In the mid 1600s, a group of colonists from New Haven, Connecticut crossed Long Island Sound and settled in the township of Southold, which includes what is now the Village of Greenport. Over the course of its long history, Greenport has been known by several different names including Winter Harbor, Stirling, and Green Hill. At a public meeting in 1831, the name Greenport was officially adopted.
MITCHELL PARK
Since 2001, Mitchell Park has been expanded to include an ice rink, a seasonal sprinkler garden and a camera obscura — but the Carousel remains the star attraction. Swing by some balmy afternoon, pick your favorite steed, hop on and try to grab the brass ring!. So much more than just an amusement ride, the Carousel’s nostalgia trip will only set you back $2 bucks. It’s worth it.
THE ANTIQUE CAROUSEL AT MITCHELL PARK
Because of its deep and protected harbor, Greenport became a major whaling port between 1795 and 1859 and enjoyed a bustling shipbuilding industry as well. By the mid 1800s, the menhaden fishing industry was in full swing and employed thousands of people. The Long Island Railroad arrived in 1844 and was a driving force in the development of Greenport and the North Fork as local farmers used the railroad to ship their harvest to markets.
Greenport became a huge oyster center during the first half of the 20th century and at one time there were over a dozen oyster processing plants in town.
As the oyster industry began to shrink, the Village turned its attention towards tourism and has developed into a vibrant destination for visitors from all over the world. In 2011, Forbes magazine named Greenport one of the prettiest towns in the United States.
To learn more about our Maritime history, please visit our Maritime Museum with its wealth of examples and historical information. For more information about the railroads, visit Greenport’s Long Island Railroad Museum.
GREENPORT JAIL AND POLICE MUSEUM
ATLAS OBSCURA AT MITCHELL PARK
The Mitchell Park camera obscura has added a distinctly modern technological overlay
to the optical device, having been built entirely out of digitally fabricated components. The camera was designed entirely as a 3D computer model, and the pieces were laser cut and assembled as a kit. In this sense the Mitchell Park camera obscura is both one of a kind and perfectly reproducible anywhere in the world. Visitors can control the lens itself from inside the camera, via a box equipped with a joy stick. Viewing is best when daylight is strongest.
Comments