BHM w/ Poxabogue Evergreen Cem … Stewardship Agreement / Historically Significant Site ….

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Poxabogue Evergreen Cemetery & Bridgehampton Museum

Announce New Stewardship and Management Agreement

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Poxabogue Evergreen Cemetery in Sagaponack, and the Bridgehampton Museum have entered into a new management and stewardship agreement dedicated to preserving one of the region’s most historically significant and culturally important burial grounds.

Located on the southeast corner of Montauk Highway and Sagg Main Street, directly across from Loaves & Fishes, Poxabogue Evergreen Cemetery has served as a quiet landmark in the heart of the Hamptons for more than two centuries. Founded in the 18th century, the cemetery embodies the full and complex history of the East End. It is the final resting place of Revolutionary War veterans, early settlers, farm families, and community leaders. Within its grounds also lies a section where enslaved African Americans and indigent residents were buried—many in unmarked or modestly marked graves—reflecting the social inequities of their time.

Over the centuries, the cemetery has remained a vital part of the community and includes the graves of notable 20th-century figures such as James Jones, acclaimed author of From Here to Eternity, and Sheridan Lord, a respected American artist and lifelong East End resident.

The Bridgehampton Museum has long been committed to safeguarding the architectural, cultural, and social history of the region. Through this new partnership, the Museum will collaborate with the Cemetery’s board to provide administrative support, historical expertise, and long-term stewardship planning, ensuring the cemetery’s preservation and deeper public understanding.

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Preservation Goals
The agreement establishes a collaborative framework to:

Raise funds to repair and stabilize the cemetery’s historic perimeter fencing
Restore and conserve damaged and fallen headstones
Reclaim overgrown and neglected areas
Document, memorialize, and honor the unmarked graves of enslaved and indigent individuals through sensitive interpretation and community engagement

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“This cemetery doesn’t just tell the story of Sagaponack—it is the east end’s story,” said Mark Landis, Secretary and Treasurer of Poxabogue Evergreen Cemetery. “Every headstone and every unmarked grave holds a truth about who we were and how we came to be. Our goal is to honor all those buried here with dignity, and to preserve this ground as a place of learning, memory, and respect for generations to come.”

Connor Flanagan, Executive Director of the Bridgehampton Museum, added, “Historic cemeteries are living chapters of our collective history. Poxabogue Evergreen Cemetery is both a record and a reminder—of struggle, achievement, and community. We’re proud to partner in protecting this sacred site and to help make its stories accessible to the public in ways that inspire reflection and connection.”

To support these preservation efforts, tax-deductible contributions can be made by visiting bridgehamptonmuseum.org/donate and scrolling down slighting to the Poxabogue Evergreen Cemetery donate button.

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