Port Jefferson Park Dedicated To Local Revolutionary War Figures

PORT JEFFERSON, NY — A triangular parcel of land bordered by Crystal Brook Hollow Road and Winston Drive in Port Jefferson was recently named a passive recreational park — Strong Homestead Park, recognizing the legacy of Selah Strong and Anna “Nancy” Strong, who were key but long-overlooked figures in the American Revolution, village officials said.

The park occupies land historically associated with the Strong family homestead, often referred to in 18th-century records as the “Old Homestead” or the “Old Manse” or “Old Man’s," which was in the family until 1902 and served as a critical location during the Revolutionary War, according to the village.

Primary sources dating back to the American Revolution, show Captain Selah Strong and his wife, Anna “Nancy” Strong, played vital roles in George Washington’s Culper Spy Ring, the secret intelligence network that operated behind British lines throughout Long Island, and predominantly in the Town of Brookhaven, the village said.

The Strongs provided safe harbor and logistical support for the ring’s whaleboat couriers, including Caleb Brewster and his crew, who transported intelligence across the Sound to Connecticut, and the documents continued to be transported on land to General George Washington wherever he was located, according to the village.

As detailed in New York Archives Magazine, Drowned Meadow Cottage Museum’s Culper Spy Ring Historian, Mark Sternberg, examined primary source documents confirming Selah Strong was on Long Island and active in the ring’s operations, village officials explained.

Strong was released from the Provost Prison in New York City by the time the Culper Spy Ring began serving Washington in 1778, and she never relocated to Connecticut, but was arrested and imprisoned for “treasonable correspondence” in 1777 due to his work serving as a civilian spy for Patriot General Samuel Parsons, according to the village.

Sternberg’s work highlights that Selah Strong was deeply embedded in Patriot leadership well before his arrest by British authorities, and served on the Brookhaven Township Committee of Safety, represented Suffolk County in the New York Provincial Congress, and held the rank of Captain in Colonel Josiah Smith’s regiment, the village said.

Sternberg cites the 1835 pension testimony of Robert Brush, a member of Caleb Brewster’s whaleboat crew, who recalled receiving help and intelligence from Selah Strong at the “Old Man’s,” firmly placing him at the operational center of Washington’s spy network, according to the village.

Anna “Nancy” Strong is said to have met with Caleb Brewster while he was on espionage missions to Long Island, according to Brewster’s own correspondence, which affirms her active involvement in the ring and the essential role the Strong household played in intelligence operations, village officials said.

The site is also of layered history, reflecting centuries of human activity, including being a seasonal encampment for Indigenous peoples several millennia ago, and later supported the region’s industrial development through sand mining in the early 20th century, the village said.

In 1776, the site also functioned as part of a strategic military encampment for Captain Selah Strong’s minuteman company, according to the village.

The village has applied for a 2026 New York State Municipal Parks and Recreation Grant to help bring Strong Homestead Park fully to life as part of a proposed $1,000,000 recreational improvement project, the village said.

Around $900,000 in state funding would enhance public access and historical interpretation through features such as a kayak launch dock and pier, a playground, a historical walking path with interpretive signage, park bench seating, fencing, and permeable pavers in the parking area, according to the village.

"If awarded, the grant would allow the village to thoughtfully balance recreation, education, and preservation at this nationally significant site," village officials said.

"By dedicating Strong Homestead Park, the Village of Port Jefferson honors the Strong family’s enduring contributions to American independence while preserving a landscape that embodies the resilience and evolving story of the community," officials said. "The park offers residents a place for quiet recreation, reflection, and learning — ensuring that this critical chapter of local history is recognized, protected, and shared with future generations."