CNPHS 2023 - 2024 Journal : simplebooklet.com

About the Cover: This hand-colored image from our Society’s extensive postcard collection shows the Sands Point Lighthouse tucked behind the keeper’s house. The dirt path leads to the very tip of the Port Washington peninsula, formerly known as Cow Neck. Note the can of white paint along the fence in the foreground. The sailing ship in the background could have been added to enhance the romantic feel of the scene.The lighthouse was built and nished in 1809 by Noah Mason, a sea captain and Revolutionary War veteran. His fascinating story is told by Society Trustee and Treasurer Glen DeSalvo on page 23.

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CNPHS Trustees & Officers Chris Bain, PresidentMarla Freeman, 1st Vice PresidentKatherine Crean, 2nd Vice PresidentGlen DeSalvo, TreasurerBetty Mintz, Recording SecretaryTrusteesLee AitkenKen BuettnerLinn JohnsonTessa JordanRobert Lager Ross Lumpkin Jon RuvioJay Stone Colin WigginsJennifer WigginsPublication CommitteeChris Bain, Project Coordinator Joan DeMeo Lager, Editor Smallkaps Associates, Inc., Graphic DesignStaffJoan DeMeo Lager, Curatorial DirectorVolunteersA huge “thank you” to all of our dedicated volunteers.Cow Neck Peninsula Historical SocietyOur MissionThe mission of the Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society is to engage people of all ages in programs that highlight the lifestyles of the people and families that lived and worked on our peninsula throughout the years. Central to this mission is the preservation of the Sands-Willets House (circa 1735) and the Thomas Dodge Homestead (circa 1721), which the Society operates as house-museums, serving as resources for the community.

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Cow Neck Peninsula Historical SocietyTable of ContentsA Note from Our President ............................................................... 4Has it been Sixty Years? ..................................................................... 5A Year in the Life of Eliza Keese Willets ........................................... 7Cow Neck Cemeteries ..................................................................... 10How Women Helped Win the War! ............................................... 17Native American History of Port Washington ................................ 21Captain Noah Mason – The Man and His Light ............................ 23Remembering Colin Wiggins .......................................................... 35Our Exhibition Catalog ................................................................... 36Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.org 371017212336

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4 Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.orgDear Local History Fans,We’ve just nished a very successful two-year run of our latest exhibition, WWI: The Home Front. We were proud to receive the prestigious Excellence In Design award from the Museum Association of New York State for our beautiful exhibition catalog.A major thread throughout the exhibition was the story of how women helped to win the War and thus win the vote. This captivated many of our attendees. Accordingly, portions of the exhibition, including the suragist movement, will be incorporated into our tours next year. Our colonial kitchens will once again be featured, complete with beehive oven and cooking hearth, reecting how the Sands women lived here with their families. Elsewhere on our property, the Dutch Sands barn, built about 330 years ago, is in the middle of a several-year transformation. When completed, the barn will be an eye-catching exhibition space displaying tools and artifacts, teaching about our peninsula’s agricultural and shell shing beginnings. Additionally, the Monfort Cemetery has dedicated volunteers who are planning gravestone restorations, in particular, honoring the 12 American Revolutionary War Patriots buried there.As you can see, we have been both busy and productive, including creating this new issue of our Journal, packed with informative articles of local history.To maintain the Society, we truly need the ongoing support of your membership as well as generous donations when possible. The upkeep of the Sands-Willets House, the Sands Barn, and the Thomas Dodge Homestead is a continual challenge. With your help we will be able to continue our house tours, walking tours, video presentations, upcoming exhibitions, and our preservation of local artifacts. We thank you in advance for your generosity. With Gratitude, Chris Bain, President CNPHS

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Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.org 5Has it been Sixty Years?by Joan DeMeo Lager, CNPHS Curatorial DirectorIn our 1982 Journal, Dr. Milton Hopkins asked, “Has it been twenty years?”On Wednesday, November 7, 1962 at 8:00 PM, the rst meeting of the Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society took place in the basement of the Port Washington Police Department. Police Chief James Salerno was elected temporary Chairman. Dr. Milton Hopkins was subsequently elected as the Society’s rst president for a term of three years, a role he was revisiting in 1982.Chief Salerno told the small group of like-minded people at the meeting that the New York State Board of Regents had granted the Society a provisional charter. In order to be eligible for a permanent charter, a number of requirements had to be fullled by the Society:  Financial security; A membership roster showing growth; A governing Board organizing activities, publications, membership meetings, historic site preservation, and historic local, state, or national collections for serving as a museum;  A building for meetings and storage of the collections. In the closing months of 1962, with all ocers elected, a bank account was secured at Franklin National Bank, and the ocial seal, letterhead, and membership applications were designed and printed. A request was made to the Town of North Hempstead to become the custodian of the Cornwall, Sands, Pleasant Avenue, and Harbor Road cemeteries. The rst full year of operations, 1963, opened with 133 regular members and 41 life members. The Research Committee began searching for historic documents and artifacts, and the Town agreed to oversee the Cornwall Cemetery. The Society paraded on Memorial Day for its very rst time and a Columbus Day Parade was planned. The rst edition of the Sketchbook of Historic Houses was published, and the Volume 1, Number 1 issue of our Journal was printed. Despite the fact that there was just one article in it, it is certainly worth the read. The Port I Remember, written by Charlotte Merriman of the former Merriman School, can be read on our website: www.cowneck.org/charlotte-merriman

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6 Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.orgThe last requirement stipulated by the Board of Regents, that of a dedicated building for the Society, was one of the diculties in the rst ve years. Meetings continued to be held at Police Headquarters, the “ocial” address of the Society, or at an ocer’s home. The “Bird House” on lower Main Street was inspected as a possible site, but the building did not receive an approval from the Sewer Commission to hold meetings until 1965. In 1967, the Willets House, “Homewood,” was considered as a headquarters for the Society, and in 1968 three guarantors, Dr. Milton Hopkins being one of them, signed notes at the bank to enable the purchase and restoration of the house.It has been sixty years, and we are delighted to continue to grow the Historical Society’s activities and accomplishments here in this wonderful Sands-Willets House.

