Shelter Island is an island and a town located at the eastern end of Suffolk County, New York, USA. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town population was 2,228.
The Town of Shelter Island is at the eastern end of the county, and separated from the rest of the county by water.
Shelter Island is nestled between the North and South Forks of Long Island. The island is surrounded on three sides by Shelter Island Sound. The fourth side, on the east, is adjacent to Gardiners Bay. It can be reached by ferry from Greenport to the north (approximately 15-minute trip) or from North Haven to the south (approximately 5-minute trip). New York State Route 114 runs through the island.
The island is around 8,000 acres in size, however, vast tracts are protected wetlands nature preserve marshland. Nearly one-third of the island is owned by The Nature Conservancy and kept in a forever-wild state. The Preserve has four nature and bird-watching trails, varying in length from 1.5 miles to 11 miles, as well as a barrier-free Braille trail for the visually impaired.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Shelter Island has a total area of 70.2 km² (27.1 mi²). 31.4 km² (12.1 mi²) of it is land and 38.7 km² (15.0 mi²) of it (55.20%) is water.
A partnership of four wealthy sugar merchants from Barbados purchased Shelter Island from the Manhanset Native Americans. Their intent was to harvest the island’s white oak to build the barrels required for the business. Of the four, only Nathaniel Sylvester settled there, bringing his 16 year old bride Grissel in 1652.
In the late 19th Century, the island developed as a Methodist retreat and summer camp. Some of the homes from this era are still found in Shelter Island Heights, including the Chequit Inn, which was used as a church meeting hall.
Shelter Island has been known as a center for political conservatism on Long Island. Residents have consistently voted Republican. In the 1996 presidential election, it was the only town on Long Island to vote for Bob Dole. However, in 2004, John Kerry became the first Democrat in recent history to win Shelter Island, even though he failed to receive as many votes as Al Gore did four years earlier throughout Long Island. However, none of this is of much consequence since Shelter Island's population is so small.
|
