From the moment that I met Margo I knew that I really liked her. Despite having given her tour — Tri-Spy Tour — many, many times, she was brimming with excitement to be seeing us and I was met with a big smile upon seeing her.

You see, Margo is lucky enough to be a native daughter of Setauket, a small town on Long Island with huge significance in our becoming a nation. Having first been told as a child the exciting and important stories of the Revolutionary figures from her town, she’s developed a lifelong interest in researching and making accessible to all the same history that she enjoyed learning. Margo has acted as vice president of the Three Village Historical Society as well as its recording secretary, a board member, and committee chair person for walking tours.

Tri-Spy Tours of historic setauket

Tri-Spy tours operates in Setauket and is the ‘brain child’ of Margo. The prefix ‘tri’ is a play on a triathlon because guests can choose to either walk, bike, or kayak their way through the tour. And as far as the ‘spy’ component of the company name? That’s the magical part.

When we think of the Revolutionary War and our battle for independence from King George III, we might well think of canon blasts, men in uniform marching around, and gunfire. And while these images certainly have their place in Revolutionary history, the war really was won largely in part due to spy rings, most notably the ‘Culper Spy Ring’ based mainly on Long Island but also in New York City.

In every way imaginable, the British forces far surpassed the ‘rag-tag’ Continental American military. George Washington knew that discipline and even divine Providence would not be enough to win the war. And with the uncertainty of having France as an ally in the beginning, this was even more so the case. The Americans would have to have some insight on British intelligence in order to be prepared for their attacks and to possibly even thwart them.

The members of the Culper Spy Ring lived in Setauket or had ties to the area.

A Brief History of the Players in Tri-Spy Tour.

Abraham Woodhull:

The spies in the ring all used aliases, and the one for Woodhull was Samuel Culper Sr. He traveled from Setauket to New York City in order to take notes on the size of British forces there, their whereabouts, and what they were doing. This was very dangerous because there was a British checkpoint between Long Island and New York City whereupon those passing between the two areas were heavily scrutinized. Woodhull would receive messages from Robert Townsend who also gathered intelligence in New York City and put the information in his letters.

Robert Townsend:

Robert Townsend has a very storied history which I’ll cover in another article. For the purposes of this post, he was able to obtain information about the British by posing as a Torry sympathizer who was both a merchant and coffee shop owner.

Austin Roe:

Abraham Woodhull became increasingly agitated and skittish in his work as a spy. He enlisted the help of a tavern keeper from town named Austin Roe, who was also his friend. Roe would visit Townsend in New York City with relative ease because he always claimed he was going there to gather supplies for his tavern. Once Roe had the messages from Townsend, he would give them to Woodhull usually.

Selah & Anna Strong:

Selah strong was certainly a notable figure during the 18th century considering he served on the first Congress. However, the degree to which he and his wife, Anna, were a part of the Culper Spy Ring is a matter of a fierce debate. A theory is that Selah was originally part of it before being arrested and imprisoned aboard a British prison ship.

There is an agent only known as 355, and to this day, no one is sure who this was other than that is was probably a female who would be able to “outwit them [The British] all.” Some believe this to be Anna, others believe it was an enslaved woman, and there is another theory that 355 simply refers to many women who helped the ring in some capacity.

Margo will tell you her ideas about Anna Strong and Agent 355 on the tour!

Caleb Brewster:

Brewster would take the messages from Setauket and row them across Long Island Sound to bring them to Connecticut where upon he would give them to Colonel Benjamin Tallmadge who was George Washington’s aide. He was an ex-whaler with sound navigational skills and would often steal from British ships along the way.

In addition to having a sophisticated network in place, the Culper ring members took extra precautions such as writing in invisible ink (and reading letters with a special resolving agent) and writing in codes.

Colonel Benjamin Tallmadge:

Commissioned by George Washington to form a spy network on Long Island. Tallmadge was not only a colonel, but incredibly brilliant having been accepted to an Ivy League College at just twelve years old.

Why Long Island?

Simply put, location, location, location. Looking at the map, it’s between New York City (where many British were stationed) and the place where Washington and his troops were stationed.

The Culper Spy ring was able to get information that many times saved Patriot soldiers, saved the lives of British allies, and gave us a window into the next steps of the British troops. Essentially, the intelligence gathered by the Culper Ring, knowing the steps that the British were intending to take, is what helped us win the war.

Was it Dangerous?

Oh, absolutely.

In the 18th century, ordinary people didn’t really have a lot to their name, therefore, honor (and securing it) was of the utmost importance. When we think of ‘spies’ today we think of super advanced technology, bad ass self defense moves, and James Bond with a ton of women on his arm.

In the 1700s, during the time of this war, that certainly wasn’t the case. Despite everyone recognizing that spying was a vital part of winning the war, it was still seen as a disgraceful role. If a soldier was caught as a spy, he was hung to death rather than shot with dignity. To be tried and hung as a spy was degrading and even may have left a stain on one’s family.

