Bellport, New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bellport, New York
Village
Incorporated Village of Bellport
The Four Corners in Bellport
Bellport, New York Location in Long Island Show map of Long Island Bellport, New York Location in New York Show map of New York Bellport, New York Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Suffolk
Town	Brookhaven
Named for	The Bell family
Area
• Total	1.53 sq mi (3.97 km2)
• Land	1.45 sq mi (3.76 km2)
• Water	0.08 sq mi (0.21 km2)
Elevation	26 ft (8 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,203
• Density	1,519.31/sq mi (586.67/km2)
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern Time Zone)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00
ZIP Code	11713
Area codes	631, 934
FIPS code	36-05771
GNIS feature ID	0943626

Bellport is a small village in New York, United States. It is located in Suffolk County, on the South Shore of Long Island. In 2020, about 2,203 people lived there.

The village is officially called the Incorporated Village of Bellport. It was named after the Bell family, who were among the first settlers in the area. Bellport has a main street, South Country Road, with many local shops. You can find antique stores, art galleries, small inns, and restaurants. These businesses are often run by families and supported by the Bellport Chamber of Commerce. Bellport is also home to the Gateway Playhouse, a professional summer theater that has been open since 1950.

Bellport's Past: A Look at History

The land where Bellport now stands was bought from the Unkechaug Native Americans in 1664. Early settlers from nearby Setauket were interested in the area because of its rich "salt hay" harvests. This part of the land was first called Occumbomock Neck.

Early Settlers and New Beginnings

Jonathan Rose was the first person to settle here permanently in the 1680s. By 1720, his family owned a large part of Occumbomock Neck. In 1829, Captain Thomas Bell, who came from Scotland, bought land in the area. He sold parts of it, and by 1843, the village had 30 homes and 200 people.

Captain Bell changed the name to Bell-Port (now Bellport). He hoped it would become a busy seaport. This was because Bellport was very close to the Old Inlet, a break in the Fire Island barrier island. This break gave ships easy access to the open ocean. Captain Bell and Colonel William Howell built a dock and a road to it.

From Seaport Dream to Tourist Spot

However, the break in the barrier island eventually closed up. So, Bellport could not become a major seaport. Instead, it became a popular tourist spot. Wealthy visitors from New York City would arrive by train and then by coach.

Even though all seven hotels in Bellport eventually closed (the last one in the 1950s), the village remained popular with wealthy New Yorkers. Many of them eventually made Bellport their year-round home. After World War II, Camp Upton nearby was turned into Brookhaven National Laboratory. This brought more educated people to live in Bellport all year.

Important Dates in Bellport's History

• 1910: Bellport officially became an incorporated village.
• 1980: On July 4, the Bellport Academy and Bellport Village Historic District were added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites.
• 1963: On March 8, Bellport High School had a fire. No one died, but many students and teachers needed hospital care. A new school was built in Brookhaven, but it is still called Bellport High School.
• 1983: On November 26, a fireworks factory just north of the village exploded. This event caused damage to many homes in the area.

Bellport's Location and Natural Beauty

Bathing at Bellport by William Glackens

Bellport is about 4 square kilometers (1.5 square miles) in size. Most of this area is land, with a small part being water. The village sits on the shore of Bellport Bay, which is part of the larger Great South Bay.

Ho Hum Beach: A Hidden Gem

Ho Hum Beach is a special place on Fire Island. It is about 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles) across the Great South Bay from the Bellport Village Marina. This beach is a private spot for village residents and their guests.

It's a great place for:

• Surfing
• Sunbathing
• Fishing

Ho Hum Beach has a swimming area, a snack shack, and showers. A ferry called the Whalehouse Point ferry takes people from the Bellport Village Marina to the beach from late May to early September. Village residents can buy ferry tickets, and their guests can ride for a higher price. You can also take your own boat to the beach.

Who Lives in Bellport?

In 2000, there were 2,363 people living in Bellport. Most residents were White (95.13%). Smaller groups included African American, Native American, and Asian people. About 1.78% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average age of people in Bellport in 2000 was 46 years old. About 18.7% of the population was under 18 years old.

Learning in Bellport: Schools

The South Country Central School District serves the Bellport community. It has several schools for different age groups:

• Three elementary schools (for kindergarten through 3rd grade)
• Frank P. Long Intermediate School (for 4th and 5th grades)
• Bellport Middle School (for 6th through 8th grades)
• Bellport High School

Getting Around Bellport: Transportation

Bellport has bus routes that help people travel.

• Bus route 66 connects to the Patchogue LIRR station and the Riverhead LIRR station.
• Bus route 77 also connects to the Patchogue LIRR station.

Both bus routes also connect to the Bellport LIRR station in North Bellport.

The main road through Bellport is South Country Road (Suffolk CR 36). It runs from west to east. Bellport Lane is a main road that goes from south to north.

Famous People from Bellport

Many interesting people have lived in or are connected to Bellport:

• Tommy Baldwin Jr., a racing driver and mechanic
• Tiki Barber, a former NFL football player
• Amanda Burden, an urban planner
• William Glackens (1870–1938), a famous artist
• Felix Grucci, from Fireworks by Grucci
• William Higinbotham (1910–1994), a physicist who helped create one of the first video games, Tennis for Two
• Bryan Johnson, a former NFL football player
• Kirke La Shelle (1862-1905), a journalist and theater producer
• Selina Maitreya (born 1955), an international photography consultant
• Mike McAlary (1957–1998), a journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner
• Samuel Irving Newhouse Jr. (1927–2017), a magazine publisher
• Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (1929–1994), a former First Lady of the United States
• Arthur Pinajian (1914–1999), an artist and comic book creator
• Billy Porter, a well-known actor, singer, and style icon
• Charlie Rose, a television talk show host
• Isabella Rossellini, an actress
• Randy Smith (1948–2009), a former NBA basketball player
• Elmer Ambrose Sperry (1860–1930), an inventor of the gyroscope
• William Weld, a former governor of Massachusetts
• P. G. Wodehouse (1881–1975), a famous English comic writer

See also

In Spanish: Bellport (Nueva York) para niños