Digging Deep

Faith Welch

Class of 2026

My name is Faith Welch. This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to dig deep into the rich history of our community as an intern at both the Stirling Historical Society in Greenport and the Oysterponds Historical Society in Orient. As someone passionate about local history, especially the African American experience on the North Fork, this was a journey of discovery, research, and learning. 

One of the most fascinating aspects of my work involved researching the history of a slave dollhouse and the dolls and stories attached to it. These objects hold significant cultural and historical weight. As you can see in the picture (above), there are two different types of dolls; there are dolls that look more presentable, sort of relating to a modern Barbie doll, and then there are dolls that look like they are trying to be portrayed as evil, some of them even look like voodoo dolls. These dolls represent the difference between how African Americans were viewed in the 19th century by Europeans versus Americans. 

The dolls that are represented as somewhat of a modern Barbie doll were manufactured by Europeans, but the dolls that are more evil-looking, or even ugly, were manufactured in the United States. These two representations of dolls show how differently Europeans viewed African Americans than Americans did. Europeans saw them as upright citizens that deserved to be respected, Americans saw them as subhuman and unworthy of any respect. Digging through archives and examining the details of this dollhouse brought the stories of the people who created and used them to life. 

These dolls and dollhouses were found in Greenport, without a story tied to them, like most history revolving around African Americans. We are still attempting to discover whether the slave doll house and dolls were made by the owners of the slaves, or the slaves themselves.

In addition to this research, I focused on cataloging the historical societies’ collections, including items in the Ireland House Museum at Stirling and the various properties managed by the Oysterponds Historical Society. The items ranged from everyday artifacts that reflected the daily lives of past residents to rare archival documents that captured pivotal moments in local history. Each piece I handled added another layer to my understanding of the North Fork's complex past and the importance of preserving these stories for future generations. 

Through my internships, I not only learned about history but also the complex process of historical preservation. It’s easy to take for granted the work that goes into maintaining archives, restoring artifacts, and accurately documenting the past. Every item I cataloged carried a story that was carefully preserved and researched, waiting to be shared with the community. One of the most rewarding parts of my experience was gaining a deeper appreciation for the African American presence on the North For