WHO WAS WARD MELVILLE?

Few areas in the country have benefited so greatly from the creative philanthropy of one man as has Long Island’s Three Villages – Stony Brook, Setauket and Old Field.  It was Ward Melville who undertook the restoration of Stony Brook Village in 1940 and it was Ward Melville who gifted New York State with the property upon which the University at Stony Brook now stands.  At his own expense, Mr. Melville reconstructed the hamlet of Stony Brook. The project included a crescent-shaped Village Center with connected shops grouped around a federalist style post office.

Completed in 1941, the Stony Brook Village Center has long been recognized as the first planned shopping center in the United States, offering visitors and residents alike a very special shopping and dining experience because of the types of shops and ambience offered.  The mechanical eagle in the pediment of the Stony Brook Post Office still flaps its wings today every hour on the hour from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily as it did in 1941.

In 1947 Mr. Melville also acquired one of the Stony Brook's historical treasures, the Grist Mill, c. 1751. Listed on the National and New York State Register of Historic Places and as a New York State Revolutionary War Heritage Trail site, it is Long Island's most completely equipped, working Grist Mill.

Added to the list of growing Melville properties were the eleven-acre Mill Pond, Upper Pond and T. Bayles Minuse Mill Pond Park, The Brewster House, c.1660, The Thompson House, c.1710, The Mills House, Satterly-Jergensen House and several other historical private residences.

Ward Melville began acquiring wetlands property in the 1960's to avert the construction of a marina. The West Meadow Creek Wetlands parcel eventually grew to 88 acres, and is the site of the Marine Conservation Center where WMHO Marine Science programs take place.

It was his vision to plan and preserve a place where history would blend with natural beauty as a part of everyday life.

WHO WAS DOROTHY MELVILLE?

Dorothy Melville donated more than half her life to community service and was a major force in the restoration of the Three Village area.  Along every step of the way she helped Ward Melville in his quest to change Stony Brook from a sleepy fishing village into a Colonial showcase. She was President and co-founder of the internationally known Suffolk Museum (now known as the Long Island Museum of American Art, History & Carriages).

Mr. & Mrs.Melville’s collection of some 300 carriages and William Sidney Mount paintings were donated to the Museum. Dorothy Melville was also President of the Stony Brook Community Fund, now The Ward Melville Heritage Organization, as well as the Frank Ward Melville Foundation. 

Dorothy Melville was a noted philanthropist and has been referred to as “The First Lady of the Three Villages” and as “Stony Brook’s Fairy Godmother.”

Left to Right: Mr. David Melville, Mrs. Ward Melville, Mr. Ward Melville, Mrs. Ruth Melville Berlin, Mr. Frank Melville III, Mrs. Margaret Melville Blackwell

WHAT IS THE WARD MELVILLE HERITAGE ORGANIZATION?

Ward Melville created the Stony Brook Community Fund in 1939, which was eventually renamed The Ward Melville Heritage Organization in his honor.  The organization is a not-for-profit corporation founded to preserve and protect the vision and legacy of Ward Melville - to maintain and enhance historical and sensitive environmental properties and to develop and foster community enrichment through cultural and educational experiences.  Through his efforts and the organization he created, his contributions to the quality of life in the community are immeasurable.

In 2002 The Ward Melville Heritage Organization completed the state of the art 8,800 square-foot Educational and Cultural Center. It is the site of year-round activities and events for families and children. These include performing arts, music, theater and dance, WMHO Youth Corps activities and community events, outreach to local cultural and educational groups, intergenerational programs and lifelong learning opportunities. The facility also houses classrooms for on-site adult and youth programs as well as distance learning programs. Through video conferencing, students of all ages are able to experience programs broadcast to other parts of Long Island and schools throughout the country and interact with instructors in real time. The Center accommodates up to 300 people and is available for rental for business conferences, executive retreats, seminars, workshops, training programs and celebrations.