“Partition Lot 6, for which no owners were evident in 1878,” is how Madeline Johnson described the humble beginnings of Fair Harbor in her seminal book, “Fire Island 1650s-1980s.”
The 1878 date she references is the year a survey was completed, creating “Map of the Patrician of the Great South Beach in the Towns of Brookhaven and Islip.” This map was created to settle a legal dispute known as “Green v. Sammis,” and would ultimately lead to settlement of the Fire Island communities over the 20th century.
Lot 6 had no designated owner, according to Johnson, so Surf Hotel owner David Sammis acquired it, but it remained undeveloped. In 1923, Captain Selah Clock and George Weeks would purchase Lot 6 from the estate of Sammis with a vision for enterprise.
On Saturday, July 22, 2023 Fair Harborites gathered to celebrate the purchase of Lot 6 as the seed of their tony community on Fire Island.
Pulled-pork sliders were served, pasta salad, drinks, cake and cookies for all who came – be they residents of visitors who were passing through. Everyone was asked to bring their own drinking cup or glass if they could, to minimize plastic waste. The dress code was t-shirts – Fair Harbor, Fair Harbor Fire Department (FHFD) or any Fire Island t-shirt would do.
Members of the FHFD worked tirelessly in the kitchen cooking up and serving those pork sliders. Children were encouraged to sell their handmade jewelry and painted shells on the dock. A simple gathering of friends is all that is needed to herald in such a milestone.
Le Dock, Fair Harbor Wines & Liquors, Fair Harbor Community Association, and FHFD were among the organizations and local businesses that helped this feel-good event come together.