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Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.org 7From left: Grandfather Keese, Aunty Anna, Anna. Lila second from rightA Year in the Life of Eliza Keese Willets Chronicled in her 1908 Diaryby Jennifer Wiggins, CNPHS TrusteeThe Willets family was the second family to reside at “Homewood,” our Sands-Willets House. In 1908, the family consisted of Eliza “Lila,” her father Thomas, her Aunty Anna, her sister Anna “Nan,” Nan’s husband Edward Lapham following their marriage in February, and her grandfather, John Keese. Servants were also in residence as Lila mentions hiring cooks and maids from the Colored Mission in New York, a Quaker charitable organization. There were often houseguests staying for a week or more, including Lila’s sorority sister from Swarthmore, Grace Stevenson, who lived with them most of that year and became engaged to Aron Wright Chapman, son of Marianna Wright Chapman of “Westover” in Sands Point. The impression is that 34-year old Lila had a happy secure family and an active social life with much coming and going of friends and relatives, including the Motts and Frasers. There is not much mention of farm activities apart from the killing of pigs and making sausages and lard but she writes of planting her vegetable and ower gardens. There is a brief mention of the strike and arrests on the property they leased out to sand miners, stretching to Hempstead Harbor.Eliza Keese Willets at Swarthmore graduationAunty Anna with sheep at Homewood

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8 Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.orgLila frequently travelled to New York City or Brooklyn where the Willets had strong ties. She saw the rst trolley come to town in 1908 and her father was invited to the opening ceremonies. Although Lila found the trolley “strange,” the very next day she and Aunty were riding it to the train in Roslyn. She was much involved with charitable endeavors, particularly Nassau Hospital (now Winthrop) for which she organized a fundraising Musicale at “Homewood.” She attended regular sewing sessions at various homes to make items for the poor. Linen showers were held for both Nan and Grace, and Lila and Aunty attended meetings for Woman Surage. Alumni events at Swarthmore and Adelphi were also mentioned, as were opera and plays. Not all members of the household went to Meeting every Sunday but Locust Valley, Matinecock and Westbury were attended and there was usually visiting afterwards.The family certainly moved with the times as they had a telephone, hired autos on occasion, and had friends who drove them. Otherwise they must have got about in a horse and buggy. Lila mentions playing tennis at Mrs. Coggeshall’s and golng at the Flushing Country Club, and she and Aunty took physical culture classes, a popular activity of the time. She joined Nan and Edward who often went out on their sailboat, and went out on the 150’ Yacht “Kehtoh” with her friend, Louise, once spending the night aboard. There were clambakes and a trip to Greenport, and a week away at Buck Hill Falls in August. They hosted houseguests for an “auto house party” in October, then travelled to Hick’s Nursery for the race, which, given the date, may have been the rst Vanderbilt Cup Race held on the newly opened Vanderbilt Parkway.The year ended on a sad note when Grandfather Keese became ill with the grippe and died on December 29th at the age of 89. Nurses were engaged for his care and Dr. Wysong often made calls. The funeral and burial were held at the Manhasset Friends Meeting House on the 31st. Lila and Nan had lost a dear relative.The year had opened happily, however, as the family is preparing for Nan and Edward’s wedding at “Homewood.” Excerpts from January in Lila’s 1908 diary follow, and the remainder of the year’s entries can be read on our website at www.cowneck.org/eliza-willets-1908-diary [Errata have been retained in the transcription for authenticity.]Fundraising event at Homewood

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Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.org 9Excerpts from Eliza “Lila” Keese Willets’ 1908 Diary January 5th Grandpa, Aunty and I went to meeting. Joe drove us. Nan and Edward proposals were read at meeting (Preparative) and are forwarded to the monthly meeting.7th Went to N.Y. to Mission for a second girl. Went to 225 W. 30th St. N.Y. Colored Mission.8th Aunty and Nan went to Flushing and ordered Nan’s going away suit, Father, Doug and Elbert cut up two pigs.9th Jane came to make lard from our two pigs. Grandpa and I took 94lbs of sausage to be ground at the butcher.10th Grandpa and I went for the sausage. I helped put it in bags(?) and jars. Mashed currants (8lbs) preparatory to making Nan’s wedding cake tomorrow.11th Cornelia, Nan, Edward and I made the wedding cake. C, E and I took it to the P.W. Bakery to have it baked. One large cake and the rest for boxes.14th Went to N.Y. Colored Mission and engaged Carrie Williams as second girl.16th Sick with grippe. Grace proscribed asafotida 5 of 5gr pills at once, then one each hour for 12 times then 1 every 3 hrs until cured.21st Mary Mewes and Bulah came. Mary to work for $16 per month.22nd Patty gave Nan a beautiful “linen shower” this am.25th Grandpa, Grace and I went to P.W., in sleigh to shop.28th Aunty and I shopped bought my Maid of Honor dress. White (?) Crepe de Chine and lace.29th Changed the telephone to 19L Port Washington. Have phone upstairs today.31st Saw rst trolley car past here. First trolley passed the house at 2.30 pm. Looked very queer. To read the remaining months of this 1908 diary, scan the QR code or visit www.cowneck.org/eliza-willets-1908-diary

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Cow Neck Cemeteries by Chris Bain, CNPHS Trustee & PresidentCow Neck, the original name of the peninsula that includes Port Washington, Sands Point, Flower Hill, Plandome, and the northernmost portions of Manhasset and Roslyn, has a rich and complex history of burial grounds. They range from very small and often overlooked plots originally planned for immediate and extended families, to much larger public cemeteries. Some are hidden, without any identifying signage, completely overgrown beneath fallen branches and trees, while others are well maintained and under varying degrees of preservation. While there are other small family cemeteries lost to the many decades of development, here are short summations of nine local cemeteries. All such hallowed ground deserves our awareness and respect. Monfort CemeteryThe Monfort Cemetery contains 151 graves of some of the earliest Dutch settlers of Cow Neck. These early townspeople and many of their descendants were interred in this burial ground from 1737 to 1892. The cemetery is nearly square, measuring one acre, surrounded by tall oak trees on a hill behind the Post Oce, looking west down Main Street. The property was separated from Rapelje’s 110-acre farm and sold on July 10, 1786, to members of the Onderdonk, Schenck, Hegeman and Dodge families. The graves are arranged in 13 rows organized by family.There are a dozen patriots of the American Revolution interred in this venerable burial ground and it has been designated as a 250th Anniversary Site by the Long Island Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. Notable interments include: Adrian Onderdonck (1726-1794), a signer of the 1775 Declaration of Independence from loyalist Hempstead. The rst town supervisor of North Hempstead in 1784. Thomas Dodge (1721-1789), a signer of the 1775 Declaration of Independence from loyalist Hempstead. Ocer in the American militia.10 Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.org

