Jean Held A Sag Harbor Gem
Jean Held - A Sag Harbor Gem
It is with great sadness that we share with you the news of Jean's passing; she was 87 years old. When thinking of Jean so many adjectives come to mind: history lover, naturalist, photographer, conservationist, bird-watcher, beachcomber, graphic designer, author, editor, publisher, researcher, former trustee, bicyclist, tangential conversationalist and a woman with insatiable curiosity about nearly every topic.
We are so fortunate that the Sag Harbor Historical Museum, formerly known as "the Society", has been Jean's second home for decades. Her contributions are too numerous to relate here but the creation, design and editing of the monthly hardcopy Museum newsletter - "The Sentinel" - for years was a labor of love which benefitted us all. Jean was also the creator and curator for numerous exhibits at the Museum, the most popular of which were about the Long Island Railroad hub that came into Sag Harbor, Long Beach, Trout Pond, and Long Wharf. When the dredging began in the harbor during the "rebuild" of Long Wharf a few years ago, not another human being in Sag Harbor was as excited to see what our waters would reveal as Jean was. The dredged material was deposited at Havens Beach, and there for the next two years you could find Jean, no matter the weather, "beachcombing" for historic treasures and any materials that would inform her about some of Sag Harbor's past.Much of what she retrieved from the "debris" were broken pieces of glass, china and pottery which few would find of great interest, but Jean did. This was just the beginning of a quest to get answers. She was determined, tenacious, and seemingly never discouraged which resulted in her proving that three of the fragments of a pottery vessel, known as sherds, in fact, were from stoneware created by the first African-American potter, Thomas Commeraw. "Eureka!" She was thrilled at this discovery and then created an exhibit that shared her findings not just from the late 18th and early 19th centuries but throughout the generations that have lived and worked in Sag Harbor. Jean was a true gem, who added so much to our village, museum and lives. She stopped by the office a little while ago and she was chatting as always about a number of things. She was gently reminded that she was taking tangents to which she replied "I love tangents, don't you?" So very Jean. She is sorely missed and will be for years to come.
If you are interested in reading more about Jean click HERE for a link to an article written in 2022 by Nancy Remkus for the Express News Group entitled "Jean Held Exploring the Mysteries of Home".
SHHM has dedicated a bench in Jean's memory which now graces out front lawn. Visitors have been seen relaxing in the shade enjoying our historic house and Jean's beloved village at large. Please click here to see a video citing our dedication to Jean.
