Point O' Woods, New York
 |
This article may contain original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding references. Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. More details may be available on the talk page. (September 2010) |
| Point O' Woods | |
|---|---|
| — Hamlet — | |
| Nickname(s): PO'W | |
 Point O' Woods
|
|
| Coordinates: 40°39′0″N 73°0′48″W / 40.65°N 73.01333°WCoordinates: 40°39′0″N 73°0′48″W / 40.65°N 73.01333°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Suffolk |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | |
| FIPS code | |
| GNIS feature ID | |
Point O' Woods is a seasonal hamlet on Fire Island, New York, in Suffolk County. It is accessible only by a private ferry which is open only to residents and their guests. The ferry departs from Bay Shore on Long Island.
Contents |
[edit] Location and history
The hamlet was originally organized for religious retreats, some from the Chautauqua assemblies, in approximately 1898. Today it serves as a summer community for families from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut primarily, but the families include members in New England, the Midatlantic States, California, many other states, and some foreign countries.
The small flat-bed diesel driven rail service, which is the only one on Fire Island, runs from the dock to the General Store.
While known for its storied reclusiveness, Point O' Woods has established intramural relationships with summer camp sports programs with other Fire Island communities. The Volunteer Fire Department regularly trains with counterparts in Ocean Bay Park.
The location between Ocean Bay Park and Cherry Grove is near the Sunken Forest, a park situated below mean high tide level.
[edit] The Wreck of the Elizabeth
On July 19, 1850 the English barque Elizabeth sank after running aground on the Fire Island sandbar just off of Point O' Woods. Famed feminist author Margaret Fuller perished in the wreck along with her infant child. Three days after the sinking, Fuller's friend Henry David Thoreau arrived at Point O' Woods to search for her remains. Her body was never recovered.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ Cheever, Susan (2006). American Bloomsbury. New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. 140-141. ISBN 0743264614.
