Oysterponds Historical Society

Family Night: The Mudflats - FREE!
2025-08-13 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Old Point School House Lawn, 1555 Village Lane, Orient, NY, 11957, United States
Aug. 13th. Oysterponds favorites, The Mudflats (comprised of fiddles, banjo, mandolin, guitar, upright bass, and drums), are a twin-fiddle fusion of traditional American music. The Mudflats’ original sound is guaranteed to touch the heart and get your feet a-tappin’!

Bring a blanket or a lawn-chair, bug spray, a picnic, and a bottle of your favorite beverage!

The generosity of donors allows OHS to present free events throughout the calendar year. If you would like to make a donation, please click here.

OHS's 2025 Summer Benefit & Auction
2025-08-02 17:00 - 19:30 | Poquatuck Park, Village Lane, Orient, NY, 11957, United States
Aug. 2nd. The OHS Summer Gala & Auction returns to one of the East End’s most beautiful settings—Poquatuck Park, overlooking Orient Harbor at sunset.

As of Friday, August 1st @ 4pm tickets are no longer available online.
If you’d like to attend, you must purchase ticket(s) in person, at the event.

There’ll be an exciting live auction of exceptional pieces of art plus a silent auction of art by favorite local artists and a specially-curated selection of unique experiences, but note that you must buy a ticket and attend to participate!

Proceeds from the Summer Benefit & Auction are a critical component of OHS’s annual operating budget. Your generous support helps OHS fulfill its mission of bringing people together to share and celebrate the unique history and culture of Orient and East Marion. Thank you!

Free (repeat) Talk: “Roy Latham’s Unpublished Journals (1902-1978)”
2025-07-19 11:00 - 12:30 | Old Point Schoolhouse, 1555 Village Lane, Orient, NY, 11957, United States
July 19th. John Holzapfel will reprise the talk he gave to a standing-room-only audience back on May 24th.

John spearheaded the enormous task of organizing and transcribing the papers and journals of legendary naturalist and Orient native son Roy Latham, which were donated to OHS in 2023 by his daughter, Diana. John will present a fascinating overview of the voluminous material, which is comprised of thousands of pages of Roy’s writings, including his journal, correspondence, field notes, and more.

Admission will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

FREE screening of last year’s communal reading of “Our Town”
2025-07-18 17:00 - 20:30 | Poquatuck Hall, 1160 Skippers Ln., Orient, NY, 11957, United States
July 18th. OHS & Joey Merlo present a FREE screening of last year’s communal reading of Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town.”

Whether you were there last year or not—on July 18th there’ll be an opportunity to experience it anew as it was filmed at the time! Summer snacks and beverages will be served.

Please help us with our planning by sending in your RSVP here!

About “Our Town”
“Our Town,” Thornton Wilder’s 1938 Pulitzer and Tony award winning play in three-acts, has been described by Edward Albee as “the greatest American play ever written.” Wilder (1897-1975) is considered by many to be one of the most important American playwrights that has ever lived.

About Joey Merlo
Born on December 7th, 1987, Joey’s produced plays include the critically-acclaimed “On Set with Theda Bara” and “Midnight Coleslaw.” He has been called “One of the most original and exciting voices writing for the NY stage at the moment.” (Theatermania). Recently, Joey co-produced “We the People: A Forum on Working Class Artists in America” at CUNY Hunter College. He treasured his tenure as William Steeple Davis Artist-in-Residence and how warmly he was welcomed into the Oysterponds community. www.joeymerlo.com

The generosity of donors allows OHS to present free events throughout the calendar year. If you would like to make a donation, please click here.

Family Night: The Incredible Magic of Amore - FREE!
2025-07-16 18:00 - 19:00 | Old Point Schoolhouse, 1555 Village Lane, Orient, NY, 11957, United States
July 16th. Mind-boggling. Mesmerizing. Confounding. For the fifth year in a row, OHS presents the incredible magic of Amore! Join us on the Old Point Schoolhouse lawn for an evening filled with fun for children of all ages.
Bring a blanket, a picnic, some refreshments and some bug spray!

The generosity of donors allows OHS to present free events throughout the calendar year. If you would like to make a donation, please click here.

16th Annual Heritage Day
2025-07-06 12:00 - 15:00 | Old Point Schoolhouse, 1555 Village Lane, Orient, NY, 11957, United States
July 6th. The 16th annual Heritage Day program will start with a parade** down Orient’s Village Lane led by the Grand Marshal; followed by a welcome and invocation at the Old Point Schoolhouse; the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance; “God Bless America” sung by Franklin Mastrangelo; the reading of the Declaration of Independence by Oysterponds stalwarts; after which hot dogs, sweets, and lots of fun kids’ games.
** We invite kids to patriotically decorate their bikes and join the parade; they should assemble at 11:30am on Oysterponds Lane and await instructions. Prizes will be awarded!

Free Talk: "Ancient Artifacts of Long Island's North Fork"
2025-06-07 11:00 - 12:30 | Old Point Schoolhouse, 1555 Village Lane, Orient, NY, 11957, United States
June 7th. Dr. Lucinda Hemmick and Ephraim Horowitz of the Southold Indian Museum will present a lecture on the ancient landscape of Orient and the Native People who once lived there. Explore 12,000 years of history, Algonquian culture and the landscape that changed from the Ice Age to the present day.
The technology of ancient hunting weapons, artifacts, maps, slides, LiDAR images, paintings and other images illustrate the talk. A question and answer period will follow.

Free Talk: "Roy Latham’s Unpublished Journals (1902-1978)"
2025-05-24 11:00 - 12:30 | Old Point Schoolhouse, 1555 Village Lane, Orient, NY, 11957, United States
May 24th. John Holzapfel spearheaded the enormous task of organizing and transcribing the papers and journals of legendary naturalist and Orient native son Roy Latham, which were donated to OHS in 2023 by his daughter, Diana. John will be joined by Eric Lamont of the Long Island Botanical Society for a fascinating examination of the voluminous material, which is comprised of thousands of pages of Roy’s writings, including his journal, correspondence, field notes, and more.
