Past Events

October General Meeting 

  
Guest Speaker: 

J. K. Hodge,

Film Composer, Historian
 “Long Island’s Famous Musicians, With Piano Accompaniment” 
Thursday, October 19, 2023

7:30pm @ Swezey-Avey House 
Refreshments will follow
the meeting. 



Fall Community Yard Sale

  

Sunday, October 1, 2023

9:00 am—4:00 pm 


Donation: $10 per vendor. 
Set up on the Hawkins House lawns. 
No reservations required. 
Call 631-924-4803 with questions. 



September General Meeting 

 
Guest Speaker: 

Bill Bleyer, Author
 “The Sinking of the Steamboat Lexington on L. I. Sound (1840)” 
Thursday, September 21, 2023

7:30pm @ Swezey-Avey House 
Refreshments will follow
the meeting. 



Save the Dates 


Don & Susan 

The Gazebo 

Swezey Park 

3rd Wednesday of each month,
June—Sept 

From 5:00—8:00pm. 

Bring a Lawn Chair 


Guided House Tours
 Come and Visit our Beautiful Historic Homes

  
During July & August,
Sunday Afternoons 
1:00-4:00 pm 
 
Robert & Isabella Hawkins House 
Homan-Gerard House 
Booth House Museum 
Swezey-Avey House 
 
Docents will be on hand for tours 
and to answer questions. 



August General Meeting 


Guest Speaker: 

Max Rowland, Historical Musician

 “19th Century Tunes
Thursday, August 17, 2023

7:30pm @ Swezey-Avey House
(In Gazebo, Weather Permitting)

Refreshments will follow
the meeting. 



July General Meeting 


Guest Speaker: 

Paul Kaplan—Author 


“Israel Baline (a.k.a Irving Berlin”) 
Thursday, July 20, 2023

7:30pm @ Swezey-Avey House




Refreshments will follow the meeting. 



June General Meeting 


Guest Speaker: 

MaryLaura Lamont,

Yaphank Historical Society 


“Wild Names of Wildflowers” 

Thursday, June 15, 2023 

7:30pm @ Swezey-Avey House 


Refreshments will follow the meeting 



Spring Community Yard Sale 


Saturday, May 20, 2023 

9:00 am—4:00 pm 

(Rain date: Sunday, May 21, 2023) 


Donation: $10 per vendor. 

Set up on the Hawkins House lawns. 

No reservations required. 

Call 631-924-4803 with questions. 


Plant Sale, Deep Discounts!


Saturday, May 20, 2023

9:00 am—4:00 pm
(Rain date: Sunday, May 21, 2023)


Quality Perennial Flowers

for 25 cents - $5 each
Day Lily Cultivars, Bearded Iris,

Siberian Iris, Sweet William, Ajuga,

Liriope, Asters, Goldenrod


At the beautiful, historic Italianate

Hawkins House on the

Carmans River in Yaphank,
corner of Main St and

Yaphank Ave (Route 21),

¼ mile north of LIE, exit 67
Plant sale sponsored by the

Yaphank Historical Society

(a not-for-profit),

come see the house and

recently renovated garden


May General Meeting 


Guest Speaker: 

Robert VonBernewitz, Yaphank Historical Society


“Long Island Cemeteries and Graveyards” 

Thursday, May 18, 2023 



7:30pm @ Swezey-Avey House 



April General Meeting 



Guest Speakers: 

Jamie Reason—Historian and Author Joe Jannsen—Historian and Author 


“C. S. Bunn (1865 – 1952)- America’s Greatest Shorebirds Decoy Carver” 

Thursday, April 20, 2023 

7:30pm @ Swezey-Avey House 

Refreshments will follow 

the meeting.



Spring Indoor

Tag Sale 


Saturday and Sunday,

April 1st and 2nd, 2023 



9:00 am – 3:00 pm 


Swezey-Avey House 

Featuring items from
Historical Society storage 

Call 631 924-4803 with questions 



March General Meeting 


Guest Speaker: 

Gary Lawrance— Architect, Author, Historian 

“Long Island’s Lost Architecture

of the Gilded Age” 

Thursday, March 16, 2023 

7:30pm @ Swezey-Avey House. 

Refreshments will follow 

the meeting. 



Mid-Winter Indoor

Tag Sale


Saturday February 11th and

and Sunday February 12th

9:00 am – 3:00 pm 

Swezey-Avey House 


Featuring items from Historical Society storage 

Call 631 924-4803
with questions


Yaphank Historic District Christmas House Tours 


Saturday and Sunday, 

December 10 and 11, 2022
 
 1:00 – 4:00 pm
 
Donation:  $10 Adults; Children under 12 Free
 
 Purchase tickets and pick up instructions at the Swezey-Avey House for tours of:
The Robert and Isabella Hawkins House
 The Booth House Museum
The Homan-Gerard House
 
Holiday Music by Don and Susan Cerce
Holiday Refreshments
Exhibit Rooms open at the Swezey-Avey House
Bank of the River Gift Shop open

at the Hawkins House


November General Meeting 


Board of Directors Election 

Guest Speaker: 

John Turner— Author,

Environmentalist 

“Cranberry Industry on

Long Island” 

Thursday, November 17, 2022 

7:30pm @ Swezey House. 

Refreshments will follow

the meeting. 


