The Town of Oyster Bay, alongside the Sons of the American Revolution, unveiled a historical marker at Baptist Church Cemetery in Oyster Bay.
“In the Town of Oyster Bay, we’re proud of our history,” said Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino. “And boy, do we have a lot of history to speak of, especially right here in Oyster Bay hamlet.”
“Much of Oyster Bay’s historical notoriety comes from President Theodore Roosevelt and Robert Townsend, Culper Jr. of Washington’s Culper Spy Ring,” he said.
The new historical marker aims to recognize local revolutionaries who are not well-known.
The plaque commemorates five soldiers who fought in the American Revolution: Captain Abraham Van Wyck, Dr. Justus Storrs, John Wright, William Wright and Ephraim Townsend.
All five men are buried in the Baptist Church cemetery. They all served the nation in the revolution, and Dr. Storrs served as a military doctor during the War of 1812.
Matthew Moshen, a volunteer at the Oyster Bay Historical Society and a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, said he had found a pre-existing plaque for Van Wyck at the cemetary.
“I figured I’d research the other names to see if any of them served,” Moshen said. “I uncovered four others.”
To help honor their memory, Moshen began working on a historical marker to recognize their work.
“The Sons of the American Revolution have been honoring those who served in the American Revolution since 1889, by serving their local communities and educating future generations about the founding principles of our country,” Saladino said.
The Sons of the American Revolution unveiled the marker in anticipation of the nation’s 250th birthday.
Local residents attended the event, and Saladino presented the Long Island chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution with a citation from the town for their dedication to the project.
“Today, we help bring recognition to some of those names which will now be forever immortalized in a plaque dedicated by the Sons of the American Revolution,” Saladino said.
The plaque is now on display at the Baptist Church, located at 64 Orchard St. in Oyster Bay.
