Episode 169: Bellport Restoration with Victor Principe

The Long Island History Project

A tree-lined street running gently down to a flat blue bay, flanked by over two hundred years worth of American architecture. Bellport in all its glory, from its founding by the Bell brothers through its growth as a waterfront resort destination and the ensuing years as a sleepy, forgotten village. But there came a time when the old place needed saving - when all the Greek Revivals and Victorians could have been razed or replaced with McMansions.

Victor Principe's new book, Unhampton Preservation and the Happiness of Place in Bellport Village and Environs, documents the history of preservation in the area. On this episode, he discusses the importance of preserving a sense of place in an area, protecting streetscapes and historic districts as well as conserving the natural landscape. We also talk about the careful balance of forces needed to make historic preservation work, from dedicated individuals to willing political leaders to a commitment over time to following the plans and specific codes hammered out at the local level.

Further Research

• Unhampton Preservation and the Happiness of Place in Bellport Village and Environs (order here)
• Bellport Village and Brookhaven Hamlet (Find in a library via WorldCat)
• Bellport Revisited (Find in a library via WorldCat)
• Bellport Brookhaven Historical Society
• William Glackens (Smithsonian American Art Museum)