The Greenport Historical Society was founded on April 25, 1985 when a Constitution and By-Laws were adopted and officers were elected. It was in January of that year that Marion C. Smith, the Town Historian at the time, called together a group of citizens to discuss the feasibility of forming a Historical Society. Needless to say, the interest was there and, within a few months, the Society was active and fulfilling a need in the town to cultivate an awareness of the rich history that existed in the Town of Greenport and its environs, and to record and preserve that history for future generations.A Provisional Charter was granted by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York Education Department on January 17, 1990. The Society continued to grow and expand its horizons and on June 4, 1996 was granted an Absolute Charter by the Board of Regents. The Society is a registered 50l(c)3 not-for-profit organization.
The Society provides excellent programs of both an educational and entertaining nature. These are available to the membership and to the general public at no charge. Membership is open to everyone and residency in the town is not a consideration. Many new friendships are made through the Society and members are supportive of each other and the purpose of the Society, which is:
“The overall aim of the Society is to create a base for the acquisition of information, artifacts and memorabilia, relevant to the history of Greenport and its environs, with the view to add to the enrichment of the lives of those in the community who are interested in availing themselves of such cultural nourishment. By providing art exhibits, movies, lectures, as well as facilities for other worthwhile events of interest to the membership, the founders of the Society hope that it will not only help make Greenport a more desirable place to live, but also a more attractive place to visit.”