Blue Point's Been Quaint Since Its Beginning

The hamlet of Blue Point occupies 1.8 square miles of the south shore in the southwest corner of the Town of Brookhaven. Blue Point is bordered by Patchogue to the east, Bayport to the west, Holbrook to the north and the Great South Bay to the south. 

Although Blue Point and Bayport fall under different townships, Bayport is located in Islip Town; they share the Bayport-Blue Point School District. As reported by the 2000 census, 4,407 residents reside in this quaint, bayside hamlet. Despite its small size, Blue Point is rich in culture and history, and, in the past, was home to numerous prominent figures who were instrumental in creating the hamlet residents and visitors see today.

Historians have theorized about the way in which Blue Point received its name. However, the term "Blew Point" can be found in a certified British land document from 1697. It is estimated that this region was inhabited 5,000 years ago by Native Americans, yet the precise year is unknown.

By the time European settlers found their way to Long Island, Blue Point, which was then referred to as Manowtasquott, was home to the Unkechaug Native Americans. The Unkechaugs were one of thirteen Algonquin tribes that made Long Island their home. Manowtasquott means "land of the basket-rush place," which got its name from the reeds the Unkechaugs used to weave baskets.

Europeans first settled in Long Island somewhere during the 16th century. In 1664 John Winthrop, then governor of Connecticut, purchased the southwestern part of the Town of Brookhaven, which had been set up in 1656. In exchange for the land, the Unkechaug chief, Tobaccus, received many useful items such as coats, hoes, hatchets and knives, among other objects.

Upon John Winthrop's death in 1676, Winthrop's son John inherited the land, which he later sold to Humphrey Avery in 1752 for 2,599 pounds, 10 shillings. Up until when Avery purchased the Blue Point region, the land was barely settled by Europeans and remained home to the Unkechaugs. 

Four years after the acquisition of the land, Avery found himself in debt and looked to a lottery for economic relief. The prizes consisted of the land Avery owned on Long Island, which he divvied into 36 sections, in addition to 1,580 cash prizes.

Blue Point took up lots 7 and 8 of the 36 land prizes. Thanks to the 8,000 tickets sold, Avery found himself out of debt and was even able to buy back some of the land. Among those he repurchased was Blue Point.

Three streets in the hamlet were named in honor of the men who first owned Blue Point: Avery Court, Humphrey Lane and Winthrop Court.