Long Island Collections

Long Island The Sunrise Home Land, 1929.

About

Our Long Island collections are premier sources for the study and research of regional history. A primary collecting focus of Special Collections, our extensive Long Island book, manuscript, and map collections are highly regarded and attract researchers from the university community to international scholars.

The collections include primary and secondary source material on the history of Long Island from the earliest settlers through the present, with a strong emphasis on the period of the American Revolution through the War of 1812 (1764-1812).

Recognition

Special Collections has been honored by the New York Board of Regents and New York State Archives with the awarding of the “Annual Archives Award for Program Excellence in a Historical Records Repository.” The Board of Regents and theNew York State Archives present this award annually to an organization in the state that exemplifies excellence in an archival program. Christine Ward, New York State Archivist, commended Stony Brook “for its outstanding archival program that contributes significantly to understanding the region’s history.”

Additionally, the department’s guide to digital Long Island documents and books was lauded by The Scout Report, a division of the National Science Foundation’s National Science Digital Library (NSDL) Project.

In May 2023, Special Collections and University Archives was presented the Kate Wheeler Strong Memorial Award by the Three Village Historical Society “in recognition of significant contributions toward the fostering of interest in local history and a fuller appreciation of the rich historical and cultural heritage of this community” on May 17, 2023. Each year the Three Village Historical Society Board of Trustees and Award Committee awards local businesses, residents, homeowners, society members and youth who have made significant contributions in helping to preserve the heritage of the Three Village area. Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn presented a proclamation from the Suffolk County Legislature, stating in part: “Special Collections & University Archives has been a source for inspiration and guidance and for historical information highlighted during numerous Three Village Historical Society events” and its work “ensures this community has a direct link to its past, captures its present and enriches the future.” A Certificate of Congratulations was received from the Brookhaven Town Board and presented by Councilman Jonathan Kornreich, District 1.

Support and Advance our Long Island Collecting and Preservation Activities

In 2009, Special Collections established the "Long Island Historical Documents Fund" to support the acquisition and care of Long Island books, papers, and maps. With contributions from donors, we have been able to acquire several new collections and conserve priceless manuscripts and maps. Please consider making a financial gift to help us grow and preserve our esteemed regional collections.

Searching

Our Long Island book (more than 2,000 volumes) and historical map collections can be searched using our online discovery catalog. To refine your results, narrow the "Library" to "Special Collections. "Digital Collections" feature the department's manuscript materials and books.

FEATURED COLLECTIONS

George Washington Spy Letters
Spies do exist in the archive! The Three Village Area including Stony Brook and Setauket was central to intelligence gathering activities during the American Revolution. Special Collections, a division of Stony Brook University Libraries (SBU Libraries) owns and curates two American Revolutionary War-era, Culper Spy Ring letters authored by George Washington. Significant to regional and national historical narratives, SBU's letters were composed in 1779 and 1780 and document espionage activities right here in our community.

Citizen’s Committee for a Fire Island National Seashore Collection
In September 2024, the University Libraries received a historic donation of documents detailing the grassroots battle to prevent the construction of a highway on Fire Island and secure the creation of the Fire Island National Seashore (FINS), New York. The collection, donated by the Barbash family – siblings Cathy, Susan, and Shepard Barbash – provides a comprehensive look at the efforts of the Citizens’ Committee for a Fire Island National Seashore. This committee, founded in 1962 and co-chaired by their father Maurice Barbash and uncle Irving Like, played a pivotal role in the successful fight against Robert Moses’ proposed highway and in the eventual establishment of FINS in 1964. The donation includes committee meeting minutes, press releases, and correspondence with key political figures such as New York State Governor Nelson Rockefeller and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Stuart Udall. The timing of the donation coincided with the 60th anniversary of the legislation that created FINS as part of the National Park Service.

The collection is digitized and freely available online, offering valuable insight into the strategies and determination of the grassroots movement that helped protect Fire Island’s natural environment. Cathy Barbash explained that the decision to donate the materials to Stony Brook University was motivated by the university’s proximity to both Fire Island and the pre-existing collection of their uncle Irving Like’s papers. The Barbash family is proud to contribute this significant historical record to a major research institution, ensuring that the legacy of their father and uncle’s civic activism continues to inspire future generations of researchers and environmental advocates.