October General Meeting 


Guest Speaker: 

Diane Schwindt—Historic Cook 

Ketcham Inn 

Stirring Up History – The Timeline of Food” 

Thursday, October 20, 2022 

7:30pm @ Swezey House. 

Refreshments will follow 

the meeting. 


Hawkins Burial Ground

Restoration Celebration


Guest Speakers:
Burying Ground Preservation Group
"Restoration Techniques at Yaphank Site"
Sunday, October 23, 2022
1:00 - 4:00 pm @ Swezey-Avey House.
Refreshments will follow
the program.


Save the Dates 


Don & Susan 

The Gazebo 

Swezey Park 

3rd Wednesday of each month,
June—Sept 

From 5:00—8:00pm. 

Bring a Lawn Chair 


Historic House Tours 


July & August,

Sunday Afternoons 

1:00-4:00pm 

Robert & Isabella Hawkins House 

Homan-Gerard House 

Booth House Museum 

Swezey-Avey House 

Docents will be on hand for tours 

and to answer questions. 


September General Meeting 


Guest Speaker: 

Amy Kasuga Folk— Author 

“Rumrunning in Suffolk County:
Tales From Long Island” 

Thursday, September 15, 2022 

7:30pm @ Swezey House. 

Refreshments will follow
the meeting. 


Fall Community Yard Sale 

Saturday, September 17, 2022 

9:00am—4:00pm 

(Rain date: Sunday, September 18) 

Donation: $10 per vendor. 

Set up on the Hawkins House lawns. 

No reservations required.

Call 631-924-4803 with questions. 


August General Meeting 


Guest Speaker: 

Barbara Russell— 

Brookhaven Town Historian 

“Born in Brookhaven” 

Thursday, August 18, 2022 

7:30pm @ Swezey House. 

Refreshments will follow

the meeting. 


July General Meeting 


Guest Speaker: 

Don Fisher— President, 

Railroad Museum of Long Island 

“History of the LIRR—Focus on

the Mainline” 

Thursday, July 21, 2022 

7:30pm @ Swezey House. 

Refreshments will follow the meeting. 


June General Meeting 

Guest Speaker: 

Max Roland— Entertainer

& Reen-actor 

“Historic Music and Stories” 

Thursday, June 16, 2022 

7:30pm @ Swezey House. 

Refreshments will follow the meeting. 


May General Meeting 

Guest Speaker: Bill Blyer 

- Author, Historian 

George Washington’s 

Long Island Spy Ring 

Thursday, May 19, 2022, 

7:30pm @ Swezey-Avey House 



Spring Community Yard Sale 

Saturday, May 21, 2022 

9:00am—4:00pm 

(Rain date: Sunday, May 22) 

Donation: $10 per vendor. 

Set up on the Hawkins House lawns. 

No reservations necessary. 

Call 631-924-4803 with questions. 


April General Meeting 

Guest Speaker: 

Richard Welch - Author, Historian 

”Long Island’s Gold Coast Elite and 

The Great War” 

Thursday, April 21, 2022 , 

7:30pm @ Swezey-Avey House 

Refreshments will follow

the meeting. 


March General Meeting 

Guest Speaker: 

Paul Kaplan - Author, Historian 

“Lillian Wald—America’s Great Social 


And Healthcare Reformer” 

Thursday, March 17, 2022 , 

7:30pm @ Swezey-Avey House 


Refreshments will follow

the meeting. 


November General Meeting 

Guest Speaker: 

Helen Kalbach, Society Curator 

“Robert Hawkins, Houses and Family” 

Thursday, November 18, 2021 

7:30pm @ Swezey-Avey House 


October General Meeting 

Guest Speaker: 

MaryLaura Lamont, U.S Park Ranger (Ret.)William Floyd Estate 

“Richard Floyd, and the Whalers” 

Thursday, October 21, 2021 

7:30pm @ Swezey-Avey House 


September General Meeting 

Guest Speaker: 

Anthony Butera 

”Long Island Redware Pottery" 

Thursday, September 16, 2021 

7:30pm @ Swezey-Avey House 


August General Meeting 

Guest Speaker: 

Max Rowland 

”Civil War Music & Stories" 

Thursday, August 19, 2021 

7:30pm @ Swezey-Avey House 


July General Meeting 

Guest Speaker: 

Paul Kaplan, Author 

”New York in the Progressive Era: Social

Reform and Cultural Upheaval 1890-1920" 

Thursday, July 15, 2021 

7:30pm @ Swezey-Avey House 


April General Meeting 

Guest Speaker:

Bill Bleyer 

”Long Island Whaling" 

Thursday, April 14, 2021 

7:30pm @ Swezey-Avey House 


Spring Community

Yard Sale 

Saturday, May 16th, 9:00am—4:00pm 
(Rain date: Sunday, May 17th) 

Donation: $10 per vendor. 

Set up on the Hawkins House lawns. 

No reservations necessary. 

Call 631-924-4803 with questions. 


Yaphank Historic District 

Christmas Tour 

Sunday, December 15, 2019 

1:00pm-5:00pm 

Donation: $10 adults: free for 12 yrs. or younger 
Houses on the Tour 

Swezey-Avey House 

Homan-Gerard House 

Hawkins House 

Mary L. Booth House 

Yaphank Police Garage 


Victorian Harvest Tea 

Saturday, October 14, 2018 

2:00pm – 4:30pm 

At The Hawkins House. 

Donation is $30 per person. 

Reservations: Please call 631-874-9265.