act2 newsday.com/act2

BY JAN TYLERSpecial to Newsday

Volunteers of theYaphank Histori-cal Society earlierthis year scoredtheir latest victorywhen the circa

1829 Mary Louise Booth houseon Main Street was added tothe National Register of Histor-ic Places.

It was an achievement 13years in the making and nosmall feat, but it was nothingnew for the volunteer organiza-tion. The Robert Hawkinshouse and Homan-GerardHouse are two other structuresthat have also earned the pres-tigious listing as national land-marks in Yaphank.

In the late 1990s, the dilapi-dated Booth house was movedto its present location oncounty-owned land and overthe years, its roof and sidinghave been repaired, its interiorrestored by volunteers.

“My husband, Bob, and Iactually joined the society sothat we could work on therenovations,” says Peggy Juddof Yaphank, the society’s vicepresident, who is a retiredtechnology systems director.“We scraped off tons of oldpaint and repainted and did alot of drudge work.”

Other members also puttheir backs into the restora-tion, repairing moldings andrefitting doors. Replacement

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Left to right, Robert Judd, Tricia Foley, Robert Kessler, Audrey Kessler and Peggy Judd are board members of the Yaphank Historical Society. With other volunteers,they restored the Mary Louise Booth House, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places this year.

Devoted volunteers restore Yaphank sitesand work to gain them national landmark status

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windows were handcrafted bya restoration carpenter, EagleScout candidates earned pointsby building a replica outhouseand local Girl Scouts plantedherb gardens in the backyard.

The Yaphank HistoricalSociety is acknowledged byexperts as a well-oiled ma-chine that’s been chuggingalong for 40 years, persistentin its efforts to save the ham-let’s legacy. On Long Island,there are about 200 volunteerhistorical societies, and localhistorians point to the Yap-hank Historical Society’s 180members as being among themost active and innovative inprotecting their rich heritage.One major victory in 1985 wasthe establishment of a historicdistrict for the 18th and 19thcentury homes that line Yap-hank’s mile-long Main street.

“It’s an outstanding group,committed to planning the

future of their past and I saluteall their efforts,” says RichardMartin, Suffolk County ParksDepartment director ofhistoric services.

Yaphank Historical Societypresident Robert Kessler saysMartin’s appreciation of theorganization’s work has beenbeneficial. Martin “has beeninstrumental in guiding usthrough minefields of paper-work and regulations as wesearch out and restore all thatour landscape has to offer,”says Kessler.

From Millville to YaphankDuring Colonial times, the

hamlet in the Town of Brook-haven was known as Millville.About 1844, when the railroadcame to the area, the nameYaphank was adopted. It wasderived from Yamphanke, theIndian name for a small creekin the area, according to thesociety’s website,yaphankhistorical.org.

Kessler, 72, has long beenenamored of the hamlet, enjoy-ing “a lifetime of getaways” athis family’s vacation homethere. “I’ve always loved thisplace,” he says, “the lakes, thepeople, the wonderful oldhouses.”

He and his wife, Audrey, 74,relocated from Smithtown to apermanent home in Yaphanksix years ago and joined thesociety. A year later, Kessler, aretired stonemason, was elect-ed president. “It’s a very busygroup. but I didn’t expect to beconstantly on the go,” he says,“but I do it gladly and comeback for more, just like the restof the members who give theirtime working on restoring thehistoric houses in the village.”

The home of Mary LouiseBooth was high on the list forrestoration. She was the found-ing editor of Harper’s Bazaarin 1867 and a nationally knownabolitionist and suffragette.She was thanked for her work

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The Homan House is in the early stages of restoration. Below,Robert Kessler amid the ongoing construction inside the home.

The landmark Swezey-Avey House is now headquarters for theYaphank Historical Society where archives are stored.

The Robert Hawkins House, circa 1850, was one of the firsthomes in Yaphank to be restored.

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The south parlor of the historic Hawkins House showcases portraits of Samuel Nortonand Eliza Swezey Norton, prominent early residents of Yaphank.

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on behalf of the Union in ahandwritten letter from Abra-ham Lincoln; a photocopy of itis displayed in the house.

Tricia Foley, the society’shistorian, worked on thehome’s interior restoration. “Iwas honored to touch herpersonal life in a place whereshe lived it,” says Foley, aninterior designer who lives“down the street” from theBooth house.

In the mid-1970s, shortlyafter the society was formed,the group partnered withSuffolk County to save thecrumbling Robert Hawkinshouse, circa 1850, at the east-ern edge of the historic dis-trict. “Everyone was upset tothink of that beautiful oldhouse being torn down,”Kessler says.

