History: Securing the Red Phone Booths in Port Jeff

More than 15 years ago village officials arranged to have the old-fashioned red phone booths on Arden Place and East Main Street brought to Port Jefferson from a bar in Rock Point.

Since then they have becomewho like to inspect the authentic English phone booths and have their pictures taken inside.

Originally the booths belonged to Donald Graham, the owner of Avenues, a bar in Rocky Point. Village Trustee Adrienne Kessel said that she remembers seeing the phones booths around town when she did business in the area.

"He was involved in the business community," she said. "I had met him once at the Friends of St. Patrick cocktail party, which was held at Avenues one year."

Kessel was able to provide some important information in tracking down the history of how the phone booths ended up in the village. She said that she had asked a business contact of hers to connect her with Graham to inquire about the phone booths.

"When we asked about them and he offered to donate them," said Kessel.

The old English phone booths seemed to fit in perfectly with the Dickens Festival theme that Jeanne Garant was developing at the time.

"Jeanne Garant, at the time a trustee, with then Mayor Robert Strong and I (then deputy clerk) went to look at them," she said. "Avenues was long closed, but the booths were still there."

Parkside Towing of Rocky Point transported the two booths on a flatbed tow truck to the Highway Deptartment in Port Jefferson free of charge and then they were installed in the village.

Graham, who has since died, told the Port Jefferson village officials that he imported the booths directly from England.