Shelter Island (town), New York
Encyclopedia
Shelter Island is a town and island at the eastern end of Long Island
in the U.S. state
of New York
. It forms the tip of Suffolk County
and is separated from the rest of the county by water. The population was 2,228 at the 2000 census
.
and South
Forks of Long Island
. The island is surrounded on three sides by Shelter Island Sound
and on the fourth side by Gardiners Bay
. It can be reached via ferry
from Greenport
to the north (approximately 8-minute trip) or from North Haven
to the south (approximately 5-minute trip). New York State Route 114
runs through the island.
The island is around 8,000 acres (32 km2) in size. Vast tracts are protected wetlands nature preserve marshland. Nearly one-third of the island is owned by The Nature Conservancy
and kept in a forever-wild state. The Preserve has four nature and bird-watching trails, varying in length from 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to 11 miles (17.7 km), as well as a barrier-free Braille trail for the visually impaired.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, Shelter Island has a total area of 27.1 square miles (70.2 km2), of which, 12.1 square miles (31.4 km2) of it is land and 15.0 square miles (38.7 km2) of it (55.20%) is water.
of 2000, there were 2,228 people, 996 households, and 656 families residing in the town. However, during the summer months the population can exceed 8,000. The population density
was 183.6 people per square mile (70.9/km2). There were 2,370 housing units at an average density of 195.3 per square mile (75.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.32% White, 0.72% Black or African American
, 0.04% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.09% from other races
, and 2.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.38% of the population.
There were 996 households out of which 20.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were married couples
living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.75.
In the town the population was spread out with 18.1% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 20.1% from 25 to 44, 29.1% from 45 to 64, and 28.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $53,011, and the median income for a family was $63,750. Males had a median income of $41,508 versus $36,316 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $30,346. About 4.7% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.0% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over.
land grant made by James I of England
in 1620. On April 22, 1636, Charles I of England
told that the colony which had not settled anywhere on Long Island it give the island to William Alexander
, the Earl of Stirling
. The grant gave Alexander all of Long Island and adjacent islands. Alexander gave James Farret power to act and his agent and attorney in settling Long Island. In reward Farret was allowed to choose 12000 acres (48.6 km²) for his personal use. Farret chose Shelter Island and Robin's Island for his use. Farret in turn sold the islands to Stephen Goodyear, one of the founders of the New Haven Colony
.
In 1651 Goodyear sold it to a group of Barbados
sugar merchants for 1,600 pounds of sugar. Nathaniel Sylvester
(1610–1680), one of the merchants, was the island’s first white settler. On March 23, 1652, he made the purchase official by agreement with “Yoki” (called “Pogatticut”) who was the sachem of the Manhanset tribe
. The other owners, Sylvester’s brother, Constant, and Thomas Middleton, never came to Long Island
. In 1673 Nathaniel Sylvester claimed ownership of Shelter Island, Fishers Island
, and other parts of Long Island.
In 1652 Sylvester constructed a house on the island for his 16-year-old bride, Grissel Brinley. The manor house was rebuilt by his descendants about 1733. Sylvester Manor exists today, just off New York State Route 114
. The Sylvesters gave shelter to many persecuted Quakers.
Following the death in 1680 of Nathaniel Sylvester, Shelter Island was divided among his two sons, Giles and Nathaniel II. In 1695, William Nicoll, a resident of Islip
, bought from Giles the area now called Mashomack Nature Preserve. Three years later, in 1698, another newcomer, George Havens, bought 1000 acres (4 km²) from Nathaniel II. This parcel comprises what today is the Center and stretched south to South Ferry and west to West Neck Creek. Over time these estates and parcels were split and divided by marriage and purchase so that by the early 18th century there were 20 families living on Shelter Island. By order of the Provincial Government, the town of Shelter Island was established in 1730. The community developed from there.
, built a home on the island in 1743. He was the first town supervisor on the island. His home is still on the island and is owned by the local historical society.
Jonathan Nicoll Havens
(1757–1799), born on Shelter Island, was a member of the First Continental Congress
in 1774. He also served in New York’s delegation that approved the federal constitution in 1788. Mashomack Forest (today Mashomack Nature Preserve) was owned by the Nicolls family for 230 years. A few Native Americans
still lived in the wooded Sachem’s Neck area up until the 1790s. Nicolls Creek carries the family name.
Shelter Island had brushes with early Colonial military activity:
The first ferryboat to serve the island was run by the Boisseau family at Stearns Point, nearby Crescent Beach. The North Ferry began service to Greenport
in 1868.