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 Martin Schenck (1740-1793), a signer of the 1775 Declaration of Independence from loyalist Hempstead. Treasurer of Queens County (1786-1792). Hendrick Onderdonk (1724-1809), owner of the rst paper mill in New York State and a host to George Washington’s Roslyn visit in 1790. Town supervisor (1769-1774). Andrew Onderdonk (1756-1797), a New York State Senator who was elected over Aaron Burr. Petrus Onderdonk (1730-1793), a signer of the 1775 Declaration of Independence from loyalist Hempstead. Ocer in American militia. Henry J. Onderdonk, Jr. (1804-1886), eminent 19th century Long Island historian.In 1984, Burtis Monfort, the most recent owner of the land, transferred ownership of the cemetery to the Town of North Hempstead. The following year the Monfort Cemetery was designated as a town landmark and in 1988 it was added to both the National and State Registers of Historic Places. The cemetery has been undergoing preservation eorts as of 2022, spearheaded by the Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society and the Town of North Hempstead.Flower Hill / Burtis-Ireland CemeteryThe Flower Hill Cemetery, also known as the Burtis-Ireland Burial Ground, is located on Country Club Drive o Port Washington Boulevard, nestled between two homes. It is owned by the Incorporated Village of Flower Hill. The Burtis and Ireland families used the cemetery between 1798 and 1896. There are 10 interments and 8 remaining headstones. At least two men buried in the cemetery fought in the American Revolution: John Burtis served in Colonel Sands’ regiment and Daniel Ireland was a private in the same regiment. Cornwall CemeteryThe Cornwall Cemetery was a family burying ground in use from 1678 to 1870. It was established by English emigrant John Cornwall, who was the largest landowner on the peninsula in the late 17th century. Cornwall received a land grant Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.org 11

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from the English Administrator for North America, Governor Andros, in 1677 and he purchased more land from the Matinecock tribe.Cornwall sold much of his land to Captain John Sands in 1695, but the Cornwall family continued to inter members in the cemetery, located in what is now Soundview, until 1870. Although there were 32 total burials there, only 8 complete and partial headstones still stand. One notable interment is Hewlett Cornwell, who served in Colonel John Sands’ regiment during the American Revolution. There are several variations in the way Cornwall was spelled, including Cornwell, Cornell, and even Corning. The cemetery is owned and maintained by the Town of North Hempstead. Mitchell Burial GroundThe Mitchells established a cemetery where many of John Mitchell Sr.’s descendants were buried near New Street and Fifth Avenue.In 1947 it was reported, “The plot of ground in which the burials are arranged is approximately 50 feet square and surrounded by a stone fence of eld stones placed upon each other. There are 22 stones or parts of stones still in existence today (1947). They are of sandstone type, red in color and placed in three rows. The plot of land lies just over a small hill and upon high ground. The stones are facing the west with their backs to the east but the remains are facing the east.”John Wellington Mitchell of Richmond, Virginia, a descendant of the Mitchell family, sent a detailed map of this cemetery to the Society revealing that the cemetery was originally enclosed by a stone fence. There are four rows of gravestones: three of family members and one where the family slaves and several men who were washed upon the shore are buried.John Mitchell (1716-1792), the founder of this branch of the Mitchell family, is buried here along with his descendants. One of them, Benjamin, killed by robbers at the age of seventeen, died on May 13, 1783. His is the oldest stone in the cemetery. 12 Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.org

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On his gravestone was written:“My dear Redeemer is aboveHim will I go to seeAnd all my friends in Christ belowWill soon come after me.”As of 2023 the cemetery is unmarked and completely overgrown and neglected; no gravestones can be seen among the fallen trees and thick undergrowth. Free Church CemeteryThe Free Church Cemetery, located on Harbor Road on the hillside just east of the Dodge Homestead, was established in 1859. Ninety-ve burials occurred in the cemetery between 1859 and 1935. Many families buried in the cemetery were involved in the clam and oyster business.The Free Church associated with the cemetery burned down in the 1920s, and minimal maintenance since the early 1900s had allowed the cemetery to fall into disrepair causing many families to move the remains of their loved ones to the newer Nassau Knolls Cemetery. According to some members of the Dodge family, the children of tugboat captains were buried in unmarked graves on the eastern slope; there do not seem to be any historical records that conrm this story. The cemetery is owned by the Town of North Hempstead.Pleasant Avenue Burial GroundsThe cemetery on Pleasant Avenue is located just east of the Happy Montessori School, surrounded by an 8’ tall decorative metal fence. The original number of headstones is unknown as the earliest recorded count of headstones wasn’t until 1910. During that count there were 37 headstones, only 3 of which still stand. A bronze plaque on a cement block reads: Village LandmarkPleasant Avenue Memorial ParkUsed 1840 – 1884 as burial ground for the DeVoe, Francis, Sands, Jarvisand other Mill Pond area families. Acquired by the Jones family, it wasdeeded to the Village of Port Washington North by Evelyn PlestedJones, widow of Judge Arthur W. Jones, rst Village Clerk, in 1982, in commemoration of the Village’s 50th Anniversary.Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.org 13

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Sands Family Burial GroundIn 1759, John Sands II (1682-1763), then owner of the original Sands Homestead and burying ground, drafted a codicil to his will ocially designating and reserving the family burying ground. The will states:I give and bequeath unto the family of the Sandses forever for a buryingplace a piece of land six rods square in my orchard round the burying place that is there on Cowneck and on the farm I now live on.Even though John Sands II’s father, John I (1652–1712), founded the family cemetery in ca. 1711, these few words in his will established the legal rights of the Sands family to have perpetual access to the land where their ancestors were interred.The Sands Family Cemetery is located in the Village of Sands Point, Nassau County, New York. It is situated on a wooded knoll and is surrounded by private property. The burial ground consists of approximately one acre of land. Sands’ family records indicate that 112 members of family and friends were buried in the cemetery.The cemetery is currently managed by the Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society, which acts as the agent of the Sands Family. This resting place of the area’s earliest settlers and their descendants on western Long Island is an important historical resource in the community. The largely intact gravestones compose a distinguished collection of eighteenth and nineteenth century funerary art and custom and remain an important legacy of the community’s early settlement. Notable interments include the graves of many prominent local citizens, including the area’s earliest settlers, Revolutionary War patriots, and community leaders.e Sands African-American CemeteryThis was an African American cemetery in use between 1815 and 1854 on the current property of the Village Club in Sands Point. The plaque notes only three interments in the cemetery likely due to a deep excavation to create a road long ago.  Elizabeth Sands Cato Sands Jr. Cato’s mother, Margaret Sands 14 Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.org

