Pirates Cove, Port Jefferson: A History of This Fabled Spot
Pirates Cove Now
Pirate’s Cove is now officially called McAllister Park. Parking used to be private in Belle Terre, the closest area to the cove, but now there are parking spaces available to the public on Anchorage Road. The parking area only holds about six cars, so in the nice weather it is hit and miss if you will actually find a spot. The Belle Terre police are always patrolling and love giving tickets so I would not advice parking along the street or down by the beach. You can also access the cove by walking about one mile from “dog beach” near Harborfront Park in Port Jefferson Village if parking isn’t available and your up for a beach walk. You can often find lots of boats, families and thrill seekers all about Pirates Cove on a good day or have the dunes to yourself at less than peak times.
History of Pirates Cove
“Pirate’s Cove”, was once dug out as part of a big sand and gravel mining operation in the early 20th Century by Seaboard Dredging Co.. Over time the name has changed but location the same. Many older local residents call it “The Cove” this name spans from about the 1950’s-1980’s. Dating further back to the 1930’s some called it “Seaboard Cove”, after the gravel/sand mining operation which dug it out of what was called Mount Misery prior to the 1930s. Much of the sand and gravel mined was used to build in NYC. Here are some clipping and photos from the past.
Mt. Misery - what was the cove prior to being mined.
Newspaper Clipping
The cove during dredging.
The Lore of Pirates Cove
Legend has it The Notorious Captain Kidd, who chose Port Jefferson to rendezvous with other pirates in the late 17th century. With other swashbuckling seamen from the Village of Setauket, Captain Kidd schemed how he would bury heaps of gold bullion and other treasure after plundering ships in the deep Atlantic. According to records, Kidd buried the bulk of his treasure on Gardiner's Island in eastern Suffolk County. But to much dismay there were never really any pirates' ships, pirates or pirates' loot in Port Jefferson Harbor or surrounding areas, its all just folklore from early days of Long Island!
Media Credits:
Historical photos from archives on Port Jefferson Historical Page on Facebook
Color photo from Long Island Leisure
Selling Your Home in Port Jefferson
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