‘They are really a great team of people’

You cannot speak of Cynthia Krieg without also mentioning Regina Feeney, and vice versa. That’s just how it is.

The pair support all things Freeport, especially its history. Krieg, 81, is the village historian, and Feeney, 48, is a librarian at the Freeport Memorial Library. Together, they organize numerous workshops and build archives that Freeporters can access to learn about the town’s history. In this way, the two say, they are preserving Freeport’s past while looking to its future. And, as one of New York’s oldest villages — and its second-largest — there’s plenty of history to document in Freeport.

For all they have done for the village, Cynthia Krieg and Regina Feeney are the Herald Leader’s 2017 People of the Year.

“What I love about Cynthia is her willingness to share her knowledge about Freeport history,” Feeney said. “Her knowledge about history in general is phenomenal. I’ve come across museum curators who treat their collections as if the artifacts and documents were part of their own personal collections and use of these materials is forbidden. Cynthia has taught me that stewardship of a historical collection does not preclude access.”

Krieg and Feeney have been friends since 2003. They met when the library took part in a Long Island-wide effort to digitize municipalities’ historical records. Feeney asked Krieg is she could borrow the Freeport Historical Society’s postcard collection for an exhibit. Eager to help, Krieg allowed the library to use the postcards and later worked on other historical exhibits alongside Feeney.

Eventually the two would become “partners in crime” and work together on a book, “Images of America: Freeport,” published in 2014. It is a collection of Freeport’s historical documents and pictures dating back to its earliest days in the mid-17th century, when it began as a farming community and fishing port, famed for its oysters, through World War II.

The book is dedicated to “all those who have collected, preserved and made the history of Freeport.” The text offers details about the early settlement, its incorporation as a village in 1897, the creation of its famed Nautical Mile, stories of celebrities who once visited Freeport in the summer, its schools, religious institutions, homes, personalities, recreation facilities, businesses and public services.

“Writing the book about Freeport was a very stressful time for us,” Feeney said. “But we’ve continued to remain friends and work together all these years.”

The historical society is housed in a Civil War-era bayman’s cottage on South Main Street, close to the Nautical Mile. Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Horace Evans once owned it.

Krieg and Feeney have worked alongside Denise Rushton, a society board trustee, to collect and archive Freeport’s history through photographs, birth records, newspaper clippings and artifacts.

Every Friday night, the “Friday Night Crew,” as the trio is known, works to digitize the society’s collections. Among the collections housed at the society are artifacts from 19th century shipwrecks, a vintage train set, early radio equipment, playbills, music scores by local artists and entertainers, and clothing dating back to the Civil War.

“Cynthia and Regina are extremely focused on Freeport,” Ruston said. “They have so much enthusiasm. They’re always looking for ways to promote Freeport through programs that they’ve” organized.

The historical society is just one way that Krieg and Feeney are involved in Freeport. Feeney works at the library helping to archive records. She also assists American Legion Clinton Story Post 342 by providing records of Freeporters who have fought in the United States’ many wars. One of the bigger projects she contributed to was collecting all of the names of Vietnam soldiers from Freeport.

Krieg has been involved with the Freeport Chamber of Commerce, Operation SPLASH (Stop Polluting Littering and Save Harbors) and the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Through her work, she has identified key historical landmarks in Freeport and helped with the placement and dedication of plaques at these sites.

Together, Krieg and Feeney have also held programs throughout Freeport to highlight details of the village. Whether it’s a program on prohibition at Jeremy’s Ale House on the Nautical Mile or a walk through a historic section of the village, it all relates to the community.

Krieg has been working on a digital encyclopedia and has been creating local history archives, all accessible to anyone interested in searching for village or family history. When Miguel Bermudez, the Freeport Police Department chief, and Donald Giordano recently prepared to write a book about the Freeport Fire Department’s history, Krieg and Feeney jumped at the chance to help them with the research.

“You will always hope you can find people like them that have this kind of information and [are] willing to share it,” Bermudez said. “I really hit the gold mine once I met them. They heard about my project and reached out to me to help in any way possible.”

This summer, three historical markers were added around Freeport. The first was on the north end of Woodcleft Avenue and Front Street commemorating the Woodcleft Inn, once located in what is now Randall Park. The second was at the home of the late Col. James Dean, who was the president of Freeport from 1902 to 1905, function like a mayor. Dean served in the Civil War and amassed one of the largest collections of weapons of the time. The property later became the Freeport Hospital, which is long closed.  The third marker was placed at the Greater Second Baptist Church to commemorate the former Bennington Park, which was developed by W. Newton Bennington, a real estate agent, on land once owned by farmer Joseph Raynor, who died in 1897.

Krieg “has been very helpful in every aspect of the village, especially the Landmarks Commission,” Mayor Robert Kennedy said. “I think [Cynthia and Regina] understand the importance of the landmarks. They are really a great team of people.”

The two are now working to preserve the library’s original reading room, which houses plaques honoring Freeporters who died in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam.

“I want people to be proud of being from Freeport,” Feeney said. “When it comes to Freeport, knowing and understanding our history is important. It’s something I want everyone to have access to and be proud of.”

Krieg recently fell ill, according to close friends who have rallied around her to assist her make it to her doctor’s appointments. Restaurant owners on the Nautical Mile have taken turns preparing and delivering meals to Krieg, while others are helping with errands.

“It says a lot about who Cynthia is and what she has contributed,” said Lois Howes, the Friends of Freeport president. “When the entire community has openly and willingly stepped up to help her during this time.”