The boat depicted in the Northport Historical Society's logotype was one of the last wooden sailing vessels built in Northport. The sloop yacht Hallie was designed and built by Oliver Hartt, who learned the trade from his father, Erastus Hartt, the widely renowned Northport ship designer and builder.
He was also the grandson of Samuel Prior Hartt, who began the shipbuilding business in Northport in the 1840's. Oliver designed the boat to be a fast cruising yacht, competitive in the gentlemanly yacht races of the day. The vessel measured 51' on deck, with a 24' bowsprit and a 48' boom that considerably extended her overall length. The sails were made in the Mills Sail Loft at the foot of Main Street.
The Hallie was named for Hallie Armstrong, the mother in law of Milton G. Smith, a Brooklyn native who came to Northport and prospered as a real estate developer. He owned all 100 acres of Asharoken at one time and built several fine personal residences on Bayview Avenue, none of which are still extant. Smith became one of the leaders in the community and was a member of the committee that steered the village into incorporation.
By the 1890's the golden shipbuilding era in Northport had come to an end. The falling demand for cargo ships was brought about by the advent of the railroad and steam propulsion. Some of the shipbuilders carried on, however, turning to recreational boatbuilding to help fill the void. Northport produced a number of fine yachts for wealthy residents who mostly summered here in the latter part of the 19th century. The launching of the Hallie on June 16, 1894, was a grand celebration, bringing back memories of only a decade earlier when large cargo vessels filled the marine railways of the Village shipyards.
This article was written by Village Historian, and Northport Historical Society and Museum Trustee, Steven King.
