Saving a Piece of Maritime History for Future Generations
The Bay House was destroyed beyond repair by Hurricane Sandy. Why Now – with urgency!?
It took years to secure the DEC permits required to do the rebuilding. These permits run out unless we can rebuild soon the Bay House will be lost forever. Exhausted all possible means of financial assistance, we are here to ask for your help!
“This is a way of life. It’s not just a house on a marsh land, we’re talking about generations of fishermen and baymen that have called these marsh lands part of our regional identity”
– Long Island Traditions executive director, Nancy Solomon.
This bay house was built in the 1900’s, has been a shelter for baymen (I for one) who fished and harvested shellfish for our livelihood. It has been a life-saving refuge for watermen caught in storms or severe freezing weather. In later years it became a place for learning about our maritime heritage. Located on the marshland of Long Island Great South Bay, an estuary connecting the land and sea, a diverse ecosystem where many plants and animals live. We have had plans to start a kind of “Discovery Outpost” here. This bay house will be raised to prevent future storm surge. (See history of bay houses below)
Nature is the best teacher > Bay house a great classroom
“Look deep into nature, then you will understand everything.” — Albert Einstein.
Unlike other bay houses, this one will be rebuilt not only for private use, nor for-profit.
Being a lifelong waterman, boat builder, I had worked the bay to put myself through school and raised a family, a veteran naval master helmsman, now I am a fishing guide – I feel a sense of responsibility to continue the maritime tradition to pass on knowledge and skills for generations to come. Especially these days, outdoors activities are desperately needed to get youngsters and adults alike out of their “4-inch-screens”. We want to bring people to re-connect with nature: experience the benefits of being on the water, get up-close and personal with marine lives, be able to observe migratory birds in changing seasons, opportunities to learn and build strong characters… in near future we’ll be able to invite visiting scientists and conservation groups, so many possibilities… Thus, raise awareness and education in preservation of our natural resources.
History of bay houses – cultural landmarks of bygone era
On Long Island’s Great South Bay, bay houses lineage can be traced back to the 1600’s. Today they are an endangered species — they are an important facet of maritime ancestry.
Long ago, these marsh houses enabled some of our ancestors to work the waters. Baymen had to row or sail to the marshes to harvest salt hay to sell to the farmers for their cattle. The journey was arduous, often dangerous, instead of rowing several hours each way, they built small lean-tos on these islands to spend the night. Bay houses became way stations or shelters for fishermen, shellfishermen; and served as emergency refuges for any watermen in distress on the water. In the late 18th to 19th century, this area was part of the centuries-old oyster industry that made New York the oyster capital of the world. By 1969 clammers around here were harvesting half of all the clams consumed in the country. Nowadays only a few of these bay houses remain.
After superstorm Sandy, in Oyster Bay only 2 survived. These houses cannot be bought or sold, only inherited or transferred to friends. They are strictly regulated by the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation. (References from Long Island Traditions, The New York Times, Newsday, LI Herald)
What Happened:
October 29, 2012, you may think is a long time ago. So do I. On that day Hurricane Sandy devastated Long Island South Shore – I am a bayman living here my entire life, making my living on the water, this storm had erased more than forty years of life that I’ve built…. We endured 16 horrific hours stranded in our home with no way out, water rose to the second floor, the house electrical box on fire, destruction outside was far worse. My parents’ home, daughter’s home, and my business were all under six feet of water, too many losses to mention… After water receded we found also our Bay House destroyed – the storm had ripped the house apart, everything within was lost to sea. As the family went in different directions to seek shelter, I didn’t think eight years later I’d still be rebuilding from the mess.
Doing the restorations myself, I’ve been living a “new normal”– work to make income, and work to rebuild. As if the disaster didn’t kill me, the process of applying for government assistance almost did. It took years to fulfill endless paperwork requirements on filing for help: FEMA, New York Rising, SBA, you name it; only to find they were ridiculously inadequate or plain dead-ends. Priority was obvious, family came first – repairing our homes was necessity, little by little, after all these years our homes are close to done…
Meanwhile, that’s why the bay house has been left by the wayside, but I haven’t given up on it
– the Bay House now needs your help!
Please visit our Go Fund Me page – click here
We would appreciate anything you can do to help rebuild the bay house and preserve the tradition of maritime heritage for our future generations. Without you this will be lost forever!
—- THANK YOU for your kindness and generosity!
We have put together a list of what’s needed and cost to rebuild, you can see it here (pdf).
Donation of material is very much welcome.
Friends are volunteering their labor.
If you have other ways to help or ideas, please contact us at: captainbarryk@mac.com
