Oyster Bay Museum, Home Of George Washington Spy, Gets $50K In Grants

OYSTER BAY, NY — A small museum in Oyster Bay received state grants totaling $50,000 this week, the museum reported, which will allow it to expand education and marketing. Raynham Hall Museum was once the home of one of George Washington's Culper Spy Ring spies during the American Revolution.

The house, built before 1738, showcases Long Island life during the 18th and 19th century. Robert Townsend was an integral part of the spy ring that operated during British occupation of Long Island New York City. The family's 350-acre property held 20 enslaved people around the time of the Revolution.

Visitors to the museum can see different eras of historic Long Island life, both the 18th-century part of the home, and another preserving the late 19th-century look of the home.

The grant money from the New York State Council on the Arts will go toward hiring part-time educators that were let go during the pandemic. It will also help digital marketing to drive more visitors to the museum, located at 30 W. Main St.