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Cato Sands Jr. was the son of a freed slave, Cato Sands Sr., who was freed by Simon Sands in his 1782 will. Cato Jr. eventually owned three acres of land near the Mill Pond and lived at 35 Mill Pond Road. His historic house is still standing. To quote the bronze plaque, placed by the Village of Sands Point’s Historic Landmarks Preservation Commission in May of 2006:“We the People of the Village of Sands Point have landmarked this early 19th century African American cemetery in honor of the slaves and freemen who lived, toiled and were buried in this land.” The gravestones speak:In memory of Elisabeth, Wife of Grien Sands, who departed this life, March 29, 1815, age 31 years, 9 month, 18 days.In memory of Cato Sands who died December 26, 1854, age 42 years, 2 months, 6 days.Margaret Sands 67 years, born 1782, died 1849.May 2006 Historic Landmarks Preservation CommissionObviously, the African-American members of the Cow Neck peninsula are under-represented in the town’s various cemeteries.Nassau Knolls CemeteryToward the latter half of the 19th Century, the “town cemetery” was the Free Church Cemetery, overlooking Harbor Road, between the Dodge Homestead and today’s Tennis Academy. Some reports state that the old cemetery was falling into disrepair by the 1890s. Talk turned to the founding of a new cemetery on the outskirts of town on property owned by the Onderdonk family. Several prominent businessmen, led by Charles F. Lewis, secured the property in 1900, and Nassau-Knolls Cemetery was born and continues to serve as the town’s cemetery to this day. Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.org 15

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Early on there was a beautiful reecting pool near the entrance of the property. Called the “Mirror Pool,” and shown in the above postcard, it was eventually absorbed into the rest of the much-needed real estate that makes up the cemetery. Equally fascinating are all the familiar local names present in this one cemetery. Some you’ll recognize as the names of streets, local companies, docks, landings, mill owners, landowners, sand mine owners, and other prominent family names. Others are just old Port Washington names. Here is an interesting sample of local names, photographed in the older area of Nassau Knolls, known as Section One: McKee, Hyde, Cornwell, Smith, Dodge, Mitchell, Seaman, Hicks, Van Wicklen, Sheets, Hehn, Davis, Henderson, Guggenheim, Cocks, Baker, Gould, Mackey, Baxter, Schenck, Knowles, Fleming, Bird, Hults, Smull, Brunner, Goodwin, and of course, there are many more.Additional information, as well as opportunities to support our important restoration eorts, can be found at www.cowneck.org/port-cemeteries

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Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.org 17How Women Helped Win the War! by Joan DeMeo Lager, CNPHS Curatorial Director“Long Island inhabitants were among the rst to welcome the girl with the hoe.” —Port Washington News, September 13,1918 FarmerettesIn 1917 our entry into the First World War transformed our farmers into soldiers. Yet we still had to feed our countrymen, continue to export food to our Allies whose farmland had been ravaged by war for three years, plus we now had the added burden of feeding our soldiers overseas. It was a monumental task that needed to be lled to avoid dire consequences.The Woman’s Land Army of America stepped in, enlisting across the country to supply over 20,000 farmerette women in 25 states to replace the male farm laborers. Centers were set up for instruction since most of the women had never worked on farms before. At rst they weren’t taken seriously; even the faculty bet on how long they would last. Three months into the program, not one woman had quit. In Port Washington and Sands Point the farmerettes were held in high regard. The August 29, 1918 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle announced, “Owing to the continued demand for farm workers, 8 girls are wanted at once for the Port Washington Land Army. Workers are needed for the remainder of the season…” Additionally, women from the community pledged 48 hours per week and women, men, and children were encouraged to work on Saturdays or in the evenings before dark.

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The Home Defense Agricultural Committee of Port Washington organized over 100 acres of Port Washington land to be oered for cultivation by all those wanting a plot. Residents on the north side of Main Street were given plots on Mr. Cockran’s property for corn, and those on the south side were given land to grow beans and cabbage on the Copp property and in Port Washington Estates. The Committee’s June 12, 1917 report stated 53 applications from Port’s citizens had been approved. 90% of the land was already planted including 25 acres of corn on the Cockran property, but fertilizer was not being used in large part and they found it almost impossible to convince people to use it. A Women’s Land Army unit was formed at Barker’s Point in Sands Point in a one-story frame building owned by Mrs. Mary Nostrand, with another building set aside as a dining room and kitchen. The 10 college girls couldn’t meet the demand; another 10 young women and another house were procured. Nearby, the estate of Isaac and Daniel Guggenheim in Sands Point employed farmerettes all summer. Some farmerettes took a 28¢ trolley ride from Port Washington to work in Mineola, which took 25 minutes to the Roslyn Clock Tower where they waited for the northbound trolley to pass before continuing. 18 Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.orgLeft: Kurz Oil calendar illustration by Bill Galloway of a trolley car passing the Victoria Hotel (now the site of Port’s Starbucks) carrying farmerettes to MineolaRight: Postcard of #12 Trolley connecting Port Washington to Mineola via Roslyn The women were much appreciated everywhere. Manhasset Bay Yacht Club hosted an evening out for them, with groups furnishing refreshments, music, and driving 30 aviators from Field 1 over for the festivities. The girls at Barkers Point were given a phonograph and music, and despite being tired from a long day of work starting at 5:30 am, danced until their 9:30 pm curfew. And the Roslyn girls bathed and dressed for dinner each night, followed by music or a trolley ride to Port Washington.

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“The farmer is pleased with the work of the land army – he declared that the farm has never paid so well as it has since the women came into his employ.” – The National League for Woman’s ServiceCow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.org 1925 farmerettes lived and worked at the farm in Roslyn, some year round, some saving for college. They received $65-$80 per month, less $1 per day for living expenses in an immaculate dormitory with chef and domestic help, overseen by Mrs. Dorsey, chairman of the National League for Woman’s Services. Vegetables from the farm supplied the grand hotels of the city including the Waldorf Astoria, the Plaza, the Ritz-Carlton, and the St. Regis. Farmerettes initially met with resistance from the farmers, but demand outweighed concerns. They worked the same 8-hour day as the men, earning the same pay. Their hard work was much appreciated and they became media favorites, leading to such a demand for farmerettes that it could not be lled.e Canning SpecialIn response to the call to preserve foods, L.I.R.R.’s Ralph Peters organized instructional canning trains for canning and drying food. A dedicated “Canning Special” train was set up with a canning kitchen train car, an auditorium coach for lectures, a baggage car holding all the canning supplies, and a business car for the women in charge. New York society women aboard the train spread both alarm at the food shortage and demonstrations on canning. The canning train travelled all over the Island on an announced schedule, coming to Port Washington on May 24, 1917 at noon for one hour. Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt Jr. made herself available on occasion to watch any children, allowing mothers to go aboard the demonstration car.The Canning Special “Victory Special Food Demonstration CarL.I.R.R. “Canning Special” canning kitchen train car

