CARRINGTON TRACT

by Rich O’Boyle

Between the two queer communities of Fire Island Pines and Cherry Grove is a rugged but well-traveled stretch of wild dunes and scrub called the Carrington Tract. It’s also referred to as The Judy Garland Memorial Park, or more popularly, The Meat Rack. Most visitors and regulars of Fire Island know of this notorious area for it’s twisting rambles where men on the prowl have been known to cruise. It was a hot spot for pickup sex long before the age of Grindr. Back in the 70s and 80s, Cherry Grove was the hotspot for nightlife, and traveling through the Meat Rack was the avenue to get there and back from the Pines. Many found discreet adventure out of the public eye when being openly gay wasn’t so easy.

Near the entry to the tract at the far western end of the Pines, stands a shuttered building, the ghost of what used to be The Carrington House. The grounds are littered with broken glass and access is restricted. One of the house’s more famous residents was Truman Capote, who wrote “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” while summering there.

The Carrington House was a hotbed of creativity for mid-century artists. Imagine the witty repartee fueled by gimlets and martinis among the likes of Henry Fonda, Katherine Hepburn, Harper Lee, Capote himself and many other gay and straight fledgling playwrights, actors and artists. How many times had they gazed at the summer sky and rolling waves? How many up and coming artists are inspired by the same today?

Ambling through the Meat Rack gives a glimpse of a variety of natural and human impacts; Lightning charred trees, the remains of beetle-invested pines, occasional litter. Through a particularly swampy area frequented by cruising guys, a small bridge has been in use for decades. Once just a few lengths of boards used by guys to navigate through the marsh, and now a more sturdy structure after much-needed TLC. Maybe it was a quick escape route near the Grove entrance when late night trysts were interrupted by flashlights and cat calls from the police.

For decades, the Meat Rack has been a bridge of sorts – artistically, physically and metaphorically – between the past and present, gay and straight, men and women, developed and natural. Each generation explores this preserve, as rich in artistic heritage as it is rich with secrets.