. A group of Brooklyn
businessmen purchased the Frederick Chase estate. For eight years the camp meetings took place on the island, before moving to Jamesport
. During this time, the Union Chapel was erected in 1875, designed by Robert Morris Copeland. In 1984 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
. Shelter Island Heights was a planned development by Copeland. The houses that were built here were in classic American styles: Stick-Eastlake
, Queen Anne Style, and Colonial Revival. In the eight years from 1872 to 1880 about 70 summer cottages were built in the Heights. By 1890 the district was well-defined; it has not changed much since then. Shelter Island Heights was listed on both the United States Register and the New York State Register of Historic Places in 1993.
At the turn of the 20th century, fish processing plants were still on the island. One was located at the end of Burns Road, another on Big Ram Island, off what is today Tuthill Road. Summer residents could be brought to the island by steam ferries from New York City.
White Hill is the name of the hill that is above the North Ferry landing in Shelter Island Heights. At one time the Prospect Hotel was there, it burned down, was rebuilt, and was destroyed by fire a second time in 1942. Today it is a town park.
(1846–1931) was known as the “Borax King” for his mining successes. Smith and his family bought a home on the island in 1892. He expanded it to more than 30 rooms and called his estate Presdeleau. By 1906 he owned more than 500 acres (2 km²) on the south side of the island. Today, Smith Cove and Smith Street carry on his name. The remains of his property are reinforced concrete retaining walls and a "Japanese" footbridge, built by Ernest L. Ransome
about 1898, behind Merkle Lane. Smith also shipped in deer from California to hunt on his “deer park”; the descendants are still on the island.
Another 19th Century millionaire who had an estate on Shelter Island was Artemas Ward
(1848–1925), a pioneer in mass-market advertising. Ward made millions by monopolizing all advertising on New York City elevated trains, subways
, and streetcars. Ward had a large estate on the south side of the island. Ward wrote a biography of his great-grandfather, Major General Artemas Ward
(1727–1800), a commander in the American Revolutionary War
. Ward’s house still stands on Shelter Island.
Following World War I
, development slowly crept onto the island. Summer camps were started in the 1920s, including Camp Quinipet, a United Methodist Church
camp and retreat center on Rocky Point Road. On West Neck Harbor, developers Albert and Fred Dickerson built houses on what is today called Montclair Colony. Homes were built on Silver Beach, Ram Island, and Hilo Farms.
Following the Depression
, some of the summer cottages were abandoned or left to rot. Recovery was slow, and it was not until after World War II
that summer residents started returning in larger numbers. During the 1950s a farm cooperative grew lima beans on the island. This was the end of commercial farming on Shelter Island.
In the 1960s and 1970s more families started to move to Shelter Island and become year-round residents. The Gerard family owned the property at Sachem’s Neck that had once belonged to the Nicoll family for more than 200 years, and later to financier Otto Kahn. Developers eyed the 2000 acres (8.1 km²). However, the land was purchased by The Nature Conservancy to keep the land a nature park in perpetuity; half of the funds to buy the forest was raised on the island to create Mashomack Preserve. The Preserve was acquired by The Nature Conservancy in January 1980.
Today, there are many Shelter Island residents who have family roots dating to island families of the American Revolution
. Some summer residents are fifth generation seasonal visitors.
. Residents have consistently voted Republican
. In the 1996 presidential election
, it was the only town on Long Island to vote for Bob Dole
. However, in 2004, John Kerry
became the first Democrat
in recent history to win Shelter Island, even though he failed to receive as many votes as Al Gore
did four years earlier throughout Long Island. In 2008 Democrat Barack Obama
also won Shelter Island.
There is a Methodist camp, Camp Quinipet, on the northwestern tip of the island. It is used as a camp in the summer and as a retreat center for churches throughout the year.
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It forms the tip of Suffolk County
Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...
and is separated from the rest of the county by water. The population was 2,228 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
.
Geography
Shelter Island is nestled between the NorthNorth Fork, Suffolk County, New York
The North Fork is a 30-mile-long peninsula in the northeast part of Suffolk County, New York, roughly parallel with an even longer peninsula known as the South Fork...
and South
South Fork, Suffolk County, New York
The South Fork of Suffolk County, New York, United States is a peninsula in the southeast part of the county on the South Shore of Long Island. The South Fork includes most of the Hamptons. The shorter, more northerly peninsula is known as the North Fork....
