St. James History

The hamlet of St. James was named for the Episcopal Church of St. James founded here in the mid 1800's.  A US Postal service was later established  with the same name.  The arrival of the Long Island Railroad in 1873 allowed for easy access to and from New York City.  This made St. James a popular vacation spot for the stars of New York stage and screen. 

​In the days before air conditioning, the theaters closed for the summer and the actors went on vacation.  Summer residents included Irving Berlin, Lionel, Ethel & John Barrymore, George M. Cohan, William Collier, Buster Keaton, Myrna Loy, Ruth Roman, Lillian Russell, and others.

Before

After