Jamesport

When Jamesport was first colonized in the 1690s, it was known as “Aquebogue.” After another hamlet named “Upper Aquebogue” was created to the west, it was renamed “Lower Aquebogue.” The oldest surviving church structure in Suffolk County is the Jamesport Meeting House, which dates back to 1731.

The town of “Jamesport” is named for James Tuthill, who moved to the Peconic Bay region south of Lower Aquebogue with his family in 1833. Over time, the village one mile (2 km) to the south, which was formerly known as Jamesport, became known as South Jamesport (and is included in the current Jamesport CDP), while Lower Aquebogue became known as Jamesport. Aquebogue grew out of Upper Aquebogue.

In what is now South Jamesport, James Tuthill attempted to build a whaling and shipping terminal for commerce on Peconic Bay. However, the attempt failed because the Bay’s low tide made it too shallow for ships to navigate. But after the Long Island Rail Road began running between Jamesport and New York City, the town gained popularity as a vacation destination and became to house a number of sizable bayfront hotels. Among these were the Great Peconic Bay House and the Miamogue Hotel, both of which were in operation until 1952. Jamesport developed into a flourishing fishing village that served as a hub for the bunker (menhaden) and scallop industries.

Jamesport was home to an Epworth League Fresh Air Camp after 1904 and a Methodist Episcopal Church camp meeting grove from the 1830s until roughly 1950.

In addition to its Shoreham plant, which was already under construction, the Long Island Lighting Company (LILCO) identified land in Jamesport on the North Shore of Long Island for use as a potential second nuclear power plant during the 1960s. But in the 1970s and 1980s, LILCO encountered resistance from Shoreham, and the Jamesport idea was abandoned.