Southold Historical Museum is pleased to once again offer a Lecture Series this summer season at Horton Point Lighthouse.  With a nautical museum housed inside the lighthouse, a series of talks which are centered around maritime themes are a perfect extension of the museum’s mission. And, the lighthouse lawn offers an intimate and inspiring setting for visitors to come and relax, listen, and learn.
 
The first installment in the Lighthouse Lecture Series is “Stella Prince, the Lady Lighthouse Keeper – Fact or Fiction” by Mary Korpi.  History tells us that Stella Maria Prince Terry was the only woman to serve as a lighthouse keeper at Horton Point Lighthouse in Southold.  But what do we know about this dedicated woman who resisted society's norms to perform what was then considered 'man's work'? Was Stella the first woman on Long Island to be a lighthouse keeper? How did her life differ from other women of her day?  Did she enjoy her work? Why did she leave the lighthouse to marry so late in life?   Author Mary Korpi will explore the history behind her historical novel as we discover what is fact and what is fiction?
 
Mary Korpi is the author of the 2022 historical novel, Lady Lighthouse Keeper.  She has done extensive research on Stella Prince, the Horton Point Lighthouse, as well as what life was like for a lighthouse keeper.  Korpi can be found many Saturday mornings greeting visitors at the Horton Point Lighthouse as a museum docent, sharing her enthusiasm and knowledge.
 
Southold Historical Museum’s Lighthouse Lectures Series is generously sponsored by Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital.  All lectures are free.  Attendees are asked to bring their own lawn chair.  Donations are gladly accepted.