Forks of Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. The island is surrounded on three sides by Shelter Island Sound
Shelter Island Sound
Shelter Island Sound is a body of water in Suffolk County, New York, at the eastern end of Long Island, between the North and South Forks of Long Island, adjoining Shelter Island....
and on the fourth side by Gardiners Bay
Gardiners Bay
Gardiners Bay is a small arm of the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 10 mi long and 8 mi wide in the U.S. state of New York between the two flukelike peninsulas at the eastern end of Long Island...
. It can be reached via ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
from Greenport
Greenport, Suffolk County, New York
Greenport is a village in Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is located on the north fork of Long Island. The population was 2,048 at the 2000 census....
to the north (approximately 8-minute trip) or from North Haven
North Haven, New York
North Haven is a village in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 743 at the 2000 census.The Village of North Haven is in the Town of Southampton.-Geography:North Haven is located at ....
to the south (approximately 5-minute trip). New York State Route 114
New York State Route 114
New York State Route 114 is a state highway on the far eastern sections of Long Island in New York, United States. It serves as a connector between the two "forks" of Long Island, crossing Shelter Island in the process. This is the only connection between the North and South Forks east of...
runs through the island.
The island is around 8,000 acres (32 km2) in size. Vast tracts are protected wetlands nature preserve marshland. Nearly one-third of the island is owned by The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization that works to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive....
and kept in a forever-wild state. The Preserve has four nature and bird-watching trails, varying in length from 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to 11 miles (17.7 km), as well as a barrier-free Braille trail for the visually impaired.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, Shelter Island has a total area of 27.1 square miles (70.2 km2), of which, 12.1 square miles (31.4 km2) of it is land and 15.0 square miles (38.7 km2) of it (55.20%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,228 people, 996 households, and 656 families residing in the town. However, during the summer months the population can exceed 8,000. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 183.6 people per square mile (70.9/km2). There were 2,370 housing units at an average density of 195.3 per square mile (75.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.32% White, 0.72% Black or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.04% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.09% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.38% of the population.
There were 996 households out of which 20.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.1% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.75.
In the town the population was spread out with 18.1% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 20.1% from 25 to 44, 29.1% from 45 to 64, and 28.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $53,011, and the median income for a family was $63,750. Males had a median income of $41,508 versus $36,316 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $30,346. About 4.7% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.0% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over.
Villages (incorporated)
- Dering HarborDering Harbor, New YorkDering Harbor is a village in the Town of Shelter Island, Suffolk County, New York, in the U.S. It is located on the north side of the island of Shelter Island, east of the hamlet of Shelter Island Heights. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 13....
, on the north side of the island.
Hamlets (unincorporated)
- Montclair Colony, on the south side of the island.
- Shelter IslandShelter Island (CDP), New YorkShelter Island is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, USA. The population was 1,234 at the 2000 census. The census location excludes the population of Dering Harbor, a village in the town....
, the hamlet of Shelter Island. - Shelter Island HeightsShelter Island Heights, New YorkShelter Island Heights is a census-designated place and hamlet located in the Town of Shelter Island, Suffolk County, New York. It is located on the north side of the island of Shelter Island, west of the village of Dering Harbor. The population was 981 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Shelter Island...
, on the north side of the island. - Silver Beach, on the southwest side of the island.
- Westmoreland, on the west side of the island.
Geographic features
- Coecles Harbor, an inlet on the east side of the island.
- Smith Cove, an inlet on the south side of the island.
- West Neck Harbor, an inlet at the southwest end of the island.
- Located on Long Island
Early settlers
Shelter Island was part of the original Plymouth CompanyPlymouth Company
The Plymouth Company was an English joint stock company founded in 1606 by James I of England with the purpose of establishing settlements on the coast of North America.The Plymouth Company was one of two companies, along with the London Company, chartered with such...
land grant made by James I of England
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
in 1620. On April 22, 1636, Charles I of England
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
told that the colony which had not settled anywhere on Long Island it give the island to William Alexander
William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling
William Alexander, Earl of Stirling was a Scotsman who was an early developer of Scottish colonisation of Port Royal, Nova Scotia and Long Island, New York...
, the Earl of Stirling
Earl of Stirling
Earl of Stirling was a title in the Peerage of Scotland created on 14 June 1633, along with the titles Viscount Canada and Lord Alexander of Tullibody, for William Alexander, 1st Viscount Stirling. He had already been created Viscount of Stirling and Lord Alexander of Tullibody on 4 September 1630...