The county restored thestructure’s exterior while thesociety — with funds raisedfrom grants, donations andevents — took on the interior

renovations. “The whole vil-lage responded with gifts ofantiques and household items,it was such a pleasure to see itall come together,” recallsKaren Mouzakes, 70, a retiredteacher and the society’s histo-rian emeritus. She recentlymoved to New Jersey but isstill active in the society.

Hawkins was a businessmanand had the home built for his

family. By 1974, it was in ruinsand ready for demolition, butthe fledgling society fought tosave it. Though the Hawkinshome and land are now ownedby Suffolk County, the histori-cal society members are itscaretakers. That obligation ismade festive by members whoenjoy spaghetti dinners afterhousekeeping chores at “dustand dine” sessions.

‘Very long journey’The Hawkins House was

listed on the National Registerof Historic Places in 1986 andmembers say it took 25 yearsto bring it to its present ele-gance. “It’s been a very, verylong journey,” says Mouzakes,who was there from the start.“Everyone has worked very,very hard.”

Members are working to-ward that same goal in restor-ing the Homan-Gerard House,

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WHEN Sundays in Julyand August, 1-4 p.m.Groups by appointment.

WHERE Hawkins House4 Yaphank Ave., Yaphank

COST Free; donationsaccepted

INFO 631-924-4803;yaphankhistorical.org

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A recently acquired collection of original issues of Harper’sBazar (now Harper’s Bazaar) from the 1880s and ’90s is in thehistorical society’s archives. Abolitionist and suffragist MaryLouise Booth was its editor for 22 years after its 1867 founding.

Yaphank Historical Society board members Robert Kessler, Audrey Kessler, Peggy Judd, Tricia Foley and Robert Judd in the kitchen of the historic Mary Louise Boothhouse, which dates to 1829. ] Video, more photos at newsday.com/act2

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built in the 1700s. The struc-ture was saved from destruc-tion by Suffolk County andwas listed on the NationalRegister of Historic Placesabout 20 years ago, Kesslersays. Its walls have beenstripped to the lath in somerooms and years of paint havebeen scraped from every sur-face.

Taking tradition to the boardLongtime Yaphank resident

and society member LindaPetersen, 67, recalls how, in

1985, after years of endlessmeetings, she went before theBrookhaven Town Board toappeal for passage of an ordi-nance ensuring a broader layerof protection for historic rel-ics. “We knew we had aunique place that was beingthreatened,” she says, “if some-thing wasn’t done soon thatwould all be gone, and it couldnever be replaced.”

For the occasion, she wore afloor-length dress with ruffledapron — a period costume todepict a Yaphank resident inthe 1800s. It was her reminderto board members that Main

Street looked like a page out ofhistory, and “most residentswanted it to stay that way.”The ordinance was approved.

Whether Petersen’s show-manship swayed the board isundetermined, but it mighthave inspired the society’simaginative approach to futureprojects such as a holidayhouse tour two years ago atthe Italianate-style HawkinsHouse. Men in top hats andcapes and ladies in ruffledaprons and bonnets led visi-tors through the Victorian-erarooms where they watchedcostumed actors perform skits

revisiting the daily life of theHawkins family at Christmas-time.

The society is also re-sourceful when it comes toenhancing the buildings in itscare. In a bid to evoke a senseof nostalgia, the society tookadvantage of Suffolk CountySheriff’s Labor AssistanceProgram, which allowed in-mates of the jail to help buildpicturesque picket fencesaround county properties inthe village, using old photos asguides. “The men were enor-mously helpful,” Kessler says.“They did a great job.”

Anyone meandering alongthe byways in Yaphank shouldnot mistake the tranquillity ofthe centuries-old homes forinactivity. “We’re restoringtwo houses, cleared a scenichiking trail, thinking about alandscape face-lift for the postoffice, and a visitor’s centerwith maps for walking tours isa possibility,” Kessler says.

And with so many plans, thesociety would like to strength-en its numbers. “We're hopingto attract younger members,”Kessler says, “and we’re re-organizing our records forwhen the next generationtakes over.”

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Resourceful at restoring Yaphank’s past

Growing up in Brook-lyn, the extent of mytravel away fromhome was a day at the

beach in Rockaway or a sub-way ride into the city to see amovie. Then, in the spring of1957, at the age of 21, every-thing changed. I was draftedinto the U.S. Army.

