The Spy-Glass

“Architecture [is] worth great attention. It is then among the most important arts: and it

is desireable to introduce taste into an art which shews so much.”

- Thomas Jefferson, 1788

With the indispensible help of so many who have

contributed to our capital campaign, we’ve now

completed the restoration of the 18th century

section of our Museum building, as well as the first

phase of the exterior restoration of the 1915

Lincoln Market building at 30 West Main Street.

The 30 West Main Street building, which the

museum had first hoped to acquire 60 years ago,

will soon be our new Education Center. Besides

providing a needed lift to our streetscape, this

restoration/renovation project will allow the

Museum to re-open to the public many rooms in

the Museum that were once children’s, servants’

and slaves’ rooms and are currently used for

collections storage and staff offices.

Among the contributors to the capital campaign

project, the Friends of Raynham Hall would

particularly like to acknowledge the Town of

Oyster Bay, which acquired the Lincoln Market

building for the Museum’s use, on condition that

the Friends undertake the building’s renovation.

The Gerry Charitable Trust, the Barker Welfare

Foundation, the Oyster Bay Main Street

Association, the North Country Garden Club, and

the Corita Charitable Trust, as well an anonymous

benefactor, have also been extraordinarily

generous with funding, encouragement and

inspiration. Paint and painting supplies used in

the restoration were provided by Aboff’s at no cost,

and we received a handsome and welcome discount

on the wood from Riverhead Building Supply.

Built in about 1915 on land once belonging to

Raynham Hall, the Lincoln Market building was

originally a meat and poultry shop on the ground

floor, with an apartment for the shopkeeper and

his family on the second floor. After a fire in about

1950, the building was remodeled into two one-

bedroom apartments on the first floor and a two-

bedroom apartment on the second floor. The

restoration work being done by the museum

carefully recreates the long-lost early 20th century

wooden shop-front.

Many interesting details of the original shop were

discovered in the process of removing modern

(continued on page 8)

Spring/Summer 2014 Raynham Hall Museum

(516) 922 6808 20 West Main Street, Oyster Bay, New York 11771 www.raynhamhallmuseum.org

Rebuilding the Past for the Future

30 West Main Street before façade restoration... ...and at completion

RAYNHAM HALL MUSEUM

Board of Trustees John M. Collins, President

Rita Roselle, 1st Vice President Joanna Badami, 2nd Vice President

Karen J. Underwood, 3rd Vice President Rebecca Finelli, 4th Vice President

Elizabeth Brown, Treasurer Barbara Curry, Secretary

James M. Murphy, Legal Advisor Barbara Adelhardt John A. Bonifacio Patricia P. Sands

Maureen Brennan Colette Buzzetta

Sandra Dillingham DeMille June B. Fisher

Rebecca Lawton Flatters Marianna Kirikian G. Bruce Knecht

Kathleen Gallagher Pries Kay Hutchins Sato Abby Youngs Weir

Advisory Board:

Rosemary E. Bourne Judith C. Chapman Alice L. Gromisch

Thomas Hogan Robert F. Hussey John M. Perkins

Franklin Hill Perrell Bradford G. Weekes III

Townsend Weekes Richard Weir III

Honorary Trustee: Mrs. Bradford G. Weekes, Jr.

Staff

Harriet Gerard Clark, Executive Director Theresa Skvarla, Public Relations Director

Nicole Menchise, Collections Manager Alex Sutherland, Director of Education

Antoinette Fleig, Michael Goudket, Jeanne Pellizzi, Joann Perotto,

Jo Ann Paulsen, Thomas Valentine, Educators & Greeters

The mission of RHM is to enable visitors to the nearly three-hundred-year-old Townsend family home in Oyster Bay to experience what it meant to be prominent merchants and heroic patriots and to become engaged in the worlds of espionage, domestic life and the decorative arts.

Page two

Raynham Hall Museum’s Spymasters lecture series ended on a

scholarly note on March 9 with a lecture by award-winning

journalist, TV news panelist, professor and author Evan Thomas,

whose most recent book, Ike’s Bluff: President Eisenhower’s Secret

Battle to Save the World, was published in 2012. Mr. Thomas is

currently at work on a book on Richard Nixon. His previous books

include Sea of Thunder: Four Naval Commanders and the Last

Great Naval Campaign, 1941 - 1945, (Simon and Schuster, 2007),

and The Very Best Men: Four Men Who Dared -- The Early Years of

the CIA (Simon and Schuster, 1995).

