"Bayhouse 744 and Shell"
'Shellin' on a Dock o' the Bay'
This photograph was captured on October 28th of this year, during a visit to three bayhouses on an island south of Merrick, NY. From what I've been able to find out, there are only about 34 of these houses remaining in the waters off the south shore of Nassau County; and I have no idea to how the numbering system works - there seems to be no rhyme or reason to it. Once upon a time there were hundreds of these shacks, built by commercial baymen, duck hunters and fishermen; the remaining comparatively few homes range from 30 to 100 years old.
I'm in the process of visiting and photographing each of these remaining Town of Hempstead houses , as well as the ones that exist in the nearby Town of Islip - for posterity, if for no other reason.
