Congratulations to everyone at Raynham Hall Museum for their fine work on the new exhibit, Spymaster: the role of espionage in the War of Independence.

Curator Richard Welch, Director Harriet Clark, and staff members, Jessica Semins, education coordinator; Theresa Skvarla, assistant director; and Jennifer Ladd, collections manager have done a splendid job.

Material for the collection comes from many other historic sites including: The Stony Brook Special Collections and University Archives Department; the East Hampton Library, Long Island Collection, Pennypacker Collection; the New York Historical Society; the Litchfield Historical Society; Paul A. Kurzius; Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum; Jarvis Collegiate Toronto; Fraunces Tavern Museum and the Sons of the Revolution of the State of New York; and the Oyster Bay Historical Society as well as the museum's collection itself.

Raynham Hall, the historic house museum - looks more like a museum now, as you enter and see the exhibit on the walls of the first floor. The second-floor exhibit room is not being used, as work progresses to discover why plaster falls down into the dining room as people walk above it. An architectural history of the museum is under way to answer that question.

Mr. Welch, who received his doctorate in history from Stony Brook, has been teaching at C.W. Post since 1982. His specialty is American History in the 18th and 19th centuries with a focus on the Revolutionary War and the Civil War - both eras are pertinent to Raynham Hall's interpretation.

In talking to guests at the reception he said the focus of the exhibit was to understand how the spy ring was put together. He said George Washington wanted accurate information and started his spy efforts earlier. The most successful group was the Culper Spy Ring led by 27-year old Connecticut patriot Benjamin Tallmadge.

They recruited Richard Townsend, the 25-year-old son of Samuel Townsend of Oyster Bay, who was the principal source of information from New York City. He was motivated, said Mr. Welch, because of the harsh occupation of Oyster Bay by Col. Simcoe who took over his family residence and "lorded over him." Col. Simcoe was part of a conquering army that lived in the house from 1778 to 1779.

"He was pushing his affections on Sally Townsend," the sister of Richard Townsend. "Richard Townsend was a complicated person. He thought, 'What will I do about it and he figures out and he does it well," said Mr. Welch.

Do see the exhibit and relish how close to the early history of the founding of this great Democracy is to Oyster Bay. - DFK