Mr. Thomas’s talk covered a wide range of

relatively recent history, from the founding of

the Central Intelligence Agency after World

War II, to the present day, including the very

timely subject of the role of accused turncoat

Edward Snowden, who he bluntly characterized

as “a traitor.” Several members of the audience

asked Mr. Thomas during the question-and-

answer period to comment on the topic of the

Internal Revenue Service’s admission that it

had targeted some political non-profits applying for non-profit

status for special scrutiny based on their name or perceived

affiliation, but Mr. Thomas replied that IRS matters were beyond

the realm of his particular expertise.

A native of Huntington who grew up in Cold Spring Harbor, Mr.

Thomas was able to catch up over supper after the lecture at

Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club with a number of old friends and

acquaintances, including Bill Sheeline, Deborah Solbert, Patricia

Sands and Joan Shepard.

Raynham Hall Museum is very grateful to Mr. Thomas, who drove

with his wife from Washington, D.C. for our event, for his kindness in

offering his time and friendship for our benefit.

This was the last of the RHM Spymasters lectures for the year 2013-

2014. Our previous speakers this season were best-selling novelist

Nelson DeMille and TV personality and author Brian Kilmeade. The

Spymasters series will resume in the fall.

Author Evan Thomas Speaks on the

Presidential Use of Intelligence in RHM’s

Spymasters Series

Great Summer Events and Programs at Raynham Hall Museum

Creative Cursive! Children’s Script-Writing and Calligraphy

Workshop Series

July 10, 17 and 24, 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. $20 per session Children’s Spy Workshop: Learn to Code the Old-Fashioned Way!

July 29, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. $15 per child The Ancient Art of Paper Quilling: Learn to Make Art with Paper

Curls!

August 7, 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. $15 per child Woven Felt Wall Hanging Workshop: Make Art Using Strips of Felt in

Terrific Colors!

August 14, 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. $15 per child Talking Rocks: Native American “Petroglyph” Workshop

August 21, 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. $15 per child The Art of History: A Colonial Encampment and Re-enactment

September 21, 11:00 - 4:00 p.m. Free and open to the public

Seating is limited, so call the Museum at 516 922 6808 to reserve a seat!

Page three

Representatives of the Town of Oyster Bay and the

Oyster Bay Historic Preservation Roundtable have

announced a preliminary agreement towards the

preservation of the Mill Pond House, a Town landmark

on West Shore Drive.

The Mill Pond House, damaged this spring in two

separate fires, will be offered for sale to the public

under covenants that ensure its restoration to the

strict standards of the United States Secretary of the

Interior. In exchange, the Town will work with the

purchaser to allow flexibility in developing the

remainder of the property’s acreage, to ensure its

economic viability.

“The Oyster Bay Town Board is pleased to work with

the Oyster Bay Historic Preservation Roundtable,”

Supervisor Venditto said. “Selling the house to the

public under a strict set of covenants and restrictions

represents the best possible plan of action to ensure

the usage and preservation of one of Oyster Bay

hamlet’s most historic structures.”

The Town purchased the house, along with a second

property, in 2008 for $1,927,000. Parts of the structure

date to the early colonial period, when John Townsend

built the house for his family. It had been John’s

father Henry who in 1661 built Oyster Bay’s first grain

mill. Following John Townsend’s death in 1705, his

home became known as Esther Townsend’s Dwelling

House after his widow Esther, an enterprising

businesswoman who managed a successful sloop-based

trading business, dealing primarily in cider with

customers as far away as North Carolina. Townsends

continued to hold the property until its sale out of the

family in 1929.

The Historic Preservation Roundtable includes

representatives from Raynham Hall Museum, the

Society for the Preservation of Long Island

Antiquities, Oyster Bay Main Street Association,

Oyster Bay Historical Society, and private individuals

concerned with the historic preservation and economic

vitality of the hamlet of Oyster Bay.

Town of Oyster Bay and Historic Preservation Roundtable

Announce Agreement to Preserve the Mill Pond House

Founding Friends: an Exhibition

On a day in late August of the summer of 1950,

several concerned friends gathered at The Terrace,

the home of Mr. and Mrs. Reginald Rose, to discuss

the creation of a group that would be called the

Friends of Raynham Hall. In the first few years of

the Friends, many decisions were made as to the

mission and re-creation of Raynham Hall as a

historic house museum. From the beginning, the

Friends consulted only the most expert authorities

from Williamsburg, Winterthur and the Metropolitan

Museum of Art, to endeavor to ensure that the

Museum would accurately represent its distinguished

Revolutionary history to the public.

