Our Story

The hamlet of St. James was named for the Episcopal Church of St. James founded there 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 popluar vacation spot fo 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.

Did You Know?

• The St. James Railroad station is the oldest operating railroad station of the Long Island Railroad.
• The St. James General Store is the oldest continuously operating general store in America.
• The Heritage Trail (Rte 25a or North Country Rd) which passes through St. James was the road taken by General George Washington to thank his troops after the Revolutionary War.
• The Nissequogue School House is the oldest surviving school house in St. James built in 1808, and is now the Village Hall.
• There were three(3) theaters in St. James in the early 1900's, two of which are still standing.
• Architect Stanford White is buried in the St. James Episcopal Church Cemetary.​

Our Goal

Our goal is to make St. James an historical and cultural center for the arts and music, celebrating its spirit during the turn of the 20th centruy when the town sported the presence of great vaudevillians such as willie collier, notable politicians, such as William Gaynor, mayor of New York city, congressman Lathrop Brown, Cornelia Otis Skinner, auther and address, the barrymores, and many more celebrities, St. James ws also the home of Stanford White, the internationally known architect.  Witht eh coming of sewers in the not to distant future our long term goal is to turn Lake Avenue into a cultural arts district, a destination for shopping, dining & community enrichment.

Programs - Seminars - Events

To reach our goal, we will support and advance the efforts of local schools.  Starting at the elementary level through high school, we will teach the history of the area to our children, who are truly our future, and their parents who will help us chieve our goals today.  We will provie programs, seminars, and events that speak to our history, art and music.  We will help fund and promote these programs focusing on our history and cultural arts.  These activities will also help fund our long term goals.

How Can You Help?

• Become a member of Celebrate St. James Past - Present - Future
• Volunteer your time and talents on a committee
• Attend our entertaining & educational events
• Become a sponsor through you company or with your family
• Donate to our St. James Renaissance

Check out our other pages for upcoming events, ways to get involved as a community member as well as a business, and much more!
Buy our St. James Calendar here:
​2018-2019 Celebrate St. James 18 Month Historical Calendar