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e Canning KitchenCanning kitchens were established in many communities and Port’s very successful one was in the Bayles Building on the corner of Main Street and Shore Road. Women in the community could bring produce three days a week for the demonstrators to can for soldiers at the front, or sell for funds to keep the kitchen going. Another three days the women canned their own goods. The variety included rhubarb jam, strawberry juice, cherries, peas, beets, carrots, asparagus, and spinach.The farmerettes were initially controversial – “A woman’s place is in the home.” But women replaced the men gone to war, performing all that they had done and more. By 1918, our country was exporting three times the amount of food than it had prior to the war, and consumption in America was reduced 15% by 1919. ”The Brooklyn Daily Eagle” May 24, 1917Canning Poster20 Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.org“One of the most energetic of the ladies…decided that it was far cheaper to keep her hens in glass jars, after they had nished laying, than to feed them all winter, so that one may have a chicken pie or a nice pot of soup in the cold weather. So on Thursday at the Canning Kitchen three of her older hens were nicely potted, some of the fowl for meat and some for delicious soup.” – Port Washington News, June 15, 1917

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Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.org 21Native American History of Port Washington by Linn Johnson, CNPHS TrusteeA new and exciting opportunity for our Society has recently been “unearthed” at the Leeds Pond Preserve: artifacts of our peninsula’s pre-colonial history. The Science Museum of Long Island, a science school for local students founded in 1963, began a long-term lease of this 36-acre, Nassau County-owned property, in 1972. In 1990, and perhaps earlier, Professor John Vetter, head of the Anthropology Department of Adelphi University in Garden City, NY, had done studies on Native American settlements on Long Island and determined that the land abutting Leeds Pond was most likely a site occupied by the Matinecock tribe. After all the proper approvals were received from the County, Professor Vetter and his students started their archeological project to dig several “test pits,” some 2-foot square, others 5-foot square, and both sizes several feet deep. The pits were dug in two separate locations on the property, the rst, along the northern property line, and the second, along the southern border near the edge of the Pond. Native American artifacts including stone tools, pottery shards, and projectile points were found at both locations. In addition, middens, dense deposits of discarded trash materials, were found containing oyster shells, animal bones, and charcoal from cooking res. For each test pit dug, the soil was completely removed and sifted to ensure every artifact there was found. All the items were carefully noted as to specic location and depth, described, and all were meticulously cleaned and safely stored.

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The New York Times ran an article in the December 16, 1990 issue (Section 1, page 58) about the discovery. From the article, “Students found what John Vetter, chairman of Adelphi’s anthropology department, called ‘a good indication’ that Indians occupied the site during two dierent periods, the rst as early as 3,000 years ago.”As a trustee on the board of the Science Museum at the time, I was fortunate to have witnessed one of the Professor’s nal digs at Leeds Pond. Several years ago, Vetter retired, and shortly afterward he died. Ocials at Adelphi subsequently delivered all the artifacts and documentation to the Science Museum.What we know about these artifacts at this point is quite sketchy because, to maintain the “provenance” of the material, it needs to be curated, that is, sorted, labeled and documented so as to maintain the accuracy of age, condition and interpretation of each item. That can only be done by a trained archeologist. Additionally, there is a growing awareness of the need to respect the culture and traditions of the Matinecock People. Going forward, we will consult, as appropriate, with the descendants of those early Native Americans.I have met recently with the current Science Museum Executive Director and the Board President and proposed that our two non-prots collaborate on this important historical endeavor. As a result, the Museum will be reaching out to the President of Adelphi to arrange for a doctoral candidate or other trained archeologist to curate the artifacts and prepare them for display. This process could take time, perhaps years, to complete. Meantime, the Science Museum and Historical Society will be collaborating to pursue funding through grants for preparing display space at the Museum.22 Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.org

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Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.org 23Captain Noah Mason – e Man and His Light by Glen J. DeSalvo, CNPHS Trustee & TreasurerThere are two stone monuments standing today in the Village of Sands Point that memorialize the life of a man who once lived and worked in the Village over two hundred years ago. The rst, standing about fty feet tall, guided mariners through the treacherous waters of Long Island Sound at Sands Point. The second, standing just a few feet tall in the Sands Family Cemetery, marks his nal resting place. The man is Noah Mason and this is his story.Noah Mason was born on November 29, 1757 in the town of Dighton, Massachusetts. He was one of four boys and seven girls born to Malatiah Mason and Rebekah Miller, who wed in 1754. There is nothing written in the archives about Noah’s early years. With nine younger brothers and sisters close in age he most likely spent a great deal of his time helping his parents around the homestead, and when of age, accompanied his father as an apprentice mason.“The Mitchel-Lighthouse on Sands Point in Long Island Sound.” From the Port Folio, 1811. Engraving by W.S. Leney. Original print owned by Samuel L. Mitchill and later donated to the New York Historical Museum and Library. (Collection of the author)

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Malatiah Mason was a master mason whose reputation as a stone worker was known throughout New England. He assisted in the construction of University Hall at Brown University and several of the stone buildings at Dartmouth College. Noah would follow in his father’s footsteps, becoming a master stone mason himself by the time he was thirty years old. When Noah was eighteen years old his career path was suddenly interrupted by an event that would draw him away from home and family. In late 1775, Noah entered the service of the United States as a volunteer and private in what would later become known as the Revolutionary War. He enlisted at his hometown of Uxbridge, Massachusetts, where his family was then living. Fortunately, documentation regarding his service during the war is abundant, allowing historians to reconstruct his activities and movements during this period of his life.An Act of Congress passed on June 7, 1832 allowed for veterans of the Revolutionary War to apply for pension benets. However, if government records were not available or decient, as they were in Noah’s case, applicants had to present written testimony from those who could substantiate their service during the war. On October 30, 1832, Mason personally appeared before the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of the County of Queens and State of New York to present his case. One of the Judges was Singleton Mitchill, a resident of Cow Neck and a good friend of Noah. Mitchill submitted Noah’s application to the proper United States government authorities. He also submitted supporting documentation attesting to Noah’s service during the war and as an upstanding citizen of the community. Noah located three former Revolutionary War veterans who enlisted with him at Uxbridge and fought alongside him during the war. All three men provided sworn testimony supporting Noah’s pension application. The three men, Baxter Hall, Elisha Murdock, and Frederick Taft, provided detailed written accounts of Noah’s Revolutionary War service. They conrmed that Noah assisted in erecting the fortications upon Dorchester Heights in March of 1776, which eectively ended the siege of Boston and the withdrawal of British troops from the city. Noah’s company then marched to New York, following the British who ed to the city by sea. When they reached Providence, Rhode Island, Noah was intercepted by his father, who pleaded with his son to return home, on account of Noah’s ill health. Noah received permission to return home with his father, and after a separation of a few months from service, re-enlisted for another term.24 Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.org

