There was a special dedication in Bellport Village on Sunday for “Captain Bell’s Dream,” a monument created by Bellport natives Rachel and Tim Miller.
Tim and Rachel are the brother and sister team behind Spirit Ironworks in Bayport.
Rachel Miller said the team at the Bayport smithy shop started the project about a year ago. It took roughly 600 hours to complete.
The sculpture incorporates an ice boat (or scoot), a latch that was known to be created by a Bellport blacksmith, and a bronze wave to further reflect the community’s connection to the water.
The iron sculpture stands on the north side of Main Street/South Country Road, in front of the Cirillo’s IGA and the CVS, and across the street from Avino’s Italian Table.
It comes as a concerted effort of the village, Bellport Chamber of Commerce and the Brookhaven Arts and Humanities Council, with funding from a Destination Downtown grant.
The Millers’ proposal was picked by a selection committee tasked with choosing from among others.
“We had actually heard about the competition from my parents, because they live there,” Rachel Miller told greaterpatchogue.com. “It was very exciting for us, because we feel that connection to Bellport.”
“We know what it’s like to grow up there, and what we remember from our childhoods is stamped on our minds,” she continued. “It’s great to know everyone who goes down Main Street will see it, and that it will be a symbol for the village.”
Click here for more about Bellport Village and its founders, captains Thomas and John Bell.
