bringing History to Life At the Three Village Historical Society, you can learn about the area's rich and fascinating past The Three Village Historical Society's mission is to foster and preserve local history and educate the public about our rich cultural heritage. The Society was formed in 1964 to arouse interest in, educate about and disseminate to the public materials that have been discovered and collected that establish or illustrate the history of the Three Villages, to provide for the preservation and accessibility of such materials as well as historic buildings and monuments, and to acquire diverse types of articles of local historical significance. The Regents of the University of the State of New York granted the Society an Absolute Charter in 1968.Since 1964, the Three Village Historical Society has met the founders' vision to preserve the communty's shared heritage. The Society provides residents of the area with continuity of place by collecting, preserving and interpreting local history and culture, buildings, cemeteries, artifacts, documents and other materials of local, state and national significance, developing a wide array of educational programs for in-school presentations as well as public lectures, hosting guided tours and a website for the general public, and researching and publishing the history of communities that have lived in the area from earliest habitation of original, native populations to contemporary residents. The goals of the Society are:- To nurture public appreciation for our area's historical heritage- To develop educational resources- To provide access to the Society's store of knowledge- To expand and develop the society's existing resources- To strengthen the Society's financial positionThe Society's holdings are organized into three complementary collections with a common purpose: to acquire, preserve and make available for research and study materials related to the Three Villages. The collections consist of:- The Captain Edward R. Rhodes Memorial Collection of Local History, which preserves and makes available for research a wide array of documents, photographs, maps, and ephemera pertaining to the history, development and activities of the Three Village area. Materials in the collection date from the 17th century to the present- The Artifacts Collection, which consists of tools, textiles, paintings,small business and domestic furnishings that document everyday life in the area- The Oral History Collection, which was originally a collection of World War II memories of area residents and now has expanded to include audio and video interviews with a broad spectrum of local residents and others with family or personal connections to the Three Villages, to develop a comprehensive oral history of the area and its evolution.In addition, the Society co-owns two letters regarding the Setauket Spy Ring signed by George Washington (dated 1779 and 1780), and sent to Major Benjamin Tallmadge, who led a group of spies based in the Three Village area. These letters are securely housed within Stony Brook University's Special Collections and have national significance while also highlighting Long Island's critical role in the Revolutionary War.The Society continues to follow its mission to preserve local history and educate the public with new research and conservation projects. Research is underway for a future exhibit on a little-before documented, culturally diverse neighborhood, "Chicken Hill" that thrived from 1860 - 1960. The first part of the project, covering the years 1930 - 1960 is nearing completion, as interviews with former residents and research of primary archival and historical records are being finalized. It is anticipated that financing for an exhibit will be fully secured by winter 2011, and materials, both audio and visual, that highlight the neighborhood will be displayed in the Society's headquarters.