. The grant gave Alexander all of Long Island and adjacent islands. Alexander gave James Farret power to act and his agent and attorney in settling Long Island. In reward Farret was allowed to choose 12000 acres (48.6 km²) for his personal use. Farret chose Shelter Island and Robin's Island for his use. Farret in turn sold the islands to Stephen Goodyear, one of the founders of the New Haven Colony
New Haven Colony
The New Haven Colony was an English colonial venture in present-day Connecticut in North America from 1637 to 1662.- Quinnipiac Colony :A Puritan minister named John Davenport led his flock from exile in the Netherlands back to England and finally to America in the spring of 1637...
.
In 1651 Goodyear sold it to a group of Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
sugar merchants for 1,600 pounds of sugar. Nathaniel Sylvester
Nathaniel Sylvester
Nathaniel Sylvester was the first European settler of Shelter Island. An Anglo-Dutch sugar merchant, in June 1651 with his brother Constant and two other men he purchased the whole of Shelter Island from the Manhanset Indians, whose sachem, or chief, was called "Yoki." The Shelter Island...
(1610–1680), one of the merchants, was the island’s first white settler. On March 23, 1652, he made the purchase official by agreement with “Yoki” (called “Pogatticut”) who was the sachem of the Manhanset tribe
Pequot
Pequot people are a tribe of Native Americans who, in the 17th century, inhabited much of what is now Connecticut. They were of the Algonquian language family. The Pequot War and Mystic massacre reduced the Pequot's sociopolitical influence in southern New England...
. The other owners, Sylvester’s brother, Constant, and Thomas Middleton, never came to Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. In 1673 Nathaniel Sylvester claimed ownership of Shelter Island, Fishers Island
Fishers Island
Fishers Island, approximately 9 miles long and 1 mile wide, is located at the eastern end of Long Island Sound, 2 miles off the southeastern coast of Connecticut across Fishers Island Sound...
, and other parts of Long Island.
In 1652 Sylvester constructed a house on the island for his 16-year-old bride, Grissel Brinley. The manor house was rebuilt by his descendants about 1733. Sylvester Manor exists today, just off New York State Route 114
New York State Route 114
New York State Route 114 is a state highway on the far eastern sections of Long Island in New York, United States. It serves as a connector between the two "forks" of Long Island, crossing Shelter Island in the process. This is the only connection between the North and South Forks east of...
. The Sylvesters gave shelter to many persecuted Quakers.
Following the death in 1680 of Nathaniel Sylvester, Shelter Island was divided among his two sons, Giles and Nathaniel II. In 1695, William Nicoll, a resident of Islip
Islip (town), New York
The Town of Islip is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York . Located on the south shore of Long Island, the town population was 322,612 at the 2000 census. The smaller, unincorporated hamlet of Islip lies within the town.-Demographics:...
, bought from Giles the area now called Mashomack Nature Preserve. Three years later, in 1698, another newcomer, George Havens, bought 1000 acres (4 km²) from Nathaniel II. This parcel comprises what today is the Center and stretched south to South Ferry and west to West Neck Creek. Over time these estates and parcels were split and divided by marriage and purchase so that by the early 18th century there were 20 families living on Shelter Island. By order of the Provincial Government, the town of Shelter Island was established in 1730. The community developed from there.
Colonial era
James Nicoll Havens, a member of the New York Provincial CongressNew York Provincial Congress
The New York Provincial Congress was an organization formed by rebels in 1775, during the American Revolution, as a pro-rebellion alternative to the more conservative Province of New York Assembly, and as a replacement for the Committee of One Hundred.A Provincial Convention assembled in New York...
, built a home on the island in 1743. He was the first town supervisor on the island. His home is still on the island and is owned by the local historical society.
Jonathan Nicoll Havens
Jonathan Nicoll Havens
Jonathan Nicoll Havens was a politician from New York.He was born on Shelter Island, New York. He graduated from Yale College in 1777. He was Shelter Island town clerk from 1783–1787 and was on the New York delegation that approved the Federal Constitution in 1788...
(1757–1799), born on Shelter Island, was a member of the First Continental Congress
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from twelve of the thirteen North American colonies that met on September 5, 1774, at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, early in the American Revolution. It was called in response to the passage of the Coercive Acts by the...
in 1774. He also served in New York’s delegation that approved the federal constitution in 1788. Mashomack Forest (today Mashomack Nature Preserve) was owned by the Nicolls family for 230 years. A few Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
still lived in the wooded Sachem’s Neck area up until the 1790s. Nicolls Creek carries the family name.