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Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.org 25According to Noah’s testimony, he then marched to Tarrytown, New York, and assisted in the erection of a fort overlooking the Hudson River. He was present when two British frigates red upon the fort and witnessed the return re by the fort, which injured one of the British ships. Noah fought under General Horatio Gates at the Battle of Saratoga, the turning point of the Revolutionary War, which resulted in the capture of British general John Burgoyne and his entire army. He noted in his testimony that he received a severe injury to his wrist during the Battle. After the battle Noah marched south to Albany along the Hudson River and then on to Esopus, which was ravished by the British a few days before his arrival. While in Esopus his enlistment terminated and Mason returned home to his family in Uxbridge. The following year, 1778, Mason again re-enlisted and was present at the battle of Rhode Island in August of that year. This was Noah’s last major engagement of the war and he was discharged on September 10, 1778. He probably returned home and picked up where he left o working alongside his father.After reviewing Noah’s application, the Pension Board credited him with only fourteen months and nine days of service. In March of 1834 the Board awarded him a pension in the amount of $47.66 per annum with a retroactive payment of $166.81.After returning home following the termination of his enlistment Noah probably resumed his career as a mason. There is some controversy as to what transpired during the next twenty years of his life. Robert Kassner, in “Noah Mason and Sands Point Lighthouse,” published in the January 1982 volume of the Long Island Forum, claims that “for the next twenty years Noah engaged in the sea trade out of New London and raised his family.” Kassner also claims that Noah’s son Albert, “like his father followed the sea and was a New York City harbor pilot.” He also notes, that “On December 14, 1786 “Captain” Noah Mason, now aged thirty, married sixteen-year-old Lucretia Kinne, the daughter of Erza Kinne and Sarah Dennison, at the Presbyterian Church at Preston, Connecticut.” These claims were not altogether correct.Noah Mason did marry Lucretia Kinne in 1786. After her husband passed away, Lucretia led for pension benets as the wife of a deceased Revolutionary War veteran. As part of the application process Lucretia was required to provide proof of her marriage to Noah, which had, at the time, occurred over fty years prior to her request. Lucretia submitted not only church records of the event but also sworn adavits from witnesses present at the ceremony on December 14, 1786 in Preston, Connecticut.

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However, there is no evidence that “Captain” Mason ever participated in the sea trade. Noah was a stone worker, not a sea captain, and could not have been more fully grounded to the land. The title of “Captain” was not bestowed upon Mason until over ten years later when he was one of twenty-ve Captains appointed by the State of New York to serve in the Suolk County militia.Sometime before 1790, and for reasons unknown, Noah, Lucretia, and their daughter Sally, who was born in 1788, relocated to Sag Harbor, New York. The 1790 U.S. census lists Noah and three females living in the Township of Southampton, which included Sag Harbor. By the year 1800 the Mason family included two additional daughters, Mary and Lucretia, and a son Albert who was born in 1798. A fourth daughter, Catherine, born in 1790, appears to have died as an infant. The Masons occupied the old “Tyler Havens” house in town. He continued to be employed as a master mason and was a well-respected resident of the community. In 1796 Noah was listed as one of the three Trustees of the School Board in Sag Harbor. Sally is listed under the names of scholars who attended the 1795 – 1796 school year. Other evidence conrming Noah’s status as a master mason while in living in Sag Harbor are articles of agreement dated December 29, 1790, between John Paine of Southold and Noah Mason of Sag Harbor, by which John’s son David was apprenticed to Noah to learn the trade of a mason. Sometime after his son Albert was born, Noah relocated his family to New London, Connecticut and would never return to Sag Harbor. The 1800 U.S. census conrms Noah’s New London residency listing nine household members, which most likely included household servants and possibly apprentices. The family had to abruptly leave New London after Noah was presented with an oer to undertake a monumental project; the construction of the Sands Point Lighthouse in Sands Point.In 1805, Samuel Latham Mitchill, a resident of Cow Neck and a member of the U.S. Senate, submitted a petition to Congress to build a lighthouse at Sands Point. On January 26, 1806, Mitchill’s Bill was enacted by Congress “for the erection of a good and sucient light-house at this place, for the maintenance of a keeper, and for the permanent support of the same.” The State purchased ve acres of land from Benjamin Hewlett on what was formerly known as Watch Point. The property was described in the 1811 edition of the Port Folio as “a beautiful beach of white sand [that] lies between the water’s edge and the upland, presenting to the eye, a noble curve. The bank is bold, and its side and summit are skirted with trees, many of which are oak and cedars. The elevation varies from ten to forty feet, above the level of tide-water.” It was the perfect location for a Light.26 Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.org

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Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.org 27However, construction on the lighthouse did not begin until 1808 due to the contentious negotiations with Hewlett over the purchase of the property. Hewlett initially refused to sell the property, forcing Congress to pass a second Act in early 1808 authorizing the Governor of New York, D.D. Tompkins, to purchase the property directly from the owner. If the owner still refused, Tompkins was instructed to force the sale through court intervention. Hewlett acquiesced and the sale was consummated.Supervision of the construction of lighthouses fell under the Collector of the Revenue for the port of New York, who at the time was David Gelston. Gelston solicited proposals for the lighthouse and surrounding buildings and issued specic plans for their construction. He awarded the contract to the team of Mason and Way of New London. It is unclear what Way’s involvement was in the project but it is speculated that he was involved in the construction of the light at the top of the structure. When completed the lighthouse would stand about fty feet tall and sixty-ve feet above the water. It was constructed of brown octagonal-shaped stone blocks, four feet thick at the base with four windows on the south side of the structure. The lighthouse was completed and ready for the reception of oil by November 1809.It is unclear when Noah and his family relocated to Sands Point and many questions remain unanswered. His daughter Sally wed Joseph Coit in 1807 at Sands Point and their rst daughter Sarah was born there on September 15th of the following year. The Coit family would later relocate to New London, Connecticut. Noah was not awarded the contract to build the lighthouse until 1808. It appears then that Noah uprooted his family from New London and relocated to Sands Point before the land for the lighthouse was acquired and before he was awarded the contract for the construction of the lighthouse. William M. Hyde, in a 1927 article about the early history of the Town of North Hempstead in the Port Washington News, hints at this possibility. He stated “Governor Tompkins purchased ve acres of land for the purpose from Benjamin Hewlett on January 15, 1808 upon which the lighthouse was built by Noah Mason, then owner of what was known as Mason’s Island.” It is possible that the relocation to Sands Point was contemplated before Mason was aware of the lighthouse contract or maybe he had some information leading him to believe that he would be the keeper of the light.The light glowed for the rst time on September 9, 1809. An article in the Boston’s Columbian Centinel on September 16, 1809 announced: “this new light was nished and rst improved on Saturday last; when a civic festival was held on the point by the citizens of North Hempstead.”

