EHHS / History Matters: ‘Colono-ware’ | “Tom Twomey” 3.27th | Waldorf Astoria, 4.20th | Golf, 5.18th ….

Dear Friend, 

During last month’s “Tom Twomey Series” presentation, Dr. Nedra Lee discussed the archaeological excavations that she and her team from UMass Boston had undertaken at Sylvester Manor on Shelter Island. I was especially interested to learn that they had uncovered evidence of Colono-ware. This type of unglazed ceramic made of local clay bound with sand, grit, or shell was used by Indigenous and African American communities for cooking, serving food, and storage. Long associated with communities of color in the southern states, Colono-ware has more recently been discovered in the northeast. One of those places is Mulford Farm.

In the late 1990s, Jo-Ann McLean conducted an archaeological survey of the Mulford Farmhouse cellar and discovered 68 pottery fragments of what she described as Colono-ware. The name is a portmanteau of “colonial” and “ware.” When Jo-Ann McLean consulted scholars of Colono-ware, they felt it may have been used by white residents rather than people of color. However, I think that’s an unlikely scenario. As Keri Sansevere described in her 2020 PhD dissertation on Colonoware in the Northeastern United States, it was only used in white households that were low-income. Well-to-do families like the Mulfords would have used fancier pottery such as redware and china, which were also excavated at Mulford Farm.

As you can see from the photograph above, many of the Colonoware sherds were reassembled to illustrate how the vessel likely appeared when it was used in the Mulford Farmhouse. However, so many questions remained unanswered such was the Colonoware made on the Farm or was it acquired from elsewhere?

I’m looking forward to our next “Tom Twomey Series” presentation hosted by Hugh King, which will feature Clinton Academy, the Historical Society’s headquarters. Please join me!

Sincerely,

Steve Long, Executive Director 

TOM TWOMEY SERIES

Friday, March 27 at 7 PM

Valedictory Orations, Songs & Speeches, Harangues & Dialogues

Clinton Academy 1821-1921

This year, the East Hampton Historical Society is thrilled to partner with the East Hampton Library on the Tom Twomey Series. Our next presentation is March 27 at 7 PM when Town and Village Historian Hugh King hosts Valedictory Orations, Songs and Speeches, Harangues and Dialogues: Clinton Academy 1821-1921. Now the headquarters of the East Hampton Historical Society, Clinton Academy’s 100-year history as East Hampton’s center of entertainment and community engagement will be brought to life.

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Upcoming Lectures

Friday, April 24 at 6:30 PM: History of East Hampton in the American Revolution

• Leah K. Lebec presents her late father’s groundbreaking research elucidating what happened during the Revolutionary era, providing a unique perspective on East Hampton’s struggles during the nation’s War for Independence.

Thursday, May 21 at 5:30 PM: Historic Gardens of East Hampton

• Author of The Gardens of the Hamptons, Blue Carreon describes the history of many of East Hampton’s most iconic gardens.

Thursday, June 11 at 5:30 PM: Prosperous Bohemians: The Rise & Fall of Weekend Utopia

• Alastair Gordon, author of Weekend Utopia: Modern Living in the Hamptons, traces the history of the modern movement–both in art and architecture–on eastern Long Island.

Thursday, July 23 at 5:30 PM: The Convict Pastor: Thomas James and the Puritan Roots of Christian Nationalism

• The Rev. Jon D. Rodriguez, Pastor of The First Presbyterian Church of East Hampton, presents the life of the Reverend Thomas James, East Hampton’s first minister whose faith defined a community and ultimately landed him behind bars.

Programs are free of charge and take place in the Baldwin Room at the East Hampton Library, 159 Main Street. Advanced reservations are suggested but not required.

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For more information and to reserve a seat, please visit www.TomTwomeySeries.org.

Join us for a fundraiser in New York City

The Newly Restored Waldorf Astoria Hotel

Lunch and a Behind-The-Scenes Tour

April 20 at 12 Noon

From the Collection

Recently, the grandson of Ella Aldrich arranged to donate a wooden 3D map to the Historical Society showing landmarks in East Hampton. It had been given to his grandmother by the Historical Society in November 1991 in honor of her many contributions to East Hampton. In addition to serving as a fifty-year member of the Ladies Village Improvement Society, Ella Aldrich was – as noted in a proclamation presented by Mayor Kenneth Wessberg – “widely recognized as the most ardent supporter of the East Hampton Historical Society…its most tireless fundraiser, contributor to its collection, overseer of the restorations of Clinton Academy, the Town House, and Mulford Farm, and the creator of the Annual Appeal.”

Constructed by Paul and Trudy Johnson, the map featured hand-painted miniature versions of the Hook Windmill, the LVIS’s Gardiner Brown House, and all the Historical Society’s properties at the time. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Johnsons constructed individual building models that were sold as ornaments. The Historical Society has over twenty examples, including the Big Duck and this model of Clinton Academy. If your family owns any of Paul and Trudy Johnson’s work (they typically signed the bottom), please share it with us on Facebook or Instagram.

Catch the latest edition of our new podcast

Spirit of ’76: East Hampton in the American Revolution

March 2026

This month’s episode of the Spirit of ’76 describes how East Hampton remained vigilant as British ships gathered off the shores of Long Island. While East Hampton focused on organization and leadership during the previous months, the Town was on high alert in March 1776. Residents scanned the coastline constantly, knowing that war might arrive by sea at any moment. Researched, written, and narrated by East Hampton High School student Colin Kelley, you can find the Spirit of 76 podcast on WLIW.org, the Historical Society’s website, and our mobile app on www.BloombergConnects.org. It’s also available on most streaming apps.

Join us for Golf at the Maidstone Club

& Support the East Hampton Historical Society

Monday, May 18, 2026

Early Bird Pricing

$1,500 Individual Player / $5,500 Foursome

Please contact us for information about sponsorships.

East Hampton Historical Society

www.easthamptonhistory.org