Our Commitment
Preserving Our Heritage for Future Generations
Our Mission Statement
We preserve and promote local history.
At the Ward Melville Heritage Organization, our mission is to preserve and promote the rich history and cultural heritage of our community. We engage visitors through educational programs and events that celebrate our past and inspire future generations.
Our Education Programs
A future where history is accessible.
The Ward Melville Heritage Organization offers a wide range of innovative educational programs designed to inspire curiosity, creativity, and a love of learning among students of all ages.
Join Our Community
Be part of our legacy.
Your involvement helps us maintain our projects and continue our mission. Join us in celebrating and sharing our local history!
Events Calendar
111 Main Street
Stony Brook, NY 11790 United States
111 Main Street
Stony Brook, NY 11790 United States
111 Main Street
Stony Brook, NY 11790 United States
111 Main Street
Stony Brook, NY 11790 United States
Featured Local Properties
Three Village Inn
Stony Brook, NY 11790
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Historic inn overlooking Stony Brook Harbor with 21 overnight guest rooms. Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch, and there are private banquet and meeting facilities for up to 200 people.
The Stony Brook Grist Mill c. 1751
Stony Brook, New York 11790
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The Stony Brook Grist Mill, Long Island’s most completely equipped working mill, is listed on the National and New York State Register of Historic Places.
The Stony Brook Grist Mill has been a community structure of the Three Village area for over 300 years. During the late 1800s, a vineyard was planted on the island in the Mill Pond. Catawba grapes were pressed and fermented in the Stony Brook Grist Mill, bottled in Brooklyn and sold at a nearby tavern. In earlier times, the mill was the center of community life. People exchanged news and gossip as they waited for the miller to grind their grain. Alois Kopriva, who emigrated from Poland, played the violin and entertained his guests with gypsy music. Kopriva was also an advocate for women’s right to vote.
As recently as the 1950s, farmers still brought their wheat and corn to be ground at the mill. Miller Schaefer ground natural wheat at the mill and shipped his “health food” to customers in 42 states.
The Stony Brook Grist Mill is open to the public for guided tours with a miller or tour guide, and a Country Store from 1pm – 4:00pm on Sundays, April through October.
Admission is $4 for adults and $2 for children.
The Stony Brook Grist Mill is a cash only establishment.
Hercules Pavilion
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Overlooking Stony Brook Harbor, the Hercules Pavilion on Main Street, Stony Brook, houses the figurehead and anchor from the prestigious U.S.S. Ohio, the first ship launched from the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1820. Toward the end of the century, the U.S.S. Ohio was decommissioned, destroyed and sunk in Greenport, Long Island. However, the figurehead was saved. The massive bust was first sold for $10 to the Aldrich family of Aquebogue; then to Miles Carpenter, owner of the Canoe Place Inn in Hampton Bays for $15, where it remained for decades. The figurehead was acquired by Ward Melville in 1951, who deeded it to The Ward Melville Heritage Organization for preservation. It is said if you kiss the brow of Hercules, you’ll be married within a year.
Polaris Whaleboat (part of Hercules pavilion)
Sharing the Hercules Pavilion with the historic figurehead is the Polaris whaleboat, thought to be the only surviving artifact from the Charles Hall expedition to the Arctic in 1870. Commander Robert Peary recovered the Polaris during his 1905 Arctic expedition and subsequently placed it with the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Some forty years later, naturalist Robert Cushman Murphy was instrumental in transferring the Polaris to Ward Melville. It is now a property of The Ward Melville Heritage Organization.
Photo Credit: Dr. Koeppel
Shore Road (by Main St.)
Stony Brook, NY 11790
Erwin J. Ernst Marine Conservation Center
East Setauket, New York 11733
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Explore the 88-acre wetlands preserve around Stony Brook Village. You will delight in the land and seascapes of blossoming trees, grasses, waterways and bird life that only can be found in Spring on this pristine eastern section of Long Island’s North Shore.
The Ernst Marine Conservation Center is happy to host fun and educational field trips for both students and adults.
For more information, please call 631-751-2244.
The Jazz Loft
Stony Brook, NY 11790
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Preservation, education and performance are the mission of The Jazz Loft, dedicated to honoring this distinctly American music. A 6,000 s/f venue leased to this not-for-profit organization by the Ward Melville Heritage Organization, The Jazz Loft is located at 275 Christian Avenue, Stony Brook (next to the Three Village Inn). President and Founder Tom Manuel offers a treasure trove of memorabilia including thousands of archives from some of the greatest jazz musicians of their day. On display are instruments, diaries, autographed pictures, original sheet music, and even an orchestra stage that was constructed from the original Roseland Ballroom dance floor. The Jazz Loft includes a full calendar of musical performances, as well as classes for special needs people with autism, learning disabilities, dementia and Alzheimer’s. Visit thejazzloft.org for full information, details and upcoming events.
The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame
Stony Brook, New York 11790
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The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame is proud to open its doors to an awe-inspiring new facility in Stony Brook, NY that is dedicated to the recognition, honor, and preservation of Long Island’s music and entertainment heritage. Since 2004, their organization has Inducted over 120 music artists and related professionals who will now be recognized in a permanent home. The space—covering 8,800 square feet—features a large exhibition area, theater, and an official “Hall of Fame Museum.”
Their official “Hall of Fame Museum” features displays of original musical instruments, famous awards, apparel, and other memorabilia from many of Long Island’s favorite artists. The wide variety of talent represented by the 120 inductees includes names like Billy Joel, Blue Oyster Cult, KISS, LL Cool J, Debbie Gibson, Louis Armstrong, the Stray Cats, and Run-DMC, among many others.