Three Village Historical Society

06/24/2026

⚓ Down the Ways ⚓️

Some stories stay buried until the tide goes out...

🌊 At low tide in Scott's Cove, the bones of long-forgotten schooners emerge from the mud... silent reminders of the families who built, sailed, and shaped our community centuries ago.

🔎 Along the way, you'll uncover stories of master shipbuilders, sea captains, and Revolutionary War intrigue, including the birthplace of Benjamin Tallmadge and the home site of Anna Smith Strong, whose famous clothesline code helped the Culper Spy Ring communicate with General Washington.

Join historian & author Bev Tyler for a fascinating walk through Setauket's shipbuilding past and discover a landscape that still holds the remains of Long Island's wooden ship era.

⚓ Saturday, June 27 at 4:00 PM
🌊 Timed for low tide viewing in Scott's Cove
🚶 Guided by historian Bev Tyler
🎟️ Limited tickets available at www.TVHS.org

🪝 The wooden ship era maritime walking tour: history is hiding in plain sight. You'll never look at your evening walk the same way again.

06/23/2026

Selfies, stories, and a whole lot of hometown pride. 📸✨

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has kicked off their Long Island History Hunt adventure with us!

We love seeing your smiling faces exploring the museum, discovering local history, and making memories together.

Thanks to YOU, the Three Village Historical Society is currently the most visited stop on the Long Island History Hunt leaderboard! 🎉

But the adventure is just getting started.

There are 26 incredible sites to explore across Long Island, and every visit helps support the museums, historic sites, and cultural organizations that keep our stories alive.

Keep those selfies coming, keep exploring, and if you haven't joined the Hunt yet… what are you waiting for?

History looks good on you, Long Island. ❤️

06/22/2026

🇺🇸 Stars, Stripes, and Signatures 🇺🇸

Join the Three Village Historical Society + Museum for Stars, Stripes, & Signatures on Friday, July 18 from 4 - 7 pm

Enjoy a family-friendly summer evening featuring:

🍔 a catered dinner of BBQ favorites
🎶 live music
🎯 colonial lawn games
📜 a lively 20-minute performance starring New York's four signers of the Declaration of Independence
🖋️ your chance to add your own signature to history
🏛️ a special pop-up exhibit in the museum gallery

Part backyard barbecue, part history lesson, and all summer fun!

Bring the whole family and celebrate the stories that helped shape our nation - right here in your own backyard.

06/19/2026

Honored to attend the Juneteenth Memorial Service & Grave Dedication at Laurel Hill Cemetery. As part of the Three Village Historical Society’s mission, we are committed to preserving and sharing the stories of all who shaped our community. Today was a powerful reminder that every story matters, every voice deserves to be remembered, and history belongs to all of us. ❤️🖤💚

06/19/2026

🌿 good news grows here 🌿

🎉 We are thrilled to share that the Three Village Farmers & Artisans Market has been selected as a recipient of a $5,000 L.O.C.A.L. Small Business Grant from Optimum Business and the Long Island Association Foundation!

This investment supports more than just the Market - it supports the farmers, food producers, makers, and small businesses that make our Fridays so special.

🏆 Funding will help enhance the visitor experience while strengthening the Market as a welcoming community gathering place for all.

Thank you to Optimum Business, the Long Island Association Foundation, and everyone who continues to shop local, support small businesses, and believe in the power of community.

🥰 Here's to another season of fresh food, friendly faces, family fun, and Friday farmers market!

06/18/2026

🛎️ thrift score 🛎️

Do you love treasure hunts, vintage finds, and super cool antiques without leaving your home town?

Are you always on the lookout for giving old objects new life?

🔎 Then you can't miss the Community Yard Sale, Antiques & Vendor Fair on Saturday, June 20 from 9 am - 2 pm at the Three Village Historical Society & Museum

With dozens of personal and small business vendors, this carefully curated market is the best way to spend a Saturday while supporting your local historical society!

So grab an iced latte and get here early for the best thrifty finds 🧐

06/17/2026

📜 Archive Wednesday | Remembering a Stony Brook Father

This week, we’re sharing the story of one local father remembered through the words of his son.

In a 1988 oral history interview, lifelong Stony Brook resident Frank Jicinsky (1890-1992) reflected on the remarkable journey of his father, Joseph Jicinsky ( 1853- 1929) who immigrated from what is now the Czech Republic and built a life for his family in Stony Brook.

“My father came over here when he was 12 years old,” Frank recalled. “He met my mother over there. She was a teacher in the City of Prague. They corresponded, then he went back, brought her over to the United States.”

After arriving on Long Island, Frank’s father was persuaded by William Kane to settle in Stony Brook, where he became both a foreman on Kane’s estate and proprietor of a tavern across the street from the Stony Brook Grist Mill.

“He coaxed my father to come open a tavern-saloon,” Frank remembered, “and established my father as paymaster-foreman under him. He employed about 32 men on the grounds.”

The family lived and worked at the tavern for approximately twenty-five years. The surrounding hillsides were then covered with Kane’s vineyards, where grape juice was produced and shipped by barrel to Brooklyn for processing into wine.

Frank’s recollections remind us that the history of the Three Village area is not only found in buildings and landscapes, but also in the stories of parents who crossed oceans, built businesses, raised families, and helped shape the community we know today.
Slide 1: Frank, Anna, and Mary Jicinsky, in front of their home on main street c. 1903. Collections of the Three Village Historical Society & Museum.
Slide 2: Joseph Jicinsky, c. 1880. Collections of the Three Village Historical Society & Museum.
Slide 3: The Jicinsky Family, c. 1894. Collections of the Three Village Historical Society & Museum.
Slide 4: Jicinsky Tavern, c. 1903. Collections of the Three Village Historical Society & Museum

06/17/2026

Thank you CBS & Mary Calvi for covering Anna Smith Strong’s story as part of our legacy of Liberty 🇺🇸

See our own Margo Arceri of Culper Spy Ring Tri-Spy Tours in the segment, filmed on Strong’s Neck 🧺

Anna Strong, a revolutionary patriot, was one of the first female s...

06/16/2026

🔎 3️⃣5️⃣5️⃣ 🔍

Was Anna Smith Strong acting as General Washington’s female spy on Long Island?

Historians still debate the answer.

Some say yes. Some say no. Others believe the truth may have been woven through generations of local stories, folklore, and family traditions.

Here in Setauket, the story of Nancy’s Magic Clothesline has become part of our community’s identity — a reminder that history is found beyond documents and artifacts.

As part of the 2026 Long Island History Hunt, each participating site features a collectible trading card, and ours honors one of Three Village’s most legendary figures.

Stop by during museum open hours to explore the story of the Culper Spy Ring, take your History Hunt selfie, and collect your Anna Smith Strong trading card.

3️⃣5️⃣5️⃣ = the Culper code for Lady

Whether legend, lore, or history remembered, some stories are simply too good not to share.