Shelter Island had brushes with early Colonial military activity:
- The British shipped hay from Hay Beach during the American RevolutionAmerican RevolutionThe American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. - The schooner Paragon was built on the island at Lord’s Shipyard, located on West Neck Creek. In 1804 it successfully ran a blockade during the Napoleonic WarsNapoleonic WarsThe Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
under Capt. Sam Lord. - During the War of 1812War of 1812The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, the British ransacked numerous homes on the island.
The first ferryboat to serve the island was run by the Boisseau family at Stearns Point, nearby Crescent Beach. The North Ferry began service to Greenport
Greenport, Suffolk County, New York
Greenport is a village in Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is located on the north fork of Long Island. The population was 2,048 at the 2000 census....
in 1868.
Shelter Island Heights established
Shelter Island Heights started in 1871 as a summer resort developed by the Shelter Island Grove and Camp Meeting Association of the Methodist Episcopal ChurchMethodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
. A group of Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
businessmen purchased the Frederick Chase estate. For eight years the camp meetings took place on the island, before moving to Jamesport
Jamesport, New York
Jamesport is a census-designated place that roughly corresponds to the hamlet by the same name in the town of Riverhead in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The CDP's population was 1,526 at the 2000 census. Jamesport is known for its quaint downtown area including antique shops and...
. During this time, the Union Chapel was erected in 1875, designed by Robert Morris Copeland. In 1984 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. Shelter Island Heights was a planned development by Copeland. The houses that were built here were in classic American styles: Stick-Eastlake
Stick-Eastlake
The Stick style was a late-19th-century American architectural style. According to McAlester, it served as the transition between the Carpenter Gothic style of the mid-19th century, and the Queen Anne style that it evolved into and superseded it by the 1890s....
, Queen Anne Style, and Colonial Revival. In the eight years from 1872 to 1880 about 70 summer cottages were built in the Heights. By 1890 the district was well-defined; it has not changed much since then. Shelter Island Heights was listed on both the United States Register and the New York State Register of Historic Places in 1993.
At the turn of the 20th century, fish processing plants were still on the island. One was located at the end of Burns Road, another on Big Ram Island, off what is today Tuthill Road. Summer residents could be brought to the island by steam ferries from New York City.
White Hill is the name of the hill that is above the North Ferry landing in Shelter Island Heights. At one time the Prospect Hotel was there, it burned down, was rebuilt, and was destroyed by fire a second time in 1942. Today it is a town park.
Growth after 1900
Francis Marion SmithFrancis Marion Smith
Francis Marion Smith was an American miner, business magnate and civic builder in the Mojave Desert, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Oakland, California.Frank Smith created the extensive interurban public transit Key System in Oakland, the East Bay,...
(1846–1931) was known as the “Borax King” for his mining successes. Smith and his family bought a home on the island in 1892. He expanded it to more than 30 rooms and called his estate Presdeleau. By 1906 he owned more than 500 acres (2 km²) on the south side of the island. Today, Smith Cove and Smith Street carry on his name. The remains of his property are reinforced concrete retaining walls and a "Japanese" footbridge, built by Ernest L. Ransome
Ernest L. Ransome
Ernest Leslie Ransome was an English-born engineer, architect, and early innovator in reinforced concrete building techniques. Ransome devised the most sophisticated concrete structures in the United States at the time....
about 1898, behind Merkle Lane. Smith also shipped in deer from California to hunt on his “deer park”; the descendants are still on the island.
Another 19th Century millionaire who had an estate on Shelter Island was Artemas Ward
Artemas Ward (writer)
Artemas Ward was an American author and advertising executive. He is known for authoring several biographies as well as The Grocer's Encyclopedia.-Biography:...
(1848–1925), a pioneer in mass-market advertising. Ward made millions by monopolizing all advertising on New York City elevated trains, subways
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
, and streetcars. Ward had a large estate on the south side of the island. Ward wrote a biography of his great-grandfather, Major General Artemas Ward
Artemas Ward
Artemas Ward was an American major general in the American Revolutionary War and a Congressman from Massachusetts...
(1727–1800), a commander in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. Ward’s house still stands on Shelter Island.
