If you’ve ever wandered through Port Jefferson and wondered why two bright-red British phone booths are standing proudly on Arden Place and East Main Street, as if Sherlock Holmes himself might stroll out at any moment, here’s the twist: those iconic boxes didn’t arrive by boat, by plane, or by time-traveling TARDIS. They came from… a long-closed bar in Rocky Point. Yes. Rocky Point.
The Surprisingly Wild Journey of Port Jeff’s Red Phone Booths
They came from a bar.
Long before tourists were posing inside them, the booths belonged to Donald Graham, owner of Avenues, a bar in Rocky Point. When the place closed, the booths remained like two forgotten props from a BBC sitcom.
A village trustee helped track them down.
Then-Trustee Adrienne Kessel remembered seeing the booths years earlier when she did business in the Rocky Point area—and even recalled meeting Graham at a Friends of St. Patrick cocktail party held at Avenues.
All it took was one ask.
When Port Jeff asked about the booths, Graham didn’t haggle or upsell—he donated them outright. (Imagine someone today handing over two giant British artifacts for free. Different times.)
They fit the village’s Dickens vibe perfectly.
Port Jeff was developing its now-famous Dickens Festival, and then-Trustee Jeanne Garant—working with then-Mayor Robert Strong and then-Deputy Clerk Kessel—saw the booths as a perfect touch of Victorian flair.
They were transported in peak Long Island fashion.
Parkside Towing of Rocky Point hauled the booths to Port Jefferson on a flatbed truck free of charge. One can only hope a few confused drivers wondered why a tow truck was carrying pieces of London up Route 25A.
Straight from England (really).
Graham told village officials that he had imported the booths directly from England. So yes—they’re the real deal, not Spirit Halloween knockoffs.
Installed 25+ years ago, now part of the scenery.
Ever since being installed, the booths have become a quirky mini-landmark, attracting tourists, Dickens fans, Anglophiles, and anyone who needs a fun photo op. If you want to see Port Jeff tourism in its most natural habitat, just watch. People spot the bright-red booths, pause, grin, and inevitably climb inside for a photo. It’s become a small village tradition. The simple ritual sticks: see the booth, step inside, take the photo. In Port Jeff, it’s practically a rite of passage.
Photo: @kristofransleeuwen Instagram.
