If you’ve traveled past Mulford Farm on James Lane recently, you’ve likely gotten a glimpse of the Historical Society’s new Collections Storage Center under construction. I’m delighted to report that through the efforts of BK Builder, work has progressed rapidly. As I had noted in January, the previous storage building was removed, and the new foundation had just been poured. Since then, BK Builder added the roof, flooring, and siding so that we now have a water-tight building. To accommodate the myriad of programs and special events that take place at Mulford Farm over the spring and summer, we are pausing construction until next fall.

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After the summer, the second phase of construction will entail installing the HVAC and other utilities, elevator, fire suppression and security systems, and the interior finishes. At the same time, the Historical Society will install custom-built collections storage equipment. The upper floor – shown here unfinished – will accommodate static shelving while the lower level will have compact mobile equipment to help significantly increase our storage capacity. 

We’ve submitted grant applications to support the new collections storage equipment, and we’re eager to secure additional matching funds for the project. If you’d like to learn how to get involved with the Campaign for Collections Stewardship or you just want a tour of the site, please email me or call 631.324.6850, x3. I’m very grateful for your interest.

Sincerely,

Steve Long, Executive Director 

Join us for our next Winter Lecture!

March 28 at 7 PM

On March 28 at 7 PM: David Cataletto will present the history of East Hampton’s many houses of worship, including the St. Luke’s Church where his lecture will take place. With a special focus on the meetinghouse church, which later became known as First Presbyterian, David will talk about twelve churches and synagogues from Wainscott to Montauk.

Next month’s lecture – Friday, April 25: The Fowler House

Presented by Hugh King, East Hampton Town Historian, this lecture highlights the history of what is believed to be the only surviving Montaukett home in East Hampton Town in the context of the Freetown neighborhood.

All lectures start at 7 PM at St. Luke’s Church, 18 James Lane, East Hampton

For more information, please email or call us at 631-324-6850

Monitoring Marine Mammals

at the East Hampton Town Marine Museum

The Historical Society’s Director of Education, Stacy Myers, is leading an innovative program at the East Hampton Town Marine Museum to educate our community about marine mammals in the mid-Atlantic. One of the whale species we focus on at the Marine Museum is the North Atlantic Right Whale. It is critically endangered, facing severe threats from human activity, especially vessel strikes.

In partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) MotionInfo developed StationKeeper, an innovative AIS (automated identification system) that uses coastal tracking technology to monitor vessel movements and communicate real-time information. This proactive approach not only enhances maritime safety but also plays a crucial role in protecting these magnificent marine mammals from further harm.

During classes and tours, Stacy will share photographs and data obtained from NOAA, MotionInfo, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, local monitoring agencies, and Whale Alert, a citizen science mobile app where whale sightings are used to help prevent vessel strikes. Launched in 2012, Whale Alert uses whale presence data including verified sightings, acoustic detections from buoys and gliders, and aerial surveys to display a user-friendly map based on nautical charts from country-specific government agencies. 

The Historical Society is honored to be part of the StationKeeper program and we are so grateful for the educational and technical support from our partners! If you would like to schedule a tour to learn more about how you can help protect whales, please email Stacy.

Volunteer Work at the Historical Society

Researching the East Hampton Fire Department

A huge thank you to Ken Payne who volunteered countless hours this winter to trace the history of the East Hampton Fire Department through the reporting of the East Hampton Star. Raised in East Hampton, Ken received his undergraduate degree in history from Stony Brook University. He currently works for the Bridgehampton Fire Department.

Working off previous research about the Fire Department, Ken prepared summaries of fire-related newspaper articles from 1923 through 2009. One article that he found from May 12, 1955 sounded eerily like what happened recently in Westhampton.

With the headline, “Woods Fires Endanger Buildings Saturday,” the article reported that there were four wildfires on one day in East Hampton. The first involved John King, age 9, and Claude “Butchie” Macomber, age 11, who were playing in the woods, building a hut near Springs Road. “They had some matches, and before they knew what happened, a roaring fire was started with the wind blowing toward the Kings’ home.” Neighbors quickly telephoned the Fire Department, but a quarter acre of woods burned down before the fire was brought under control.

Following Ken’s work on East Hampton, we’re eager to research the Amagansett, Springs, and Montauk Fire Departments. If you’re interested in volunteering to help, please email us at the East Hampton Historical Society.

From the Collections of the Historical Society

The Historical Society was thrilled to receive a recent gift from Jay Lester of several artifacts related to East Hampton’s community life, including this water pitcher. It is inscribed below the spout, “Roanoke Lodge No. 462 to Hampton Lodge No. 575, I.O.O.F. Jan. 27, 1898.” On that date, the Hampton Lodge of the International Order of Odd Fellows dedicated their new building at 28 Newtown Lane in East Hampton. Still standing today, the Odd Fellows’ Hall was designed in the shingle style by Joseph Greenleaf Thorp (who also worked on the Baker House, Grey Gardens, and many other East Hampton buildings), pioneering the use of steel trusses to support a large open space on the second floor.

After the Hall’s dedication ceremony, the Hampton Lodge hosted a dinner in Clinton Hall (aka Clinton Academy) for 417 members of the Odd Fellows from all over Suffolk County. During the festivities, Charles Howell of Riverhead stood upon a chair and according to the East Hampton Star, “he held up a handsome water pitcher, saying ‘Roanoke sends this as a simple token of love and friendship for the Hampton Lodge,’” which was gratefully accepted by Hiram Sherrill of East Hampton. The Odd Fellows’ Hall was owned by the Hampton Lodge until 1966 when Lodge members sold it for $20,000. 

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SAVE THE DATES!

Summer Fundraiser Schedule

• June 7: East Hampton Historical Society Membership Party at the Devon Yacht Club

• July 11 – 13: Antiques & Design Show at Historic Mulford Farm

• August 7: Design Luncheon featuring Marshall Watson at the Maidstone Club

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Visit our “Benefits” page on our website for more details and to register!

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