Following World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, development slowly crept onto the island. Summer camps were started in the 1920s, including Camp Quinipet, a United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
camp and retreat center on Rocky Point Road. On West Neck Harbor, developers Albert and Fred Dickerson built houses on what is today called Montclair Colony. Homes were built on Silver Beach, Ram Island, and Hilo Farms.
Following the Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, some of the summer cottages were abandoned or left to rot. Recovery was slow, and it was not until after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
that summer residents started returning in larger numbers. During the 1950s a farm cooperative grew lima beans on the island. This was the end of commercial farming on Shelter Island.
In the 1960s and 1970s more families started to move to Shelter Island and become year-round residents. The Gerard family owned the property at Sachem’s Neck that had once belonged to the Nicoll family for more than 200 years, and later to financier Otto Kahn. Developers eyed the 2000 acres (8.1 km²). However, the land was purchased by The Nature Conservancy to keep the land a nature park in perpetuity; half of the funds to buy the forest was raised on the island to create Mashomack Preserve. The Preserve was acquired by The Nature Conservancy in January 1980.
Today, there are many Shelter Island residents who have family roots dating to island families of the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. Some summer residents are fifth generation seasonal visitors.
Government and politics
Politically, Shelter Island has been known as a center for political conservatism on Long IslandLong Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. Residents have consistently voted Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. In the 1996 presidential election
United States presidential election, 1996
The United States presidential election of 1996 was a contest between the Democratic national ticket of President Bill Clinton of Arkansas and Vice President Al Gore of Tennessee and the Republican national ticket of former Senator Bob Dole of Kansas for President and former Housing Secretary Jack...
, it was the only town on Long Island to vote for Bob Dole
Bob Dole
Robert Joseph "Bob" Dole is an American attorney and politician. Dole represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996, was Gerald Ford's Vice Presidential running mate in the 1976 presidential election, and was Senate Majority Leader from 1985 to 1987 and in 1995 and 1996...
. However, in 2004, John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
became the first Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
in recent history to win Shelter Island, even though he failed to receive as many votes as Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
did four years earlier throughout Long Island. In 2008 Democrat Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
also won Shelter Island.
Religion
There are six places of worship on Shelter Island:- Grace Evangelical Church, non-denominational, Shelter Island Public Library basement, 37 North Ferry Road.
- Our Lady of the Isle, Roman Catholic, 5 Prospect Avenue, in Shelter Island Heights. Founded in 1907.
- Shelter Island Friends Meeting, Quakers, Sylvester Manor, 116 North Ferry Road (May–October), Havens House, 16 South Ferry Road (November–April)
- Shelter Island Presbyterian Church, 32 North Ferry Road
- St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 26 St. Mary's Road
- Union Chapel in the Grove, interdenominational, Bay Avenue, in Shelter Island Heights. Open June–September.
There is a Methodist camp, Camp Quinipet, on the northwestern tip of the island. It is used as a camp in the summer and as a retreat center for churches throughout the year.
Cemeteries
There are six cemeteries on Shelter Island:- Emily F. French Memorial Cemetery, Thomas Street
- Our Lady of the Isle Cemetery, Roman Catholic, Manhanset Road
- Quaker Cemetery, Quakers, near Gardiner’s Creek/Friends Meeting House
- St. Mary's Episcopal Church Cemetery, 26 St. Mary’s Road
- Shelter Island Churchyard Cemetery, New York State Route 114New York State Route 114New York State Route 114 is a state highway on the far eastern sections of Long Island in New York, United States. It serves as a connector between the two "forks" of Long Island, crossing Shelter Island in the process. This is the only connection between the North and South Forks east of...
- The Nicoll Family Cemetery within the bounds of the Mashomoneck Preserve
Notable residents
Shelter Island has been the home for many notable residents, both fulltime and part-time homeowners. Among them:- Faith BaldwinFaith BaldwinFaith Baldwin was a very successful U.S. author of romance and fiction, publishing some 100 novels, often concentrating on women juggling career and family...
(1893–1978) – American-born romance novelRomance novelThe romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. Novels in this genre place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Through the late...
author. She penned about 100 books from 1925 until her death. Baldwin was also part of the Famous Writers SchoolFamous Writers SchoolThe Famous Writers School was an educational institution that ran a correspondence course for writers in the 1960s and 1970s. Founded in 1961 by Bennett Cerf, Gordon Carroll and Albert Dorne, it became the subject of a scandal after a 1970 exposé by Jessica Mitford, who noted the school's...
. Before World War II, Baldwin spent time in a Shelter Island cottage in what was called Hilo Farms.
