Neighbors

A spy in Seaford

Historical Society takes it back to Revolutionary times

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George Washington’s spy, Robert Townsend, will be making an appearance in Seaford this week, in one of the first programs offered at the newly renovated Seaford Historical Museum.

The part will be played by Seaford’s own Michael Goudket, a history buff and the education director at Raynham Hall Museum, the historic Oyster Bay home of the Townsend family. Goudket plays Townsend, both entertaining and educating children and adults.

“It’s a nice thing to be a spy when you’re under no threat of being hanged,” the 68-year-old former art teacher said.

Townsend operated under the spy name Samuel Culper Jr. during Revolutionary times, and would gather information in New York that would, through an intricate chain of command, eventually be relayed to General Washington.

“He’s a cool guy,” Goudket said of his alter ego. He loves dressing in Colonial clothes, and said that he believes guests at his appearance on Thursday in Seaford will get a thrill out of seeing him in his 1700’s attire.

Goudket works at Raynham Hall every Wednesday, conducting a tour in the morning and again in the afternoon. He also volunteers there when needed, such as when students on field trips stop by. He also takes his show on the road, as he will do this week.

He is a longtime resident of the community, having attended the Seaford Avenue School. His first teaching job was there as a substitute. Goudket admits it will be sad to see his old school, which is slated for demolition in the near future, come down, but he knows that change must happen.

Most of his teaching career was spent at the Norman J. Levy Lakeside School in Merrick, where he worked until his retirement in 2002. He said that a lot of the projects he assigned were based on art history.

“I retired at 55 because I wanted to go to another life,” he said. “And my other life was history.”

Goudket went to work for the Old Bethpage Restoration Village, where he played the teacher in the 19th-century schoolhouse. In playing a teacher, he gave real lessons about history to the children who visited.

Eventually, he went to Raynham Hall, and has worked there for six years. “I’ve always been interested in history, ever since I was a little boy,” he said.

It is at Raynham Hall where he met Judy Bongiovi, now the president of the Seaford Historical Society. She and her husband were there visiting, and they got to talking with Goudket. They discovered they had one important thing in common — they all lived in Seaford.

“We thoroughly enjoyed his program,” Bongiovi said about why she invited him to come in costume to the museum. “We thought this would be something of interest for our members. That’s what our function is, to educate and to keep history alive.”

Bongiovi said she hopes guests get a broader understanding of the role Long Island played during revolutionary times through Goudket’s portrayal of Townsend. She added that members of other area historical societies have expressed interest in attending.

Goudket is a member of the Hofstra Collegium, a student and community music group which performs music from the Middle Ages to Colonial times at the university’s Shakespeare festival and other events. He also has been the master of music for the Huntington Militia. He is a past reporter and photographer for the Wantagh-Seaford Citizen.

He said he was looking forward to this week’s program in Seaford, not only to enlighten the audience, but to see the renovations that were recently completed on the old schoolhouse that houses the museum. He noted Seaford’s rich history, dating back to the 1600s, and the importance of having a proper place to display it.

After Goudket tells the story of Townsend, he will take questions from the audience, and is hoping for an engaged crowd. The program begins at 7 p.m. at 3890 Waverly Ave. It is free and open to the public.