Dear Friend,

As we approach the 250th anniversary of American Independence, I’m thrilled to report on our progress restoring the Mulford Farmhouse. As you may know, we’re planning to depict how it looked in the 1770s during the American Revolution. In addition to painting and plastering the parlors and chambers, a significant amount of work is happening in the Farmhouse’s kitchen. Our main objective is to address questionable decisions made 75 years ago by Aymar Embury, the noted architect who designed the East Hampton Library and Guild Hall.

After the Mulford Farmhouse was acquired by the East Hampton Historical Society in 1948, Embury oversaw the building’s adaptation into a museum. In the kitchen, he arranged to have vertical paneling cover the east and north walls rather than mirror the horizontal paneling that was evident on other walls of the room. In addition, he removed the kitchen ceiling and the wall that separated the kitchen from the east parlor, which essentially created a “great room” (40 years before it became a popular home design). The top photo, taken in the 1950s after the wall was removed, shows a view from the kitchen into the east parlor. In 1986, the kitchen ceiling and wall were reconstructed but left unpainted, which you can see in the second photo.

Sincerely,

Steve Long, Executive Director

TOM TWOMEY SERIES

Friday, April 24 at 6:30 PM

East Hampton during the American Revolution

Presented by Leah K. Lebec

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Upcoming Lectures –

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.

Saturday, September 19 at 3:00 PM: Returning to Our Roots

• Featuring a panel of contemporary farmers in East Hampton Town, this discussion will focus on what’s inspired a new generation of farmers to work East Hampton’s soil and will highlight the history of the land they cultivate.

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.

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

Watch Uncovering the Past: Archaeology at Sylvester Manor

February’s Tom Twomey Series Presentation by Dr. Nedra Lee

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

The Strange Case of East Hampton’s Dreda Dominy

The Historical Society is very happy to be partnering with the Hamptons Whodunit Festival this month. Recently, the Hamptons Whodunit recorded former Historical Society Board President Hilary Osborn-Malecki at the Dominy Shops Museum sharing a mystery that happened in 1895. Hilary described the peculiar and perplexing death of Dreda Dominy in East Hampton that was reported in newspapers around the country. Much of the coverage mirrored the article that appeared in the Lancaster (PA) Daily Intelligencer, which is shown below. On Friday April 19, 1895, Dreda, the wife of Nathaniel Dominy VII passed away suddenly at the age of 56 on the site of what is today, the Dominy Shops Museum. Nathaniel VII was a town assessor, trustee, and direct descendent of the famed Dominy woodworkers.

While Dreda’s physician, Dr. Osborne, had declared her dead due to a stroke and issued a death certificate, the undertaker, Samuel Thompson from Sag Harbor, refused to bury her, believing she was not dead but merely in a trance. Members of the Ladies of the Aid Society and the Methodist Church where Dreda was a member, brought another doctor for a second opinion. He concurred with the undertaker that she might still be alive. After news spread of this strange occurrence, throngs of mourners and curiosity seekers – numbering in the hundreds – came to the Dominy house to view the body.

Nathaniel VII believed his wife had passed away so he organized a funeral in his parlor that Monday even though he acknowledged that the typical signs of death were absent. Rigor mortis had not set in and his wife’s cheeks remained soft and warm.

According to Hilary, the newspaper accounts described Nathaniel Dominy as a “traditional east ender” and reported that “if there is any question if she is alive or not, Mr. Dominy vowed to keep his wife in the parlor all summer if necessary. He said some people were scandalized by him not burying his wife, but he said it’s his house and he’s not afraid of dead people. He didn’t think she would do any harm. The day after the funeral, Mr. Dominy said he held a lit match to her skin to see if it would raise a blister and it did not. The undertaker placed Mrs. Dominy in a coffin, but made sure it was near the coal fire. He reported that in six days since her death, Mrs. Dominy’s appearance was unchanged, and that in his 28 years of experience, he had never witnessed a case like this.”

So was Dreda Dominy actually dead? Check out the rest of what Hilary reported to the Hamptons Whodunit.

Catch the latest edition of our new podcast

Spirit of ’76: East Hampton in the American Revolution

April 2026: War on East Hampton’s Horizon

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Entitled “War on East Hampton’s Horizon,” this month’s episode of the Spirit of ’76 explores how distant battles and local fears collided in East Hampton during April 1776. While the Township was asked to provide soldiers for the war effort, residents witnessed an increasing number of British warships just off the coast. 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.

Update on new Collections Storage Center

Installation of Mobile Shelving

Thanks to the efforts of BK Builder, the Historical Society’s new 5,700-square-foot Collections Storage Center on Mulford Farm is nearly complete. The space is over 4,500 square feet more than our old storage facility, which lacked any climate control. Located on two stories, the new Center includes an elevator, which will greatly improve our ability to move and store objects.

Technicians from Delta Design are now installing the storage furniture, including the tracks for the compact mobile shelving, which you can see in the photo. With almost 20,000 artifacts in our collection, it’s imperative that we maximize our storage space. Installing shelving that is mobile will enable us to increase our capacity significantly.

Our goal is to have the furniture installation completed by next month so we can start moving in!

Annual Membership Party!

Saturday, June 20, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

You’re invited to join us on Saturday, June 20 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM for our annual Membership Party at a renowned designer’s home overlooking Gardiner’s Bay.

Tickets –

• $200 includes one Membership Party ticket and an individual Historical Society membership.
• $500 includes two Membership Party tickets, a Family Membership, and inclusion in our Annual Report.

And, consider joining us in the New Century Circle at the $5,000 level to receive special Membership benefits.

Your generous Membership support enables the Historical Society to educate families from across the community about the history we share.

East Hampton Historical Society

www.easthamptonhistory.org