- Hugh CareyHugh CareyHugh Leo Carey was an American attorney, the 51st Governor of New York from 1975 to 1982, and a seven-term United States Representative .- Early life :...
(1919–2011) – American-born politician and attorney. Beginning in 1960, Carey served seven terms in the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
as a DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. He served two full terms as the governor of the State of New York from 1975-1982. After he left public service Carey joined a law practice in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Carey owned a large property in the Shorewood section.
- John Chamberlain (1927-) – American sculptor, best known for creating sculptures from old automobiles (or parts of) that bring the Abstract Expressionist style of painting into three dimensions.
- Simon DoonanSimon DoonanSimon Doonan is the Creative Ambassador-at-Large of the New York City-based clothing store, Barneys.-Biography:Doonan hails from the English town of Reading. He got his first retail job as a summer job working at Heelas, a department store in Reading that belonged to the John Lewis Partnership...
– English-born creative director of Barney’s. Newspaper columnist and author of Confessions of a Window Dresser, Nasty: My Family and Other Varmints, and Wacky Chicks: Life Lessons from Fearlessly Inappropriate and Fabulously Eccentric Women.
- Douglas Kent HallDouglas Kent HallDouglas Kent Hall was an American writer and photographer. Hall was a fine art photographer and writer of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, essays, and screenplays...
(1938–2008) American-born writer and photographer. Hall won an Academy Award for the film The Great American Cowboy. During his time on Shelter Island, on Little Ram Island Drive, he wrote the best-selling book Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder, with Arnold Schwarzenegger, which is one of Sports Illustrateds top 100 sports books.
- Otto Kahn (1867–1934) – German-born financier. Beginning in 1924, Kahn owned property in what is now Mashomack Nature Preserve.
- Julie KavnerJulie KavnerJulie Deborah Kavner is an American film and television actress, comedian and voice artist. Noted for her role as Marge Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, she also voices other characters for the show, including Jacqueline Bouvier, and Patty and Selma Bouvier.Born in Los...
(1950- ) – American-born actress. She has appeared in several Woody AllenWoody AllenWoody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
-directed films. Kavner won an Emmy awardEmmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for being the voice of Marge SimpsonMarge SimpsonMarjorie "Marge" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. She is voiced by actress Julie Kavner and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
.
- Robert LipsyteRobert LipsyteRobert Lipsyte is an American sports journalist and author. Lipsyte is a member of the Board of Contributors for USA Todays Forum Page, part of the newspaper’s Opinion section.-Personal background:...
(1938- ) – American-born sportswriter for The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. Also a successful author of books for young readers, including Raiders Night, The Contender, The Brave, The Chief, and Warrior Angel. Lipsyte won an Emmy awardEmmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for the public affairs show The Eleventh Hour.
- Itzhak PerlmanItzhak PerlmanItzhak Perlman is an Israeli-born violinist, conductor, and instructor of master classes. He is regarded as one of the pre-eminent violinists of the 20th and early-21st centuries.-Early life:...
(1945- ) – Israeli-born violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist and Grammy AwardGrammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
winner. He has performed throughout the world as a soloist. In 1996 Perlman and his wife, Toby, founded the Perlman Music ProgramPerlman Music ProgramThe Perlman Music Program was founded by Itzhak Perlman and his wife, Toby, in 1995. The program is headquartered in Shelter Island, New York. It offers exceptionally talented young string players, aged 12 to 18, a six-week summer residential courses in solo performance, chamber music, string...
on Shelter Island. It offers gifted young string players a summer residential course in chamber musicChamber musicChamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
. The students perform regular concerts on the island.
- Leon UrisLeon UrisLeon Marcus Uris was an American novelist, known for his historical fiction and the deep research that went into his novels. His two bestselling books were Exodus, published in 1958, and Trinity, in 1976.-Life:...
(1924–2003) – American-born novelist. His first novel, Battle Cry, was based on his own experiences in the Marine CorpsMarine corpsA marine is a member of a force that specializes in expeditionary operations such as amphibious assault and occupation. The marines traditionally have strong links with the country's navy...
. His bestsellers included Redemption, Trinity, Exodus, QB VII, and Topaz, among others. Uris died in June 2003 at his Shelter Island home on Chase Creek.
- Lynn RiggsLynn RiggsRollie Lynn Riggs was an author, poet and playwright born on a farm near Claremore, Oklahoma. His mother was 1/8 Cherokee, and when he was two years old, his mother secured his Cherokee allotment for him. He was able to draw on his allotment to help support his writing...
