# Long island shoreline boulders



## Harborbobber (Jun 23, 2011)

Hello. I'm new to this forum. I was born and raised on Long Island and thought I knew every nook and cranny.....wrong! I've wandered the shorelines (mostly the North Shore) for thirty years. However, I need help in locating a couple of places. Maybe I've sailed by them many times and the places just did not register. 

Does anyone know where these places are along either the north or south shores of Long Island? I inherited these oil paintings from my aunt who lived in Patchouge. They were painted by William Huston, a Long Island seascape artist in the 1880's. If anyone knows, I would like to too! I want to visit the places and see if there has been any change in the view over the last 130 yeras or so. Contact me via e-mail. Happy sailing to all......

PS: Picture 3 shows Huston's signature in the lower left in black paint (sry, hard to see). I don't know which direction Huston was standing when he painted these. The first photo seems to show a sunrise, the other, maybe twilight. I welcome any guesses, hunches, etc.


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## jjablonowski (Aug 13, 2007)

The second one is reminiscent of Mt. Sinai harbor, looking west toward Belle Terre cliff.


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## CalebD (Jan 11, 2008)

One place that I know of that has lots of coastal rocks is Lloyd Neck, Caumsett State Park. Other spots along the north shore will have rocks as well, all the way out to the Peconics and Montauk. 
The high headland and bluff indicate that this is not a south shore beach, most of which are quite flat in terrain. Not that this will help much but I'd guess this scene was somewhere between Port Jeff and Mattituck. Port Jeff has a pretty tall head land. A lot can change over 130 years though.


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## Harborbobber (Jun 23, 2011)

*Belle Terre Suggestion*

Thanks to both of you for replying. That area is one of the first I will check although I can only approach by boat...I think. That is a good point, the high cliffs indicate the North Shore....absolutely! Now I have a direction, both are looking north.


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## tempest (Feb 12, 2007)

could those bluffs be Eaton's neck..looking west? Looking from Oldfield beach?

Also East of Port Jeff there's Rocky point...it looks like The beach there has plenty of Rocks....


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## WanderingStar (Nov 12, 2008)

Just my two cents: No standing rocks near Mt Sinai or Rocky Point, though they certainly could have been removed or fallen over. Mt Sinai Harbor has been improved many times, the inlet moved and dredged. My guess for the first is Montauk Point, there are many rocks and some hills and bluffs out there. There is another "Rocky Point" out east, near Horton Point I think. I believe there are standing rocks near there.


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## Harborbobber (Jun 23, 2011)

*William Huston Seascape Paintings*

Thanks for the reply WanderingStar! I went on Google Earth yesterday and did some closeup analysis of the shoreline in the vicinity of Rocky Point, Cranes Neck and Eaton Neck, etc. To my surprise, there are many huge rocks on the shoreline and some just in the water at high tides. Some are even on Google as hazards to navigation. But, it will take "boots on the ground" to really assess. I liked your Montauk Point idea until I realized there are no high cliffs like the one represented in that one painting. Thamks....the search goes on. First one to ID the location gets a case of beer or a nice bottle of wine on me...your choice....something else for those under the drinking age.


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## IronSpinnaker (Mar 28, 2011)

Surf, Tides, and Ice over the last 100+ years surely would have made finding these exact locations impossible. The boulders as painted will be unrecognizable by now. 

I tried a google search to see if I could find out the areas he favored to piant and didn't really come up with much.... other then that those really should be brought back inside and get some insurance on them


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## tempest (Feb 12, 2007)

I did see one painting online that sold recently. I believe it was a view of
" Plum Gut" . 

Iron Spinnaker is right, These paintings may be worth several thousand dollars apiece.


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## Harborbobber (Jun 23, 2011)

Hmmmm, I wonder where "Plum Gut" is? Huston may have hung around that area to paint for summer or fall and maybe my painting are near that area.... thanks you guys...all great leads!


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## WanderingStar (Nov 12, 2008)

Plum Gut is between Orient Point and Plum Island. It's a rough spot with the tide running through.


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## tweitz (Apr 5, 2007)

Plum Gut is the passage between Orient Point and Plum Island. Another place to look might be Fort Pond Bay, a little West of Montauk.


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