Archives
The catalogue for the archives is available when the Historical Society Office is open, Tuesday through Saturday from 9 am to 3 pm. The archivists generally pull material on Wednesday mornings from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, although it is possible to get assistance by appointment.  The archives include 18th century letters, late 19th Century postcards, early photographs, memoires from the early 20th Century including those of Waldo Kraemer a longtime resident of the Heights and Evans K. Griffing, Supervisor in the 50s and 60s, intriguing documents, and papers from historical research by historians writing throughout the 20th Century. These include a tour of houses on Shelter Island in 1870 by Ralph Duvall, the author of the definitive book, The History of Shelter Island, and a number of serious papers on many subjects by Patricia and Edward Shillingburg who are still contributing to the body of work. The most comprehensive genealogy is Jacob E. Mallman's Shelter Island and its Presbyterian Church, 1899, however, genealogical material abounds.
    Samples of items in the archives are below:

Letters

This is a letter written in 1798 from Philadephia by Congressman Jonathan Nicoll Havens  to his friend Henry Dering. It complains of gout and the wranglings in Congress. 

Post Cards

This is a 1910 post card which shows important places for tourists to visit: Prospect House, Manhanset House, sailing in Dering Harbor, the Yacht Club, the Beach Club, and the Mill and Library in the Center.

Photographs

This is a 1889 photograph of the Heights Post Office which was located where the North Ferry building is today.

Documents

"In Provincial Congress for the Colony of New York, the Eleveth Day of October 1775. To Obediah Havens of Shelter Island in Suffolk County, Gentleman -- Greetings: By Virtue of the of the Authority repofed [reposed] in us We nominate, authorize, conftitite [constitue] and appoint you  the said Obediah Havens to be first Lieutenant of the Militia Company of foot on Shelter Island, which is the Eighth Company of the Militia of Foot in the Third Regiment of foot in Suffolk County (of which Eighth Company James Havens Esquire is Captain)..."