Story of shipbuilding in Port Jefferson featured in history video series

Brookhaven Town Clerk Kevin LaValle visited the Bayles Boat Shop in Port Jefferson on Wednesday, April 8 to record an episode of “Talking History with the Town Clerk”, a video series highlighting local history. 

Joining him was Town Historian Barbara Russell, president of Long Island Seaport and Eco Center (LISEC) and Bayles Boat Shop Leonard Carolan, as well as LISEC and Bayles Boat Shop directors John Janicek and Tony Dutra.

Rooted in a shipbuilding tradition dating back to 1797, Port Jefferson developed into one of Long Island’s most significant shipbuilding centers—a heritage Bayles Boat Shop honors through its preservation of the time-honored craft of wooden boat construction.

“This series is all about bringing our local history to life,” said LaValle. “Bayles Boat Shop is a remarkable example of how our community continues to honor and preserve its past while educating future generations.”

The shop is currently completing a full-scale reproduction of a Revolutionary War-era whaleboat that mirrors the type of vessel used by Caleb Brewster, a Setauket native and key member of the Culper Spy Ring. Alongside his childhood friend Benjamin Tallmadge, and under the leadership of George Washington, Brewster played a vital role in transporting intelligence across the Long Island Sound during the American Revolution.

The completed whaleboat is scheduled to launch at noon on May 2 at Harborfront Park, Port Jefferson.

To watch this upcoming episode, as well as previous episodes of “Talking History with the Town Clerk,” visit BrookhavenNY.gov/TalkingHistory. 

For more information about Bayles Boat Shop, visit Lisec.org.