Sixty years later, to ensure that those early efforts

are remembered, Raynham Hall Museum presented

an exhibition, “Founding Friends,” curated by

Education Director Alexandra Payne Sutherland and

Collections Manager Nicole Menchise, and

inaugurated with a reception in the garden.

Photos of the reception, from left to right from top: Rebecca Finelli and Karen Underwood; Alex Sutherland, RHM Board

President John Collins and his daughter Courtney; Alex Sutherland, Ann Nolte and Patricia P. Sands; Victoria Crosby and

Nicole Menchise; Frank Olt, Theresa Skvarla, Harriet Gerard Clark and Howard Sutherland; Henry Clark and Tish Rand;

Christopher, Alex, Ashby and Howard Sutherland; Jane Byrd and Ian McCurdy with Barbara Curry.

Photos courtesy of Mike Goudket and Joy S. Oviedo.

We are grateful to the following institutions and individuals for making this exhibition possible:

Ayer Bellerman Judith Chapman Daughters of the American Revolution, Oyster Bay Chapter

John Hammond Huntington Historical Society David Lamb Grosvenor F. Merle-Smith

Ellen Peck Nicoll North Country Garden Club Oyster Bay Historical Society

Antonio Ponvert III Patricia P. Sands Town of Oyster Bay Jamie and Mary Gay Townsend

Bradford and Phyllis Weekes Townsend U. Weekes III

“The past is valuable only to the extent that it

contributes to, or influences the future. If this be true,

the historic events which took place in Raynham Hall

during those stirring days of the Revolution are of

great value to us today. This historic house and the

brave deeds of the Townsend family should be

preserved as long as there is an America.”

— Carolyn Hill, First Board President, 1955

Page four

A Love-ly 2014 Valentine’s Benefit

The RHM annual Valentine’s Benefit proved to be a great success this year, providing much-needed

funding for the Museum’s operations and programming. This year the Museum was very pleased to honor

Oyster Bay Main Street Association and Board member Patricia Sands for their achievements and service

to our community. During her acceptance speech, Mrs. Sands spoke of the operations of the museum when

the organization was just over a decade old. “In the early days we had only a Town of Oyster Bay

receptionist, so the operation of the museum was entirely the responsibility of the board…. Since then, we

have had professional staff to train docents to give tours and teach school children, to catalogue collections,

to achieve accreditation by the American Association of Museums -- with the assistance and oversight of a

dedicated board.”

The event was held at Piping Rock Club in Locust Valley. The live auction had the audience on tenterhooks

with the assistance of Christie’s auctioneer Robbie Gordy, who kept the bidders raising their paddles long

enough to bring in record amounts, including for the field trip scholarship fund, which provides free tours to

classes who cannot afford to come. (More photos on pages 6 and 7.)

Left to Right from top left corner: Kelly and Mario Gallo; Ragnar Knutsen, Rita Cleary, Laureen Knutsen, and Gil Ott; Lucie Bard

and Mary Beth Donohue; Meredith and Frank Olt; Rita and Jim Roselle; Meredith Maus, Executive Director of The Oyster Bay

Main Street Association, John Collins, President of the Board of RHM Trustees, Honoree Patricia P. Sands, Michele Johnson, Town

of Oyster Bay Councilwoman, John Bonifacio, Board President, Main Street Association, Harriet Gerard Clark, RHM Executive

Director, Maureen Brennan, RHM Board member; Master of Ceremonies Carol Silva and husband Robert Reilly; Karen and Allen

Underwood; Virginia and Stuyvesant Pierrepont; Cathy and Andrew Adelhardt; Susan and John Sands. Photographs courtesy of Jill

Johnson Photography.

Page five

Left to right from top: Julian and June Fisher; Kevin and Barbara Curry with Kim and Joseph Onorato;

Michelle Chamberlain and Michael Anhouse, Diana Collins; Elizabeth Sands Petty, Joan Shepard,

Catherine Sands, Margaret Sands Witham, and Susan Meldau Sands; Jeralyn Hanrahan, Rebecca and

Charles Finelli, Deborah and Robert Hussey; Paula and John Hornbostel; Nicole Menchise, Chris Wool,

Theresa Skvarla. Photographs courtesy of Jill Johnson Photography.

Page six

Left to right from top: Josie Conelley and Victor Camacho; Cindy and Donald Morrongiello; Alex and

Howard Sutherland; Connie Cincotta and Zac Nudo; Volunteers Toni Fleig, Mia DiMeo, and Wendy

Finn; Joanna Badami; Frances and Daniel Covello; Thomas Calabrese, Richard Weir, Henry Clark

and David Lamb; Sandy and Nelson DeMille. Photographs courtesy of Jill Johnson Photography.

