Editing Belle Terre, New York (section)

==History==
[[Image:Mountmiserypoint.JPG|thumb|left|View of Mount Misery Point, in northern Belle Terre]]
[[File:Belle Terre Club.jpg|thumb|left|The Belle Terre Club, an opulent private clubhouse that stood from 1906 to 1934]]
[[File:Belle Terre pergola.jpg|thumb|left|One of the pergolas that overlooked Port Jefferson Harbor prior to being dismantled in 1934]]
The peninsula on which the community of Belle Terre is situated has been known as Mt. Misery since the 17th century. Before Belle Terre's modern existence, the area was referred to as Mt. Misery Point. By comparison, the lower portion of the peninsula, which is currently a section of the neighboring village of [[Port Jefferson, New York|Port Jefferson]], was referred to as Mt. Misery Neck.<ref name=":2" />

Throughout the 1700s and 1800s, the bulk of the peninsula was owned by the Strong family, who had their Oakwood estate in its Mt. Misery Neck section. The first known dwelling in contemporary Belle Terre was a shack constructed by an African-American affectionately known as Uncle Mott in the 1800s. This house was the subject of a painting by local artist [[William Moore Davis]].<ref name=":2" />

In 1902, the Port Jefferson Company purchased the Oakwood estate with the purpose of creating an exclusive waterfront development of fifty houses to rival the communities of Long Island's traditional [[Gold Coast (Long Island)|Gold Coast]]. The well-connected real-estate developer, [[Dean Alvord]], was chosen as president of Belle Terre's estates, which was incorporated in 1906. The construction of the Belle Terre Club, a grandiose private members club at the center of the community, also occurred in 1906. A pair of stately pergolas were constructed as well, which overlook the waterfront.<ref name=":2" />

In 1931, Belle Terre incorporated as a village, with its residents voting in favor of municipal incorporation.<ref name=":2">{{cite web |title=TROUBLE ON THE HORIZON AND BELLE TERRE'S VICTORY |url=https://belleterre.us/history/trouble-on-the-horizon-and-belle-terres-victory |website=belleterre.us |publisher=The Village of Belle Terre |access-date=August 7, 2021}}</ref>

The Belle Terre Club was destroyed in a fire in 1934, the same year as the pergolas were deconstructed due to the financial burden of their upkeep. Due to a lapse in insurance coverage, the clubhouse was never rebuilt – although a new country club opened in the Port Jefferson section of the Mt. Misery peninsula in 1956.<ref name=":2" />

During the 1920s and 1930s, the community's residents staged a successful campaign against sand and gravel companies who began dredging operations in the area. Prior to these companies being ordered to cease operations in 1931, the Seaboard Sand & Gravel Company dredged a large cove near the tip of the peninsula. This is today known as Pirates Cove and is a popular feature of Port Jefferson Harbor among boaters.<ref name=":2" />

For several decades prior to her death in 2014, Belle Terre was the principal home of [[Nadya Nozharova|Nadia de Navarro Farber]], a Bulgarian-born countess (by her second of four marriages) who donated considerably to the [[John T. Mather Memorial Hospital]] in neighboring [[Port Jefferson, New York|Port Jefferson]]. Farber alternated her residence between a landmark pink mansion near the tip of Belle Terre and her castle on the Caribbean island of [[Saint Croix]]. The pink mansion was featured prominently in the 1989 film ''[[She-Devil (1989 film)|She-Devil]]''.<ref name=":2" />