Hampton Bays Historical Society

About Hampton Bays Historical Society

Hampton Bays Historical Society preserves and shares the heritage of this Long Island community through its restored historic properties and collections. Visitors explore the Lyzon Hat Shop, the society's headquarters, which documents the area's prosperous past when Main Street was known as the Fifth Avenue of the Hamptons. The organization maintains the Prosper King House and the Canoe Place Chapel, a restored structure celebrating its 200th anniversary. The society holds family records, genealogies, oral histories, and artifacts for researchers and history enthusiasts. The organization offers monthly lecture series and publishes the quarterly Good Ground Newsletter to educate the public about Hampton Bays' unique heritage, from its early colonial settlement in 1640 through its development as a tourist destination following the arrival of the Long Island Railroad in 1869. The society also serves as steward of three cemeteries. Located in Hampton Bays, New York, the museum suits anyone interested in local history and genealogy.