Our friends in the Culper Ring risked not only the safety of their family and their own lives, but a disgraced legacy as well. Some members of the ring, such as Townsend never wanted their identity and role in the war revealed.

Despite their active and important role in securing liberty, spies were not given a ‘hero’s celebration’ at the end of the war, they lived mostly in quiet anonymity until after their deaths. In fact, you couldn’t find any Information about the Culper ring until the 1930’s.

The Tri-Spy Tour.

There are so many possible sites to see on this tour, and this is by no means an exhaustive list, but it’s a compilation of some of my favorite ones that we saw…big and small!

Three Village Historical Society: 

I’d never visited a historical society before, but I really enjoyed this stop. It’s home to the ‘SPIES’ exhibit where you can practice crafting letters in invisible ink! There’s a few rooms full of artifacts making this very much a museum. But, selfishly, my favorite part was seeing that the actual costume that Jamie Bell wore in Turn is on display!

Woodhull Home Marker:

Unfortunately, the actual home of Abraham Woodhull is no longer in existence, but you can see the marker which indicates where it once stood. A benefit of taking the tour with Margo is that she will point out a home that has the bricks from Woodhull’s house on its front yard, and yes, you can actually see them!

Setauket Village Green:

Alright, new life goal…scan the length of this area with my metal detector. Why? There was a battle here! While this area might seem green and peaceful now, it was the location of the Battle of Setauket. On August 22 of 1777 Patriot and British troops fought right on this very spot, can you imagine?!

Setauket Presbyterian Church & Cemetery:

While this current church was built in the 1800s, it was the grounds for British forces during the Revolutionary War. When visiting today, you can see the grave sites of Abraham Woodhull, his father Richard Woodhull, and his wife, Mary Woodhull. This area is popular among both locals and tourists.

Roe Tavern Marker:

While the tavern that Austin Roe owned is long gone, you can still visit the marker which indicates the spot in which it once stood.

Strong’s Neck & St George’s Manor Cemetery:

This was for sure my favorite place on the Tri-Spy Tour! I would pay big money to be buried in this beautiful cemetery, but unfortunately, that’s not how that works. Only members of the Strong family are buried here (besides one person) and there’s SO many of them.

The most notable markers are of course that of Anna and Selah Strong.

The grounds are private and thus are really peaceful and quiet. Everything is set overlooking the breathtaking Strong’s Neck and you’ll find yourself wishing that you had more time to reflect here!

Patriot’s Rock: 

While you’ll need to steer clear of the possible Poison Ivy, this is a true touchable piece of history! Originally it was a meeting place for the local Setalcott indigenous people. However, in terms of Revolutionary history, it was used in a clash in the “Battle of Setauket.” This is also the alleged place where Reverend Nathaniel Brewster delivered his first sermon.

Where to Eat.

If you’re anything like me…you’re always hungry, and that’s especially the case after taking a long Tri-Spy Tour and learning a lot of new things. Here are two spots (Margo recommended one, thanks!) to refuel and relax.

Crazy Beans (97 Main Street, Stony Brook)

This is a retro themed cafe that’s as much fun to hang out in as it is to eat. Good luck deciding on what to eat, the menu is huge and covers everything from cannoli French toast to a pancake quesadilla to gouda apple grilled cheese (and some of the best mac and cheese anywhere.) Crazy Beans is especially famous for their seemingly endless selection of coffee flavors. My favorites include toasted marshmallow and banana.

Se-port Delicatessen (301 Main Street, Setauket-East Setauket)

Long Island is famous for its delis, but this one is SO good that you can spot it on the Travel Channel!

The sandwiches are no joke. If you’ve ever held a newborn baby then that’s about the size of them. If you’re wondering, “how good can a sandwich from here be?” The answer is, ridiculously good.

A deli that truly ruins all other delis that you might visit in your life afterward. I wholeheartedly recommend looking up the menu ahead of time to know exactly what you want! As sweet as the staff is at Se-port, if you don’t have your order ready, be prepared to be overlooked and stay hungry! I can’t blame them…it’s BUSY!

St James General Store

While this isn’t a place to eat, it is the oldest continually running general store in the United States, so it’s worth checking out. Find homemade goods, toys, home decor, jams, honey, candy and more at this rustic spot.

And So…

Every person who loves American history, or is even just grateful to live here or is seeking to learn more should take the Tri-Spy tours of historic setauket. The Culper Spy ring isn’t only a ‘big deal’ to Long Islanders. You can also see it in major historical sites such as Mount Vernon in Virginia. When we feel lucky and proud to live in the United States there are so many people that we can thank for that in our history, but exceedingly so, the members of the Culper Spy Ring.

You can take the Culper Spy Tour yourself and also you can attend Long Island’ Culper Spy Day! Visit the many exhibits and attractions such as storytelling, the chance to write with invisible ink, and cooking demonstrations.