(1899–1954) Mixed blood CherokeeCherokeeThe Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
Author, poet and playwright. He moved to Shelter Island, New York after he started receiving a steady income when his play Green Grow The Lilacs was adapted into the landmark musical Oklahoma!Oklahoma!Oklahoma! is the first musical written by composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs. Set in Oklahoma Territory outside the town of Claremore in 1906, it tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance...
in 1943.
- Elbert Nostrand Carvel (1910–2005), Governor of Delaware (1949–53 and 1961–65), was born on Shelter Island.
In popular culture
- Author John SteinbeckJohn SteinbeckJohn Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was an American writer. He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden and the novella Of Mice and Men...
began his 1960 cross-country journey by leaving his home in Sag Harbor and driving to Shelter Island. This was the start of the trip that became his book Travels with Charley: In Search of AmericaTravels With Charley: In Search of AmericaTravels with Charley: In Search of America is a travelogue written by American author John Steinbeck. It recounts tales of a 1960 road trip with his French standard poodle, Charley, around the United States. He wrote that he was moved by a desire to see his country on a personal level, since he...
. He took both the South and North ferries via New York State Route 114New York State Route 114New York State Route 114 is a state highway on the far eastern sections of Long Island in New York, United States. It serves as a connector between the two "forks" of Long Island, crossing Shelter Island in the process. This is the only connection between the North and South Forks east of...
.
- Brian DePalma's early film "The Wedding Party," with one of the first film appearances by Robert De Niro (called Denero in the credits) was filmed on Shelter Island in 1963 but was not released until 1969.
- The feature film Margot at the WeddingMargot at the WeddingMargot at the Wedding is a 2007 tragicomedy written and directed by Noah Baumbach.The film premiered August 31, 2007 at the 34th Telluride Film Festival.-Plot:...
was shot in the spring of 2006 in various New York locations including, Shelter Island.
- In season 4 of How I Met Your MotherHow I Met Your MotherHow I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
, Ted'sTed MosbyTheodore Evelyn "Ted" Mosby is the titular fictional character of the U.S. television sitcom How I Met Your Mother, portrayed by Josh Radnor...
wedding to Stella was to take place at a NamasteNamasteNamaste is a common spoken valediction or salutation originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is a customary greeting when individuals meet, and a valediction upon their parting. A non-contact form of salutation is traditionally preferred in India and Namaste is the most common form of such a...
yogaYogaYoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
center at Shelter Island.
- The feature film, Shelter Island, directed by Geoffrey Schaaf, starring Ally SheedyAlly SheedyAlexandra Elizabeth "Ally" Sheedy is an American film and stage actress, as well as the author of two books. She is best known for her roles in the Brat Pack films The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire.-Early life:...
, Stephen BaldwinStephen BaldwinStephen Andrew Baldwin is an American actor, director, producer and author. One of the Baldwin brothers, he is known for his roles as William F. Cody in the western show The Young Riders and as Stuart in the movie Threesome...
, and Chris PennChris PennChristopher Shannon "Chris" Penn was an American film and television actor known for his roles in such films as The Wild Life, Reservoir Dogs, Footloose, Rush Hour, True Romance, All the Right Moves and Pale Rider.-Early life:Penn was born in Los Angeles, California, the youngest son of Leo Penn,...
, and featuring Jennifer Alexander was shot in several New York locations, including Shelter Island.
- Shelter Island was the site of the 1947 Shelter Island ConferenceShelter Island ConferenceThe first Shelter Island Conference on the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics was held from June 2–4, 1947 at the Ram's Head Inn in Shelter Island, New York. Shelter Island was the first major opportunity since Pearl Harbor and the Manhattan Project for the leaders of the American physics community...
on quantum mechanicsQuantum mechanicsQuantum mechanics, also known as quantum physics or quantum theory, is a branch of physics providing a mathematical description of much of the dual particle-like and wave-like behavior and interactions of energy and matter. It departs from classical mechanics primarily at the atomic and subatomic...
, attended by some of the most illustrious scientists of its day, to discuss the most pressing issues in modern physicsModern physicsThe term modern physics refers to the post-Newtonian conception of physics. The term implies that classical descriptions of phenomena are lacking, and that an accurate, "modern", description of reality requires theories to incorporate elements of quantum mechanics or Einsteinian relativity, or both...
.