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Curious about your family’s past? Want to know more about your community’s history? Then the Hampton Library in Bridgehampton, now back in business at its renovated home base, has just the thing. Local History Workshops are held monthly and guest speakers appear throughout the year.
Now that the renovation is complete, the Long Island Room has a new first-floor location, making it easy to pull up a chair and get up close and personal with history.
“The library has opportunities for people to learn about their family’s history or the history of their house or what their community was like years ago,” Local History Librarian Julie Greene said. “Now that the Long Island Room is on the main floor, I hope people will come in and take a look around.”
This month, Ms. Greene is leading two Local History Workshops. The first will be held on Thursday, January 21, and the second on Monday, January 25, with both running from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The workshops are designed to provide insider tips on how to begin historical research and to suggest places to find information.
On January 28, North Haven resident Hank de Cillia will give a talk describing a genealogical journey that carried him from the present day back through 15th century Europe. Mr. de Cillia’s accomplishment shows historical research at its best, Ms. Greene said.
“His story shows it can be done,” she said.
Historical research can be applied to discovering the history of a home, tracing the beginning of a community or populating the branches of a family tree. Tools include combing through newspaper archives and Southampton Town records, Ms. Greene said.
Online sources such as www.Ancestry.com and www.Heritagequestonline.com are boons for historical fact-seekers, Ms. Greene said. The Suffolk Historic Newspaper project also provides a searchable database (www.suffolkhistoricnewspapers.org).
The ongoing local history project is part of a cooperative effort by Suffolk County’s public libraries that provides searchable information in a centralized collection. Information is available to cardholders of any Suffolk County Library. The collection’s best resources for picking up local facts, so far, can be found in in the Corrector of Sag Harbor (1858-1871), The Sag Harbor Express (1885-1898), the New York Times Historical (1851-2003) and the Brooklyn Daily Eagle (1841-1902), Ms. Greene said, as well as in other local newspaper collections.
“Most people wouldn’t think to look at the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, but there are quite a few references to local people and events,” Ms. Greene said. “Even then, there were people who came out to Bridgehampton and had homes here.”
The Hampton Library has been running monthly Local History Workshops for several years, typically on the third Thursday of each month. Between workshops, Ms. Greene fields phone calls from people looking to connect with their Hamptons past. Some inquiries come from out of state residents whose genealogical trails lead them to Bridgehampton. Others are from locals inquiring about East End relatives who preceded them.
With each piece of information found, Ms. Greene starts a file. The piecemeal facts often uncover snatches of lives that might not otherwise have drawn attention. Sometimes stories intermingle and shed light for two families. Other times, a single fact is uncovered and the library inquiry ceases.
“I’m always happy to provide whatever help I can,” Ms. Greene said. “With so many people moving to Bridgehampton, we provide the chance for new residents to learn something about what Bridgehampton was like.”
Ms. Greene joined the Hampton Library around eight years ago after earning a Master of Library Science degree from C.W. Post. She received a B.A. in History from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Between degrees, she spent years as an archivist working in the film industry. Ms. Greene is currently the archivist for the Bridgehampton Historical Society.
The Hampton Library provided the chance for her to channel her passion for history, archiving and serving the public when she was hired as the Local History Librarian. Her first task was organizing, archiving, preserving and restoring parts of the library’s collection.
Now that the renovation and expansion project has been completed, the Long Island Collection has a chance to catch visitors’ attention on the main floor of the library. Even if residents don’t walk through the door, Ms. Greene brings history to them through the library’s newsletter, The Link.
Historically Speaking has relayed stories about a possible Tile Club meeting when the group of artists alighted in Bridgehampton in the summer of 1878. Readers also had the chance to learn about the local connections of Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes (1862-1948) who ran against Woodrow Wilson in the 1916 presidential election.
To make sure children know that history can be fun, Ms. Greene has led historical scavenger hunts, taken field trips to the original School House and led an expedition to discover a “mystery celebrity” in the nearby cemetery.
“My goal is to make the Long Island Collection accessible to anyone who wants to use it and to let people know about the opportunities for local history at the library,” she said. “The collection and the resources available allow for people to discover their roots, discover a love of history and hopefully, pass it on.”
The Hampton Library is located at 2478 Main Street, Bridgehampton. Registration is required for the Local History and Genealogical Workshops and the Guest Speaker programs; call 537-0015. Information can also be found at www.hamptonlibrary.org or by e-mailing bridlib@suffolk.lib.ny.us.
on Jan 19, 2010