Sayville is a picturesque neighborhood filled with quaint shops, fabulous restaurants, and waterfront activities, making it the perfect town to spend the day. However, most people are unaware about Sayville’s rich history. Below are some fun facts about Sayville that you probably don’t know.

The Islip Grange Reflects the Pre- Civil War

The Islip Grange, is a 12-acre site founded in 1974. It’s a central location for historic buildings and landmarks that reflect pre-Civil War Long Island including the American Farm Windmill, Dutch Reformed Church, The Gazebo and more. Today many seasonal activities take place on the Grange including the Farmers’ Market which runs on Saturdays from June through November and the Annual Fall Apple Festival on Saturday October 20 ^th .

Sayville was Voted the Friendliest Town

Even though New Yorkers often have a bad reputation for being rude, in 1994 Sayville was named The Friendliest Town in America. Remember some of the kindest people can be found here on Long Island.

It’s a Gateway to Fire Island

One of the easiest ways to get to Fire Island is to catch a ferry through The Sayville Ferry Service. The Sayville Ferry Service originated in 1894 and has been operated for four generations by the Stein Family. Enjoy a trip to Fire Island this summer, ferries go to Cherry Grove, Fire Island Pines, Water Island and Sailors Haven/Sunken Forest and Fire Island National Seashore Park.

West Sayville is the Oyster Capital of the World

In 1815, Captain Humphrey planted the first oysters in the Great South Bay. Today these are known as Blue Point Oysters. There are five different oysters that are harvested in the US but blue oysters are considered the best not only in New York but around the world. Saturday, September 15 ^th is the 3 ^rd Annual Blue Island Oyster Festival, benefiting the Blue Island Oyster Foundation and Save the Great South Bay that protect the Great South Bay.

The Dutch Brought Sustained Harvesting to Sayville

In 1849, Dutch immigrants revolutionized the oyster industry by introducing sustained harvesting. This helped the Long Island Oyster industry soar to new heights. In the 1900s Blue Point Oyster Co, was the biggest oyster company in the world. The Oyster boom also helped related industries in Sayville to grow. This is how the expression, Main Street is paved with “Sea Gold” originated. Today, several farms on Long Island utilize sustainable agriculture practices and other ecological options.

Actress Melissa Joan Hart Grew up in Sayville

Actress, Melissa Joan Hart, known for her starring roles on Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Clarissa Explains It All , grew up in Sayville, NY. Netflix announced that they are releasing a darker version of Sabrina the Teenage Witch called Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. A release date has not been announced but fans will get a sneak peak at Comic Con.

Sayville High School is a Reward School

Sayville residents take great pride in their school-systems. Sayville High School was one of twenty-four schools on Long Island to be named a Reward School, an honor from the New York State Education Department for its high academic achievement.

Sayville was the largest summer resort area in the US

During the 1920s, Sayville was the largest summer resort area in the United States. City dwellers would take a train out to “the island” to visit the beautiful beaches on the South Shore. Since tourism continued to prosper, several plush hotels with five-star meals and entertainment were built to accommodate the increase in visitors including Cedarshore, Elmore, and The Kensington. As new forms of transportation emerged, more people began to move to Sayville to live and many hotels shut down. Today, Sayville is considered a great town to settle down and raise a family.

The Sayville was supposed to be called Seaville

Before Sayville had a name, it was referred to as “over south.” March 22, 1837, a meeting was held to select on a name for the town and they decided on “Seaville.” However, the town clerk could not spell and wrote down Sayville. After the spelling error was discovered, they decided to keep Sayville because there were several towns already named Seaville.

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