A Beach Colony Celebrates One Hundred Years

Vacations today are rarely about reconnecting with seasonal friends and neighbors, as many summer residents retreat behind hedges that block views—and social interactions.Yet pockets of tight-knit summer communities remain. The North Sea Beach Colony, a working-to-middle class vacation enclave on the water in North Sea, is among them—and they will be celebrating their 100th anniversary on Saturday.

Reminiscent of the Catskill Mountains’ summer bungalow colonies in the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s, the little community on Little Peconic Bay is made up of generations of families who have been returning every summer for decades.

“You have a legacy of people who grew up loving this place and pass it on … I think there’s this real special sense that everybody kind of contributes and participates,” said Liz Fealy Jacobello, president of the North Sea Beach Colony Association. One of the more recent members to join, she has been summering in North Sea with her family for more than 10 years.

The colony is made up of mostly small cottages, both modern and dated, that sit near each other, many with modest plots of land. The quiet, narrow streets with their many speed bumps allow children to bike and play freely without parents worrying about traffic. Set atop a bluff, the community has one steep stairway down to the beach, a singular private access to the water that they share.

The first development of the colony began in 1915, when George Howell broke his property into lots of various sizes and sold them as a business investment to people who were interested in a day or weekend retreat. About 15 to 20 small wooden cottages were built between 1915 and 1920, many of which were subsequently converted to year-round use.

Eventually, a pavilion was built at the North Sea Bathing Beach, and a ski slide was even erected through the 1930s—although both have since disappeared. In 1947, colony residents made their community official by forming the North Sea Beach Colony Association, which has helped keep the colony in order as residents share tasks, such as maintaining the roads, cleaning the beach, and organizing community events.

More than 50 families reside there as summer or even year-round residents. Many of them are third- and fourth-generation families, according to Ms. Jacobello.

“Families have been here for generations, and in many cases, passed the houses down many generations in the family,” said Pat Garland, secretary of the North Sea Beach Colony Association who lives in the cottage her grandfather purchased in 1938.

“Everybody knew each other, so no one could get away with anything,” said Kathleen Miller, who has been a summer resident since 1975 and is helping organize the anniversary party.

For decades, the community functioned as a sort of summer camp for children and adults alike. “Every Sunday we’d have Sunfish races, and all the kids would learn how to sail,” said Ms. Miller. There were also clamming expeditions, beach parties, parades, ladies outings to nearby restaurants and ladies golf tournaments, to name a few.

Several residents went out of their way to keep the community together. Mary Wienecke would gather all the children and take them to the former Penny Candy Shop in Water Mill for treats every summer. And for more than 20 years, Paul Beatty, nicknamed the “mayor” of the colony, would invite his good friend, Monsignor John Martin, to visit. Every Saturday in August, Msgr. Martin would hold an open outdoor Mass on the Beattys’ lawn. “It’s probably one of my most favorite memories of the colony itself,” said Ms. Jacobello.

More recently, as generations of children have grown up, and in some cases, cannot afford to take over their parents’ cottages, the colony has grown less vibrant. Still, residents maintain tight bonds, and annual activities are organized, including pizza parties and occasionally parades for big holidays such as Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day. “I think the bond is to the colony, to take care of the colony and to keep it going,” said Ms. Jacobello.

The 100th anniversary celebration for the North Sea Beach Colony will be held at 230 Elm in Southampton. Guests will be treated to cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, a buffet dinner, dessert, and dancing to the music of Richie Rich.

Current and former residents are primed for the reunion with their longtime colony friends. The last big one they held was 25 years ago, for their 75th anniversary. “There’s been a real dedication from the people and the families from the colony to keep up the community. It’s a colony and a community, and I think you don’t quite get that anymore,” Ms. Jacobello said.