Back to all events
About
On October 16, 2021 as a cooperative effort, the Mattituck-Laurel Historical Society, the Mattituck Presbyterian Church’s Graveyard Restoration Committee and the North Fork Community Theatre will host the third annual Mattituck Presbyterian Church Historical Graveyard Tour. This year as last, it will be altered in a way to make it socially distanced and safe for all those who attend.
The tour begins at the North Fork Community Theatre at 12700 Old Sound Ave. Mattituck, NY 11952 and goes through the graveyard where actors in period costume recount the life stories of historic figures who are buried in the graveyard. The tour will end at the Mattituck Presbyterian Church.
The location and history of the church, the graveyard and the theatre lends itself to a tour such as this. Six “widow guides” dressed in Victorian mourning costumes will guide attendees from the theatre through the cemetery where the costumed actors will recount the lives of notable figures in Mattituck’s history while standing atop of their graves. The notables include revolutionary and civil war veterans, architects, pastors and lawyers as well as some of the women who supported them. It will also feature the story of the Wickham murders, the victims of which are buried at the gravesite. This year we have added a stop, Mary Reeve, a local woman from the 1700’s who lost four of her infant children and we will tell the story of her life and family. Mary Kalich, a member of the board of directors of the theater will start the tour with a brief history of the theater and how it was once a church. The tour will end with a brief talk by the Victorian undertaker on the strange and macabre Victorian mourning customs.
Tours will start at 2pm and end at 5pm. Tour groups of a maximum of 20 people will be scheduled in 10-minute intervals. Tickets must be purchased in advance, no one will be admitted without an advance ticket.
Tickets are $20.00/pp and are available at www.nfct.com (direct link: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5234450 )or at 631-298-NFCT (6328). The Rain Date is Oct. 17, 2021 at 10:30-1:30 (please note difference in times.) All proceeds equally benefit the three organizations that are hosting the tour. THIS IS A COMPLETELY OUTDOOR EVENT. Due to the impact of the Coronavirus, we will be following whatever Covid restrictions are mandated at the time of the tour. If you feel you cannot follow those restrictions, please do not attend.