It began with a letter fromSelective Service instructingme to appear before my localdraft board with my birthcertificate. I asked my momwhere my birth certificatewas, and after an extensivesearch, she handed it to me. Ilooked it over and realizedsomething was wrong. “Mom,who is this person?” I asked. Ihad lived for 21 years as JackPepitone, but the name on thepaper read “Giacomino Pipi-tono.”

My mom then explainedthat the parish priest insistedthat “Jack” was too “Ameri-can,” so he persuaded myparents to use the Italianequivalent of “little Jack” orGiacomino. “OK, Mom, I’llgive you that one,” I said, “buthow the heck did my lastname become Pipitono?” Mymom replied, “Ask your fa-ther.”

My father explained that

the family name had beenincorrectly spelled as Pipitonefor a number of years. Then,in a firm and unapologeticvoice, he said, “And I don’thave any idea how the letter‘e’ at the end of your lastname became an ‘o.’ ”

I wondered how this wouldplay out at the draft board.When I arrived, the clerkimmediately asked for mybirth certificate and begantyping my name on a form.“Excuse me, sir,” I said polite-ly, “but there is a mistake onmy birth certificate. My nameis not Giacomino Pipitono, it’sJack Pepitone.” Without look-ing up, the clerk said, “Listen,son, I have my orders, yourbirth certificate is an officialdocument, so you’ll be Gia-comino Pipitono for the nexttwo years.”

When the clerk was fin-ished, I was asked to sign theform and stumbled trying towrite my new name. A monthafter passing my physical, Iwas on active duty at Fort Dixin New Jersey. We wereissued uniforms and equip-ment and told we would beflown to Fort Benning, Geor-gia, for basic training. Busedto nearby McGuire Air ForceBase, we were put on a two-

propeller military aircraft. Iwas nervous about my firstplane ride and my heart start-ed to race. The engine noisewas deafening and it startedto rain. Flashes of lightning litup the cabin and the turbu-lence got so bad I was certainwe would crash-land. I imag-ined the lead story on theevening news: “Military planecrashes, all aboard killed.”Would I be buried as Giacomi-no Pipitono or Jack Pepitone?But we all survived and weretreated to a different kind ofSouthern hospitality.

“Stand up straight, youmiserable bunch of New Yaukzip-gun-carrying misfits,”screamed Sgt. Weems, ourplatoon leader. “OK, listenup,” he growled, “when I callyour name, sound off in aloud and clear voice: ‘Here,Sergeant.’ ”

He had difficulty pronounc-ing some of the names butthen stumbled badly: “Gia-Giach — Giacomenio Peep-tono,” he yelled. I hesitated asecond before Weemsscreamed out: “GiakaminoPippotono.” I shouted, “Here.”

Weems responded: “Sol-dier, front and center.” Hetold me to face the platoonand in a mocking tone said,

“Gentlemen, before youstands a dumb [expletive]who does not know his [exple-tive] name. Perhaps weshould make him say it a fewtimes so he can remember it.”He ordered me to run doubletime, circle the field yelling,“My name is Giacomino Pipi-tono and I am a dumb [exple-tive].”

During the next eightweeks, Weems mastered thepronunciation of my name.“Pipitono, you are a disgraceto the uniform of the U.S. ofA.” “Pipitono, your mamacan’t help you now.” “MissPipitono, this is not a teasocial.” Weems subjected usto many challenges and indig-nities, but I survived.

After basic, I was shippedto Germany to work as amedical records clerk and wasable to travel through Europe.Returning home in the springof 1959, I realized that I wasno longer the naive kid thatleft two years before. I wasproud to have served mycountry.

But now and then, I awakein a cold sweat from the samedream that I have once againbeen drafted. I try desperatelyto explain that I have alreadyserved, but the reply is,“Sorry, we have no record ofJack Pepitone serving, but wedo have someone namedGiacomino Pipitono.”

Jack Pepitone,West Hempstead

COVER STORY

LET US HEAR FROM YOU Letters and essays for MY TURN are original works by readers that have neverappeared in print or online. Share special memories, traditions, friendships, life-changing decisions,observations of life, or unforgettable moments for possible publication. Email act2@newsday.com, or write toAct 2 Editor, Newsday Newsroom, 235 Pinelawn Rd., Melville, NY 11747. Include name, address and phonenumbers. Edited stories may be republished in any format.

Soldiernotateasewithnewname

Jack Pepitone had no idea untilhe was drafted into the Armythat his “real” name wasGiacomino Pipitono.

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