Jamesport

History

Jamesport was first settled in the 1690s and was originally called "Aquebogue." It was renamed "Lower Aquebogue" when another hamlet called "Upper Aquebogue" was established to the west. The Jamesport Meeting House, built in 1731, is the oldest operating church building in Suffolk County "Jamesport" is named for James Tuthill, who settled with his family in the area south of Lower Aquebogue, on the Peconic Bay, in 1833. Over time, Lower Aquebogue came to be called Jamesport, while the community to the south, previously called Jamesport, came to be called South Jamesport (and is included in the present-day Jamesport CDP). Upper Aquebogue became Aquebogue. James Tuthill tried to establish a commercial whaling and shipping wharf on the Peconic Bay, in what is now South Jamesport . But the effort was unsuccessful, because the water in the Bay at low tide was too shallow to accommodate ships. However, the Long Island Rail Road established service between Jamesport and New York City, after which Jamesport became a popular resort area, with several large bayfront hotels. These included the Miamogue Hotel and the Great Peconic Bay House, which operated until 1952. Jamesport also became a thriving fishing community, and was a center for scallop and bunker (menhaden) fisheries. From the 1830s to about 1950, Jamesport was the site of a camp meeting grove operated by the Methodist Episcopal Church, and after 1904, of an Epworth League Fresh Air Camp. During the 1960s, the Long Island Lighting Company (LILCO) designated land adjacent to the Long Island Sound near Northville for use as the proposed Jamesport Nuclear Power Plant, in addition to its Shoreham plant, which was already under construction. However, the Jamesport plan was scrapped when LILCO ran into opposition to…

Geography

The United States Census Bureau has estimated that Jamesport has a total area of , of which just under is land and , or 0.60%, is water.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• RIVERHEAD SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
  High · RIVERHEAD · 2,001 students · 14.3:1 ratio
• RIVERHEAD MIDDLE SCHOOL
  Middle · RIVERHEAD · 827 students · 12:1 ratio
• RIVERHEAD CHARTER SCHOOL
  Other · CALVERTON · 823 students · 13.5:1 ratio
• HAMPTON BAYS HIGH SCHOOL
  High · HAMPTON BAYS · 769 students · 12:1 ratio
• PULASKI STREET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
  Middle · RIVERHEAD · 740 students · 12.5:1 ratio
• HAMPTON BAYS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
  Elementary · HAMPTON BAYS · 682 students · 12:1 ratio
• HAMPTON BAYS MIDDLE SCHOOL
  Middle · HAMPTON BAYS · 597 students · 10.9:1 ratio
• PHILLIPS AVENUE SCHOOL
  Elementary · RIVERHEAD · 578 students · 10.5:1 ratio