Oysterponds Historical Society (OHS)

Oysterponds Historical Society (OHS) was founded in 1944 to preserve the historical significance of the North Fork, Long Island hamlets of Orient and East Marion. Today, OHS maintains seven historically-significant buildings located in the heart of Orient, New York’s landmark historic district; cares for 8½ acres of grounds, including Poquatuck Park, a cherished community gathering spot; and actively manages a collection of over 60,000 items, including historic artifacts, documents, diaries, works of art, and archival objects dating from early Native American times all the way through the 20th century.

OHS offers myriad compelling exhibitions of contemporary or historical significance, lectures, webinars, and other community events and activities open to the public, as well as resources for genealogical and archival research. Three of OHS’s historic buildings are open to the public on a regular basis during the summer months: Village House is period-furnished with noteworthy pieces from the OHS collection and shown as a late 19th-century boarding house, demonstrating a significant chapter in its history. The 18th-century Webb House also is period-furnished and contains a permanent Maritime exhibition. The Old Point Schoolhouse’s Janet T. Swanson Exhibition Gallery is the venue for an annual summer exhibition drawn from OHS’s collections.