The Emory Payson and Jean Wilcox Tuttle Estate Collection
This 9-linear-foot archival collection, spanning the 18th to 20th centuries, enriches the study of Long Island history. It includes diverse materials such as correspondence, financial documents, genealogies, photographs, diaries, wills, deeds, and ephemera. Key families featured are the Tuttle/Tuthill, Hawkins, Van Brunt, and Darling families, with a focus on Brookhaven and Southampton Townships, including Eastport, Setauket, and Port Jefferson. The collection provides insights into family life and the broader transformation of Long Island from an agrarian to a suburban society, offering valuable context for understanding the region's social, economic, and cultural shifts.

Samuel Hopkins Miller
A collection of original account books, diaries, ledgers, correspondence, and land deeds dating from 1705 to 1967 that document several generations of the Miller, Tuthill, and Tillotson families on Long Island, New York primarily in the areas of Miller Place and Rocky Point in the Town of Brookhaven. Andrew Miller (1634-1717) of East Hampton settled in “Miller’s Place,” later named “Miller Place” on Long Island in 1679.

Robert M. Emery Long Island Rail Road Collection
Detailed pencil drawings of Long Island Rail Road tracks and surrounding geographic areas (Kings, Queens, Nassau, Suffolk), with explanatory notes by Emery; over 5,000 identified photographs and postcards of construction, employees, trains, depots, and other scenes; 262 timetables; and other material relating to the railroad (ca. 1885-1974).

Long Island Land Deeds
Collection of deeds (ca. 1759-1851). Surnames include: Wells, Downs, Swezey, Howell, Ferry, Corwin, Tuthill, Hallock, and Youngs.

Long Island Legal Documents
Legal records, including bail pleas, licenses, notices of court appearances, court minutes, subpoenas, lists of jurors, and petitions, ca. 1784-1846. Surnames include Kissam, Nicolls, Roe, Sammis, Smith, Titus, Townsend, Van Wyck, Wickes, Willet, and Wyckoff.

Long Island Maps and Atlases
Special Collections curates maps and atlases depicting Long Island and New York State dating back to the seventeenth century. Holdings for the map and atlas collections can be located in SBU Libraries' discovery catalog, SEARCH.

Richard Welch Collection
Extensive photograph collection of colonial gravestones; manuscripts; journals; correspondence, and published works.

Brookhaven Town Land Deeds
Land deeds and documents pertaining to Brookhaven, New York, ca. 1780-1929. Surnames include Helme, Rose, Hawkins, Myhr, and Mott.

DIGITIZED COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS

Long Island Documents featuring George Washington Letters
Special Collections acquired two exciting American Revolutionary War-era letters authored by George Washington that document spy activities in Setauket, NY during 1779 and 1780. The purchase of these letters was made possible with a generous gift from Dr. Henry and Marsha Laufer and laid the foundation for the establishment of a Long Island Historic Documents Collection. The collection includes primary and secondary source material on the history of Long Island from the earliest settlers through the present, with a strong emphasis on the period of the American Revolution through the War of 1812 (1764-1812). Visit the LibGuide for George Washington and the Culper Spy Ring for more information and resources about this topic

Digitized Long Island Book Collection
A curated collection of the department's scarce books about Long Island.

Digitized Edition: Long Island Historical Journal
The print edition of this peer-reviewed, scholarly journal founded by Roger Wunderlich at Stony Brook University has been digitized and indexed. Search and freely access thirty-two issues (1988-2008) of substantive, original scholarship about the history of Long Island - Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties - set in a regional, national and global context. In 2009, the LIHJ was renamed the Long Island History Journal.

Long Island Postcards
View postcards dating back to the late 19th century of Long Island scenes, landmarks, and homes.

Stony Brook University Archives
Research the history, people, and traditions of Long Island's largest research university.

Specula Yearbooks
Access PDFs of Stony Brook University's yearbook, which was published from 1961 to 2006.

LONG ISLAND COLLECTIONS

Long Island Collections

Gala at Northport, 1910

From the Robert M. Emery Long Island Rail Road Collection