St. James’ post office opened in 1856, and 1 of its places is on the National Register
Most of St. James was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1970. Below: 6 old photos and papers from 1900 on and old-book passages.
In the early 20th century, St. James was a popular vacation spot for glitterati of the stage and screen. Summer residents included Lionel, Ethel, and John Barrymore, Buster Keaton, Myrna Loy, and Irving Berlin, among others. Noteworthy persons of the hamlet have included Stanford White, architect; William Jay Gaynor, New York State Supreme Court Justice and Mayor of New York City; Wilton Decker, inventor of the electronic piano; Mick Foley, professional wrestler; Soledad O'Brien, television personality; John Miceli, drummer for Meat Loaf; and John Petrucci, lead guitar player for Dream Theater.
Passages that mention St. James, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The history of St. Giles and St. James1847 · page 193Read the page →
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It was very odd, that the thoughts of the apothecary should so harmoniously accord with that of his own. St. James was determined. He would see Clarissa; w'ould passionately seize the advantage ofiered him. He would be an idiot — a block — a stone to think otherwise. And with this new resolution, St. James returned to the
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The history of St. Giles and St. James1847 · page 195Read the page →
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St. James was about to reply to this, when, after a slight, brief knock, the door opened, and Mr. Tangle, with a face of most tremendous woe, and his whole figure possessed by affliction, crawlecf into the room. He looked mournfully at St. James, bowed, and deeply sighed.
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...History of Suffolk county, New York1882 · page 48Read the page →
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the old Suffolk circuit as early as 1820. Later it was a preaching station in the Smithtown circuit, in which connection it continued until 1879, when it, with Hauppauge and St. James, was set off from that circuit. The classbook of 1825 shows 31 names, with Caleb Newton as leader. Meetings were then held in the old " Pond school-house." The church was built in 1852, on land bought of A. W. Rosenian in the previous year. It was
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Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
St. James, 1815 to 1979
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (6), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1902
1902
1915