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Samuel L. Mitchill was present to perform the lighting of the rst lamp at the inauguration ceremony. Noah Mason and his family were surely at the inauguration as not only was he the builder of the Sands Point Light, but also appointed as its rst lighthouse keeper.The appointment of lighthouse keepers was under Federal jurisdiction. Appointments were often based on political connections and returned favors. Why was Noah Mason named the rst keeper at the Sands Point Lighthouse? There were surely numerous men navigating the political eld for the position. To nd the answer we must circle back to David Gelston, the man who granted Mason the contract to build the lighthouse. In a letter dated August 29, 1809, less than two weeks before the inauguration of the lighthouse, Gelston wrote to Albert Gallatin, Secretary of the Treasury, recommending Mason for the position. Gallatin passed Gelston’s letter on to President James Madison with the following note: 5 Septer. 1809 Noah Mason appears to be the best qualied and recomd. If the President Approves, he will be pleased to signify the same by endorsement on this Paper. No commission issues in those cases; a letter from the Secy. of the Treasury announcing the appointment being sucient. Respectfully submitted Albert GallatinMadison approved Mason’s appointment by returning Gelston’s letter to Gallatin with the following endorsement on the cover: “I approve Noah Mason for keeper of the Light house at Sand’s Point./James Madison/Sepr. 5. 1809.” Four days later Noah would attend the inauguration of the Sands Point Lighthouse as its rst keeper.Noah’s duties as keeper of the lighthouse included trimming the wicks and replenishing the whale oil reservoirs that fueled them. He was also responsible for general maintenance and repairs to the lighthouse including polishing the reective lenses. The light had to be visible every day after sunset and on stormy days. Lighthouse keepers were often the rst to sight shipwrecks and were responsible for reporting them to local authorities.According to the 1816 Register of the Ocers of the United States, Noah was earning $250 per year as the keeper of Sands Point Lighthouse. As light keepers usually had an abundance of free time, especially during the day, many had other sources of income. Ships wrecked o the coast of Sands Point presented Noah with an excellent opportunity to supplement his income by salvaging shipwrecks. On September 29, 1817, Mason placed an advertisement in the National Advocate which read: “Taken up on the 28 Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.org

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15th day of September, A.D. 1817, near Sands Point, a large cedar clinched work BOAT, white bottom, red and black streak, with weather boards. The owner may have her by proving property and paying charges, by applying to Noah Mason, Sands Point.” Apparently, in spite of the lighthouse, there were often shipwrecks near Sand Point, which enabled Mason to supplement his income as a light keeper.In 1834, the Governor of New York appointed Noah Mason the Wreck Master for the Town of North Hempstead, along with seven men for the Town of Hempstead and one man for the Town of Oyster Bay. Wreck Masters were given the authority to board vessels and legally conduct salvage operations. They often had to contend with scavengers who were quick to arrive at distressed vessels.Another more substantial wreck was that of the Schooner Washington Packet which was lost o the coast of Sands Point in 1836. The Washington Packet was insured by the Ocean Insurance Company, which contacted Warren Mitchell, Esq. to coordinate salvage operations with Noah Mason. On November 36, 1836 the company sent the following letter to Mitchell: Sands Point Novr. 5. 1836.Warren Mitchell, Esq.Dear Sir Having been engaged in stripping the Schooner Washington Packet and saving her cargo for the last few days, and being under the necessity of leaving immediately for New York, I have left directions with Captain Noah Mason relative to making arrangements with you, as to the sale of the hulk, for the coming week.I think it would be best to advertise her for sale, by handbill, for the coming week. Any proceeds that may be left in your hands after deducting charges, you will please pay to Captain Mason as per order left him. Respectfully James BergenNoah provided the following receipt to Mitchell seven days later: Cow Neck Nov 12th 1836 – Received of Warren Mitchell 25 25/100 dollars the neat proceeds from the sale of the Packet Washington a wreck. – Noah MasonCow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.org 29

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Salvaging shipwrecks was only one source of additional income for Noah. Free during the daylight hours, Noah probably supplemented his lighthouse salary and occasional salvage proceeds by working as a stonemason. One particular job deserves mention. In 1814 Noah supervised a project equal to that of the Lighthouse. He placed advertisements over a several week period for workers to help construct a dam between what is today Manhattan and the Bronx. The advertisement read: “LABOURERS WANTED at Col. Macomb’s Stone Dam, across Harlem river, at the 8 mile stone. Enquire of Mr. Harris, ferry-stairs, y-market, or of the subscriber on the premises, NOAH MASON, Builder.” Due to navigation concerns, the dam would later be replaced by a bridge. Noah’s success with the lighthouse and his involvement with the construction of the dam surely enhanced his status as a master mason in New York during the early nineteenth century.The Mason family lived a quiet and peaceful life on their farm in Sands Point. The only excitement occurred during the War of 1812 when the residents of Cow Neck witnessed a gun battle between British and American warships 30 Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.orgReceipt signed by Noah Mason to Warren Mitchell datelined Cow Neck November 12th, 1836, for the proceeds from the sale of the Packet Washington. (Collection of the author)Letter datelined Sands Point, Novr. 5, 1836 from the Ocean Insurance Company to Warren Mitchell, Esq., requesting that Mitchell coordinate salvage operations with Noah Mason on the Schooner Washington Packet. (Collection of the author)

