Historical Museum Late Summer Party Benefits Educational Programs [PHOTOS]

Despite the threat of thunderstorms and a tornado watch, the Late Summer Party went off without a hitch and scores of Southamptonites turned out to share a delightful evening on the lawn of the historic built in 1843.

Executive Director Tom Edmonds and Board President Gerri MacWhinnie and a number of trustees, including Nancy McGann, Sandra Walser and Marge Sullivan, were on hand to greet the guests who crowded around the overflowing buffet table filled with delectable hors d'oeuvres from . Cocktails were served in the barn, one of the many historic buildings on the property which also features the oldest one-room schoolhouse in Southampton.

Curator Hilary Woodward gave a private tour of the special exhibition she created “Escape to the Bay: Family Camps in Southampton,” which tells the story of how local families enjoyed their leisure time at the bay in their own rustic summer “cottages” on Peconic Bay. Woodward collected photographs, objects and reminiscences that recall days of swimming, boating, clamming and feasting with family and friends — away from the pressures of daily life in the village.

Plein Air Peconic painter Eileen Dawn Skretch was also on hand for an exhibition of her paintings that capture the serene beauty of the East End landscape.

The end of summer celebration was a perfect opportunity to make new friends, see familiar faces and make plans for fall while supporting the museum's education programs.