Museum takes up lively chapter of Long Island's history: the Roosevelts

Members of the Seaford Historical Society believe it is important for their neighbors to connect with Long Island’s rich history.

The organization hosted a special program on Oct. 12, at the Seaford Museum, about the history of Sagamore Hill, a National Historic Site in Oyster Bay that was once the home of the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. For Judy Bongiovi, president of the Seaford Historical Society, the event was a way for members to learn about the island they call home.

“We’re trying to keep history alive,” Bongiovi said.

For the event, the Seaford group invited two park rangers from Sagamore Hill to talk about its history, and share stories of Roosevelt’s years in Oyster Bay. Rangers Noah and Rory Masi, who are brother and sister, presented a slideshow and chatted with the attendees about the site.

For Rory, the event was an exciting way to teach other communities about Sagamore Hill. “It feels wonderful,” she said of speaking to Seaford residents. “I love that I get to connect to people in the community. I love Long Island. I think Sagamore Hill is such a staple of Long Island.”

Roosevelt lived in Oyster Bay from 1885 until his death in 1919. Afterward, his wife, Edith Roosevelt, lived on the property until her death in 1948. Then, in 1962, Congress named the 83-acre site a National Historic Site. Today it features not only historic buildings that guests can tour, but also nature trails that wind through lush wild land.

During last week’s presentation at the museum, the Masis showed slides detailing the rooms of Roosevelt’s Queen-Anne-style home. Rory described the front hall, in which numerous animal trophies hang on the walls, including a large Cape Buffalo head, which Roosevelt displayed proudly over his fireplace. The trophies, Rory explained, were the bounty of Roosevelt’s hunting trips in North America and Africa.

Other rooms that were detailed included the kitchen, the drawing room, the North Room and the library, which features portraits of people that Roosevelt admired, such as Ulysses Grant, Abraham Lincoln and Roosevelt’s father, Theodore Roosevelt Sr., who died when the future president was 19.

Noah and Rory were only too happy to answer any and all questions from the audience, to help them gain an appreciation for this significant chapter of Long Island’s legacy.

“Being able to give the history that they live with is amazing,” Rory said.

The presentation was one of many programs that the nonprofit Seaford Historical Society hosts to enrich community members’ knowledge of Long Island history. On Nov. 9, the museum will welcome two speakers from the American Airpower Museum, in Farmingdale, to discuss aviation history.

Events such as these, according to Bongiovi, not only enlighten and entertain curious visitors, but also showcase the historical society’s work and all that the museum has to offer. “We’re trying to bridge that gap between our museum and the history of Long Island,” she said.

The museum, on Waverly Avenue, was built in 1893 as a two-room schoolhouse. In 1917 it was converted into a firehouse, which it remained for several decades, until 1976, when the building became the Seaford Historical Museum. Since then it has been maintained by the historical society, and now contains memorabilia of Seaford’s history as a bay and farming town, as well as artifacts from the museum’s beginnings as a schoolhouse.

The historical society hosts programs such as these once a month, with the exception of the winter months, and Bongiovi said she hopes they encourage people to visit historical landmarks like Sagamore Hill.

“We had a good crowd tonight,” she said last week, “and I’m happy to be able to bring this to the community.”