Shelter Island

Take a fascinating journey through the history of Shelter Island, New York with more than 200 vintage photographs and anecdotes from the locals who experienced it.

In the spring of 1962, Captain Nathaniel Sylvester and his young bride, Grissel Brinley, stepped from their boat onto the narrow shore along Gardiners Creek. Nearby, in a clearing, stood a sturdy house, newly built of white oak timber from the surrounding forest. Shiploads of tiles and chimney bricks from Holland and household furnishings from England and Barbados had arrived during the preceding months. The Sylvesters would make Shelter Island their home.

Shelter Island: A Nostalgic Journey takes us to early homes, churches, and stores, and introduces us to the people who shaped this community. With over two hundred images carefully selected from the archive of the Shelter Island Historical Society, this unprecedented volume will be treasured and enjoyed by resident and visitor alike.

With this striking new pictorial history, local artist and historian Louise Tuthill Green has created a journey into the island's past. During the years that followed the Sylvesters' arrival, many families settled along these tranquil shores. Homesteads were built, farmland was cleared and cultivated, and businesses were established. Many boats sailed the area's sparkling inlets and bays, and guests to the area created a need for grand hotels and gingerbread cottages.