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Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.org 31on Long Island Sound near Sands Point. In the handwritten narrative of his life, Singleton Mitchill recounts what he witnessed that day: “In 1813, in the month of September, saw a eet of gunboats pass Cow Bay sailing to east and hearing of two British frigates – the sound I took my gig and rode down to the lighthouse at Sands Point. I there saw Commodore Jacob Lewis with his twenty six gun boats formed in a line in the cove half mile east of the lighthouse.” Mitchill goes on to explain the exchange of re between the opposing forces when the eet came opposite the lighthouse. Another War of 1812 incident that aected Noah was the capture by the British of his daughter, Sally Mason Coit, her husband Joseph, their daughters, and infant son while sailing on Joseph’s ship on Long Island Sound. Joseph was forced to ransom the vessel and the family was allowed to return to New London.Mason’s Island was a tract of land about sixty acres in the area where the Mason family lived and farmed. The farm was located at the end of what is now Hostot Lane in Sands Point. Managing the farm required that Noah and his family hire additional outside labor. Noah placed many advertisements in the Long Island Farmer, which read: “WANTED, A steady and industrious young man who has some knowledge of farming, to work on a small farm. One who would answer the above description, and is willing to engage for the season, will be paid liberal wages for services. Apply to NOAH MASON, Keeper of Sand’s Point Lighthouse.” In addition to wages, workers were usually provided accommodations on the farm. In the 1820 United States Federal Census, Noah listed nine persons living at the farm including three that were engaged in agriculture. In the 1840 census, the year before Noah died, he listed ve persons including one engaged in agriculture and one free colored male between the ages of ten and twenty-three. By 1830, as keeper of the Sands Point Lighthouse; a gentleman farmer; and a reputation as a master mason, Noah had a commanding presence in the Town of North Hempstead. This is evidenced by the respected citizens of the community who came together to sign their names to a document attesting that Noah was a “man of integrity and of good standing in society and that any oath or statement made by him, we should implicitly believe – as witness our names – Cow Neck L Island 26 Sept 1832.” The adavit was signed by thirteen men; including Leonard Mott, Benjamin Hewlett, Israel Baxter, Peter Onderdonk, William Dodge, Richardson Cornwall, and seven others whose inuence cannot be understated. Singleton Mitchill submitted this document to the Pension Board in 1832 evidencing Noah’s status in the community.

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Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.org 33Captain Noah Mason was still the keeper of the Light when he passed away on February 27, 1841. The Corrector of Sag Harbor, where Noah and his family once lived, printed the following notice on March 13, 1841:Another Revolutionary hero gone,Died, at Sands Point, Long IslandOn Saturday, the 27th, CaptainNoah Mason, in the 84th year ofhis age, a soldier of the RevolutionCaptain Mason was at time of hisDecease the keeper of the SandsPoint Lighthouse on Long IslandSound, and had acted in that capacityFor thirty-two years.He is buried at the Sands Family Cemetery in Sands Point. The memorial stone marking his grave bears the following inscription:Inmemory of Noah Masonwho died Feb ye 27th 1841in his 84th yearA Soldier of the revolutionaryStruggleFarewell to all my days are oreWith you on Earth I meet no moreCease to weep or shed a tearSurviving wife and children dearLucretia Mason passed away on April 16, 1855 in her eighty-fourth year. She is also interred at the Sands Cemetery, however, not beside her husband. Her headstone rests next to a much smaller stone with the inscription “Infant Daughter Mason,” with no other identiers. Noah and Lucretia are not alone. They are surrounded by many grandchildren and great-grandchildren laid to rest at the Sands Cemetery. Children of his daughter Sally Mason Coit and his son Albert Mason, along with those of Sally’s daughter Sarah Coit Grin, are all interred, many as young children, at the cemetery. One interesting headstone located not far from Noah’s is inscribed as follows:Susan Ann SmithAn orphan child livingWithNoah and Lucretia MasonDied April 11. 1828Aged 15 years

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34 Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.orgIn death, as he was during his life, Noah is surrounded by his many friends and family. It is a tting resting place not far from the Light he built many years ago.The Sands Point Lighthouse was decommissioned in 1922 and in 1992 the Village of Sands Point designated the structure as a Village landmark. On October 23, 2015, over two hundred years after civic ceremonies Noah Mason witnessed dedicating the lighthouse, the Historic Landmarks Preservation Commission of the Village of Sands Point celebrated a rededication following the completion of extensive renovations. Today, the Sands Point Lighthouse and the adjoining keeper’s residence, which was added in 1868, are in the hands of private owners who are committed to preserving the memory of a man and his light.ReferencesHamilton, Harlan. Lights and Legends, A Historical Guide to Lighthouses of Long Island Sound, Fishers Island Sound and Block Island, Stamford: Westcott Cove Publishing Company, 1987Kassner, Robert George. “Noah Mason and Sands Point Lighthouse,” Long Island Forum, January 1982Sleight, Harry D. Sag Harbor in Earlier Days, Bridgehampton: Hampton Press, 1930Paine Family Records. Edited by H.D. Paine, M.D., Vol. 1 New York: 1880 The Fifth Volume of Records of the Town of Southampton.The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. New England Historic-Genealogical Society for the Year 1864, Volume XVIII, Albany: J. Munsell, 1864The Port Folio. “Description of the Mitchill Light-House,” Brooklyn: Bradford & Inskeep, 1811 National Archives. Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, Publication No. M804, Catalog ID 300022, Record Group 15, Roll 1647“To James Madison from Albert Gallatin, 5 September 1809” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/madison/03-01-02-0391FamilySearch. https://ancestors.familysearch.orgAncestry. https://www.ancestry.comHeadstone of Noah Mason at the Sands Family Cemetery – Sands Point, New York. (CNPHS)Photograph of Sands Point Lighthouse and attached keeper’s house – 1884. (National Archives)

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Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society I www.CowNeck.org 35Our CNPHS Trustee, Colin Wiggins, passed away at his home in Port Washington. Born and raised in England, Oxford-educated, he then emigrated to Canada and the United States. Colin and his family settled in Port Washington in 1966 and soon became supporters of our Society. After his retirement from Wall Street as Portfolio Manager for U.S., Japanese, and multinational corporations, he became a CNPHS Trustee, particularly enjoying working in the archives and volunteering at events. In retirement, he also much enjoyed exploring o the beaten path with his wife, Jennifer, browsing old book shops, and 3D photography. In addition to his wife, Colin is survived by his sons James and Christopher, and four grandchildren. Another son, Graham, predeceased him. Colin’s wit and sparkle will be missed by all.Remembering Colin Wiggins August 12, 1934 – September 23, 2023

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Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society’s exhibition catalog was honored by the Museum Association of New York with their prestigious 2023 Award of Distinction for Excellence in Design!Our Exhibition Catalog reects how people on Long Island experienced the home front during the First World War. This 160-page, full color, 8-1/2" x 11" catalog is illustrated with over 400 images of primary source materials, newspapers, pictorial magazines, photographs, images, artifacts, and letters from soldiers.For more info scan the QR code or visit www.cowneck.org/home-front-exhibition-catalog To order a catalog, please email us at info@cowneck.org or call 516.365.9074The printing and binding of the Exhibition Catalog was made possible through a generous grant from The Robert D.L. Gardiner Foundation.“WWI: The Home Front — Our Community Takes Action” Exhibition Catalog

CNPHS 2023 - 2024 Journal

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