Sam Newey operated a shipyard and boat shop at the Center's site during nearly the entire first half of the twentieth century, constructing hundreds of craft from rowboats to 80+ foot ferries, commercial fishing vessels and reportedly 14 tankers for the Vacuum Oil Company. Among the yachts of various sizes that he built was the Shore Bird class, designed by Charles D. Mower. Newey fashioned a fleet of forty of these lovely sloops over the winters of 1923-26.

Upon his retirement in 1948, Newey sold the facility to Richard 'Dick' Tooker who operated the boat yard for some 20 years and then sold it to Bill Starke. In 1999 the Post-Morrow Foundation purchased the site with an eye toward preserving a traditional local maritime facility and the skills that are associated with it. In 2002 the Carmans River Maritime Center became an independent entity, chartered by the State of New York, and received 501(c)3 status from the IRS to carry out the goals put forward in the Center's Mission Statement. The Newey boat shop has been totally renovated and upgraded to serve as the central venue of the Center's Facilities.

In addition to watercraft Sam Newey also
made eel pots. Shown here, he has just
completed the outer 'basket' of oak strips.
It was woven on the mandrel attached to the
special bench constructed specifically for
that purpose. Tradition has it that so many
eel pots were constructed and stored along
Newey Lane, that it was once known as Eel
Pot Lane.