Yaphank Historical Society – Where the Past Greets the Present

Announcement In Memoriam It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Nancy Best, a member of our Board of Directors. She passed away on May 23, 2025, after a brief illness. We remember Nancy with fondness and gratitude for her service to the Board and to the Yaphank Historical Society. It was a privilege and a pleasure working with her. UPCOMING EVENTS June 2025 General Meeting Topic: An Exciting Genealogical Research Project to Uncover “Hidden Ancestors” Guest Speaker: Anne Hanson, Author Thursday, June 19, 2025 7:30 pm @ Swezey-Avey House Refreshments will follow the meeting. Music in the Park with Don and Susan June 18, 2025 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Free Concert. Bring a chair and picnic basket and enjoy music by the lake in Swezey Park. We’ll move indoors in the Swezey-Avey House in inclement weather. MORE PAST EVENTS	OUR MISSION It is the Society’s mission to collect, preserve and interpret the history of Yaphank and its surrounding area. GET INVOLVED Become A Member. Join today and help support our mission. Become a Member label Make a Donation. Help us continue bringing events, exhibits, and educational programs to the community. Donate Volunteer. The Society needs people to help with our many projects, events and activities. No matter what your interest or skill, we have a role for you. If you would like to become a docent training is available. Sign Up Here The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation Special Thanks for the many generous grants. View the most recent award for the restoration of the Hawkins Family Cemetery. View here Thanks to The Suffolk County Department of Parks, Division of Historic Services, which manages over 200 historic structures containing an array of buildings, gardens and sites of cultural and historical significance.	EXHIBITS The Swezey Family Visit the Swezey family exhibit in the Swezey-Avey House. The Swezey family arrived in Southold in the mid-1600s and in Yaphank in the 1700s. Come learn about the family’s lives into the 20th century, including the lives of Dr. Gilbert Hopkins Swezey and his daughter Dr. Sarah Swezey-Avey, the last Swezey family member to have lived in the house from 1944 to about 1960. To visit, call (631) 775-0735 to make an appointment or email us at info@yaphankhistorical.org to make an appointment. The Weeks Family Legacy Yaphank’s most important family, the Weeks, settled in Millville (now Yaphank) in 1828. Portraitist William Sydney Mount was commissioned to paint James Huggins Weeks and his wife Susan Maria, in 1838. See this permanent exhibit at the Swezey-Avey House. LIBRARY & ARCHIVES Our Library Collection, searchable by author, title, subject, and date, and our Archives with online Finding Aid, make excellent research tools. YHS QUARTERLY NEWSLETTERS Subscribe here BANK OF THE RIVER GIFT SHOP Our Gift Shop features Yaphank and area history books; new, vintage & “almost-new” treasures.