With the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence coming up in 2026, a group of community activists is looking to get an early start on enhancing and supporting the area’s rich historical heritage and connection to the founding of the nation.
Under the leadership of the William Floyd Community Summit, a working group will meet on January 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Mastic Ambulance building on Montauk Highway to start gathering community input and go over preliminary ideas. Anyone interested in local history is welcome to attend.
“We’re going to discuss reestablishing the Annual Tri-Hamlet Community Day Celebration and establishing a community effort to enhance and support our local historical heritage treasures,” said Bill Doyle, who is helping organize the effort. Tri-Hamlet Day was a popular event that highlighted the area’s most important features. Bus loops would take participants to the William Floyd Estate, Manor of St. George, Woodhull Cemetery, Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge, and Smith Point Park.
“It was a great opportunity for people to enjoy and learn about our area’s place in history,” said Ray Keenan, a director of the Mastic Park Civic Association, who participated in the last Tri-Hamlet Day in 2012. “There would be narrators on the buses from the Mastic Peninsula Historical Society talking about the sites, and when they arrived, they would see military reenactments and people dressed in period clothing. It was a wonderful way to highlight our area’s importance in the founding of our nation and show off what we have to offer.”
The Tri-Hamlet is proud to have been the home of William Floyd, one of only 56 patriots who signed the Declaration of Independence. The Manor of St. George was the site of a key battle in the Revolutionary War and Nathaniel Woodhull was a hero who gave his life fighting for the birth of a nation. Also on the highlight list is the Wertheim Preserve, one of only a few federal parks on Long Island. At Smith Point, visitors can enjoy the Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness and the Flight 800 Memorial.
“We would be happy to host tours on Tri-Hamlet Day,” offered John Scott Prudenti, on behalf of the Manor of St. George. “We have so much to show off, including the manor house, outbuildings, the old cemetery, and our War of 1812 cannons,” he said, noting that the Shirley Manor is at the end of the Tallmadge Trail, named for Col. Benjamin Tallmadge, who took back the strategic property from the British in 1780. The trail traces his path through Coram where he lit fire to tons of hay the enemy had stored for their horses.
“Many important people and events are associated with our area, and it’s great that this group will be calling attention to them,” said Shirley resident Ken Olivo, a sponsor of the first Tri-Hamlet Day. “There are so many people interested in keeping our heritage alive and I hope many more join them.” The last time the community hosted the event, a self-guided tour booklet was produced, which featured sponsors and other notable stops, including the Little Red School House, South Haven Church, and the Old Mastic Train Station, according to Olivo.