Raynham Hall Museum

Raynham Hall Museum Home of George Washington's secret agent Robert Townsend, Raynham Hall is a time capsule of Long Isla

Raynham Hall was for 200 years the home of the Townsends of Oyster Bay -- merchants, slave owners, Patriots, civic leaders. One of the sons of the family, Robert Townsend, posed as a Loyalist in Manhattan and relayed vital intelligence to George Washington, helping the Patriots win the Revolutionary War.

We can't wait for this panel on America at 250, with H.W. Brands and Kostya Kennedy discussing their books on the lives...
05/15/2026

We can't wait for this panel on America at 250, with H.W. Brands and Kostya Kennedy discussing their books on the lives and legacies of George Washington and Paul Revere. We hope to see you at Oyster Bay Town Hall North tomorrow at noon!

Join us for Journeys of Courage: Jewish Lives from Europe's Persecution to America's Progress with Georgett Bennett and ...
05/13/2026

Join us for Journeys of Courage: Jewish Lives from Europe's Persecution to America's Progress with Georgett Bennett and Steven Ujifusa, two authors whose work provides fresh perspectives on the Jewish-American experience across place and time. The panel will be moderated by our own Executive Director, Harriet Gerard Clark. Please see the Gold Coast Forum website for more information. We are honored to host events all weekend!

Last week, Katie and Jessica had the pleasure of attending The Museum Association of New York Annual Conference in Alban...
05/13/2026

Last week, Katie and Jessica had the pleasure of attending The Museum Association of New York Annual Conference in Albany, New York. Over the course of three days, they visited historic sites in Albany and connected with museum professionals across the state to talk about the current state of museums, how we can safely and effectively tell our history, and how to best advocate for the preservation of our collections and historic sites. Thank you to MANY, the presenters, and attendees for an enlightening and inspiring conference!

Photo 1: We attended several sessions on the state of the museum field in the New York State Museum.
Photo 2: On the first day we visited the grave of Ann Lee at the Shaker Heritage Society.
Photo 3: Our colleagues at Three Village Historical Society showed how their Historic House Markers project function as cultural infrastructure for local communities.
Photo 4: This traveling mural was created by Arabesques, a Western New York based cultural organization that promotes cross-cultural understanding through the arts.
Photo 5: On our last day, we took a tour at Historic Cherry Hill and learned about the life of James Knapp, a butler, porter, musician, and member of Albany’s Black community in the late nineteenth century.

04/25/2026

Mark your calendars! Join us on Thursday, July 9, 2026, at Rynwood Estate for Raynham Hall Museum's Spirit of '76 Gala honoring George Washington & his secret agent man, Robert Townsend, with honored guest, Constance M. Cincotta.

Co-chaired by Rebecca Hollander Smiros, Claudia Taglich, and Lucy Taglich, this memorable evening will celebrate the people and stories that shaped our nation’s founding.

Stay tuned for more details!

On Monday, we were inspired by the work of our friends and colleagues in the field at the Northern Slavery Collective 20...
04/19/2026

On Monday, we were inspired by the work of our friends and colleagues in the field at the Northern Slavery Collective 2026 Conference, "Stepping Forward." As we approach the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in New York in 2027, we gathered at Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site to discuss plans, share, and learn. A special shout-out to our neighbor at the Oyster Bay Historical Society, Executive Director Denice Evans-Sheppard, and our host, Lavada Nahon, Interpreter of African American History at NYS-OPRHP Bureau of Historic Sites.

We will be closed tomorrow, April 5th for Easter Sunday! Happy Passover and Easter to those who celebrate.Tours resume o...
04/04/2026

We will be closed tomorrow, April 5th for Easter Sunday! Happy Passover and Easter to those who celebrate.

Tours resume on Tuesday, April 7th at 1pm. In the meantime, our gardens are open and the cherry blossom explosion is just beginning.

We were thrilled to take part in Long Island History Day on Sunday as judges and volunteers—what an inspiring day of his...
03/27/2026

We were thrilled to take part in Long Island History Day on Sunday as judges and volunteers—what an inspiring day of history learning with students, teachers, and museum colleagues! Congratulations to all of the participants, and best of luck to those advancing to New York State History Day in Oneonta next month!

A special shoutout to this year’s Robert Townsend Citizen Activist Award winners, sponsored by Raynham Hall. This award honors standout projects on citizenship and activism that capture the revolutionary spirit of the Townsend family:

✨ Anwita Sajja (Jericho Middle School)
“Fighting Silent Poison: Dr. Herbert Needleman’s Revolutionary Crusade to Reform Lead Exposure”

✨ Isabelle Deon & Kaitlyn Chun (Jericho High School)
“One Man’s Revolution → A Workplace Safety Revolution: The OSHA Story”

We’re so proud of all who participated—your curiosity, your creativity, and your demonstrated commitment to history’s impact today inspired all of us.

Pictured here: our Director of Education and LIHD Advisory Board Member, Justinne Lake-Jedzinak, alongside LIHD Intern (and longtime participant!) Athul Santhosh 👏

03/17/2026

The deadline has been extended to Friday, March 20th, for Raynham Hall Museum’s Call for Artists Exhibition! We invite artists from Long Island and New York City to submit entries for our upcoming exhibition, We the People. A jury panel will select the artworks included in the show and the opening reception will be held on Thursday, April 23, 2026. The exhibition will run through August 30, 2026.
For submission details and the entry form, please visit: https://raynhamhallmuseum.org/exhibitions/

Last week, our Educator, Mike Goudket, volunteered at the 250th Anniversary event at Encore Luxury Living in Jericho. Re...
03/04/2026

Last week, our Educator, Mike Goudket, volunteered at the 250th Anniversary event at Encore Luxury Living in Jericho. Representatives from several communities participated in a “Hall of Presidents” celebration, where Mike offered a live calligraphy demonstration. It was a wonderful event, and we were delighted to be part of the festivities!

Due to the winter storm projected to (further) blanket our area with snow over the next couple of days, Raynham Hall wil...
02/22/2026

Due to the winter storm projected to (further) blanket our area with snow over the next couple of days, Raynham Hall will be closed to the public on Sunday, February 22nd. We hope you stay safe and warm, and we look forward to welcoming you back soon!

Happy Valentine's Day! Today has always been a special one for us at Raynham Hall. On February 14, 1779, Lieutenant Colo...
02/14/2026

Happy Valentine's Day! Today has always been a special one for us at Raynham Hall. On February 14, 1779, Lieutenant Colonel John Graves Simcoe gave the first known valentine in America to Sarah Townsend. 💌✨

Every year, we celebrate that historic Valentine by inviting students in grades 4–7 to write their own poems about love, friendship, and all the sweet (and sometimes silly!) sentiments of the season. More than 200 students across all four grades entered the contest!

This past Thursday, Town Hall was filled with proud families, teachers, and friends as we celebrated our winning poets. 🎉📜

Take a moment to enjoy the poem from our fourth-grade winner, Katherine Salow. We think even Colonel Simcoe himself would approve. 💕

May your Valentine’s Day spark a revolution of love (and maybe chocolate). 🍫❤️

Address

30 W Main Street
Oyster Bay, NY
11771

Opening Hours

Tuesday 1pm - 5pm
Wednesday 1pm - 5pm
Thursday 1pm - 5pm
Friday 1pm - 5pm
Saturday 1pm - 5pm
Sunday 1pm - 5pm

Telephone

+15169226808

Website

https://raynhamhallmuseum.org/careers/

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