Page seven

Page eight

(Rebuilding the Past, continued from Page 1) interior finishes. These discoveries, along with

several early photographs, guided the design and

detailing of the shop-front. John Collins, president

of the Friends of Raynham Hall and a designer

specializing in historic preservation, has donated

many hours of his time to prepare detailed

specifications for the façade restoration and to

supervise the work.

John Bonifacio, president of the Oyster Bay Main

Street Association, commented that "the

reconstructed shop-front is a great example of the

Main Street Association's effort to encourage the

restoration of the façades of the village's historic

commercial buildings and to open up poorly

remodeled shop-fronts, for the enjoyment of

pedestrians."

With the completion of the front façade, the

Museum is now proceeding with the design and

bidding-out of the work to complete the restoration

of the sides and rear of the new Education Center.

Additional capital fund contributions are being

sought in order to then finish the interior work, at

which time the restoration of the Museum’s 19th

century wing can begin.

The Main Street Association and Raynham Hall

Museum hope that the restoration of the Lincoln

Market building will be an inspiration to other

owners of historic buildings in the village to

undertake similar restorations. For more

information on this project and to learn how you

can make a contribution, please contact the

Museum at (516) 922-6808 or online at

www.raynhamhallmuseum.org. Raynham Hall’s façade in 2012, in 2013 and today, completely

restored, with rotted wood siding and windows replaced

Raynham Hall’s 18th century parlor, in 2012, left . . . . . and as it is today, repainted with the advice of paint analyst Frank Welsh

Never a Dull Moment! Photos of Recent Events and Visitors

Top row, from left: Educator Mike Goudket leading Oyster Bay’s Cub Scout Troop; enjoying the garden; Educator Mike

Goudket giving a school tour; Memorial Day Parade marchers Barbara Curry and Howard Sutherland; little boy at

Memorial Day open house; percussionist at the Oyster Bay Music Festival; making music with a squash at the music

festival; Halloween with Johnny Cuomo; Nicole Menchise at the Memorial Day Parade; young lady playing with her

vegetables at the music festival; The Face Lady, JoAnn Alario Paulsen, showing the results of her artistry; Prof. Dale

Stuckenbruck demonstrating how to play a musical instrument made from a vegetable; John Bonifacio, Alex and Ewai

Page nine

Mark Your Calendars . . . Great summer children’s events and workshops inside

See listing inside, p. 3

The Art of History: A Colonial Re-enactment with the Huntington Militia. Includes a military drill, cooking demonstration, historic toys and ice cream. A free family event that is part of Arts Day in Oyster Bay!

Sunday, September 21, 2014 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Mort Künstler signs books and prints from his new book, The New Nation: The Creation of the United States in Paintings and Eyewitness Accounts, including two images for Raynham Hall.

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Spies, Spooks & Spirits: A Victorian Halloween at RHM. A very Victorian party for adults with music, dancing, tricks and treats.

Saturday, October 25, 2014 9:00 p.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Halloween Hullabaloo. Let’s not forget the kids! There’s pumpkin painting, face painting and not-too-scary ghost stories by Johnny Cuomo.

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Annual Valentine’s Day Benefit Party Saturday, February 7, 2015

2015 Great Presidents Writing Contest Awards Ceremony Thursday, February 12, 2015 4:00 p.m.

Check out our web site for the latest information at www.raynhamhallmuseum.org!

Aboff’s Paints

Beverly Aulman

Adelhardt Construction Corp.

Joanna Badami Appraisals

Susan and Peter Bentel

Canterbury Ales

Chalikian Jewelers

Wids DelaCour

John F. DeLillo, CPA

Dodds & Eder

Patricia Farnell

Harry Whaley & Son

Susan Hillberg

Ragnar and Laureen Knutson

The Main Street Association

Matinecock Garden Club

Christina and Willets Meyer

Mary and Harry Meyers

Mill Max Manufacturing Corp.

Sally and Paul Misencik

North Country Garden Club

Mr. and Mrs. Peter O’Farrell

Andrew Pascoe Flowers

Mrs. Richardson Pratt

Meline and Donald Purdy

Paula and Tish Rand

Molly and William Rand, Jr.

Riverhead Building Supply

Lisa and Peter Schiff

William Sharkey

Sheehan & Company, CPA

Cindy and Ray Sidhom

Cathy Soref

John Specce Agency

Jean Thatcher

Megan and Alex Urdea

Rosalie and Terry Walton

Youngs Farm

THANK YOU to our new members!!!

Don’t miss out on our events and programs! Join or renew your membership today!

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