- Port Jefferson was originally home to The Setalcott Native Americans.
- The Village was first named Sowasset, a Native American term that could mean either “place of small pines” or “where water opens.”
- In 1682, Sowasset was renamed “Drowned Meadow,” and it became Port Jefferson in 1836, after Thomas Jefferson, who significantly funded the region. “The Village” became incorporated in 1963.
- Port Jefferson’s first colonial settlements appeared in the 17th century. The community remained rural until the mid-19th century, when it was developed into a thriving shipbuilding center.
