Huntington DAR Celebrates Northport Patriot

Under a beautiful blue sky on Saturday, May 15, members of the Ketewamoke Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution gathered in the Northport Rural Cemetery to honor the life of Rev. Joshua Hartt as a part of Military Appreciation Month.

Known locally as the “marrying minister,” Hartt likely married 1,000 couples in the small rural area of early Northport. He became a respected Revolutionary patriot for his passionate sermons against British rule, which landed him in jail once the British occupied New York. “In fact,” according to the Northport Historical Society & Museum, “[Hartt] was placed in chains, thrown in a wagon and hauled to Provost Prison in New York City. There, according to local lore, he met Ethan Allen, whom he befriended.”

Jennifer Keen Grasso read a history of Rev. Hartt’s life to the assembled crowd. After a headstone cleaning demonstration led by Sarah O’Connor, Daughters cleaned the stones of Rev. Hartt and his family members. Participants were joined by Huntington Town Historian Robert Hughes, and there was a drawing to win a copy of The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington by Brad Metzer and Josh Mensch.

In addition to being a part of Military Appreciation Month, the event was a preliminary celebration of America 250, which will celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary in 2026. Organizations around the country, including the DAR, are working together to educate, engage, and unite Americans to make sure that America 250 is momentous and meaningful for all.

Ketewamoke Chapter welcomes anyone who is interested in learning more about membership or their service projects to visit their website at HuntingtonDAR.org or e-mail them at ketewamokechapter@gmail.com.