EHHS / June: Membership Party | Watercolor Classes | Claus Hoie Exhibit | America’s 250th! @ Mulford Farm ….

Dear Friend, 

When I started at the East Hampton Historical Society nearly five years ago, the Board of Trustees was eager to start a campaign to revitalize the East Hampton Town Marine Museum. Realizing that we needed a space to store the thousands of objects in the Marine Museum before major renovations could take place, we first embarked on building a collections storage center. Now that the new storage facility is just about complete, I’m delighted to report that the Historical Society has begun working with the Town of East Hampton to update the Marine Museum.

As you likely read in the newspapers, a pipe burst at the Museum this past winter and caused significant damage to the east side of the building’s interior. The damage prompted a broader review of the facility and helped identify additional needs that require a long-term approach rather than a short-term repair. Read more about the plan to renovate the building.

While the Marine Museum won’t be open this summer, I’m excited about having the opportunity to modernize the building and update the exhibitions. We’re grateful to partner with the Town of East Hampton on a thoughtful, long-term plan for the building, and we look forward to involving the local community in updating the Museum so it continues serving generations to come. To learn more, please email or call me at 631.324.6850, x3.

In the meantime, watercolors from the Claus Hoie Whaling Gallery at the Marine Museum are on display this summer at Clinton Academy. Read below to learn more about Claus Hoie and the exhibition. I hope you can stop by 151 Main Street in East Hampton to see the show.

Sincerely,

Steve Long, Executive Director 

Watercolor of the Marine Museum by Mardie Gorman

REGISTER TODAY!

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.

Photo credit: Blue Carreon

INTERN SPOTLIGHT

Chloe Cairns

In June, Chloe Cairns started an internship at the Historical Society where in her short time, she’s already written for the newsletter, assisted with exhibitions, and developed materials for our social media. We asked her to share her experience so far at the Historical Society.

Tell us about yourself including your educational background, current program of study, and your connection to East Hampton.

I grew up in Amagansett, New York, and attended Amagansett Public School. After that, I went to boarding school at Hotchkiss, where I just completed my freshman year. Growing up in Amagansett, I love being part of such a close-knit community and having the privilege to live in such a beautiful place. Living here is something I never take for granted, and I am so lucky I can call this place my home. 

What are some of the things you’ve accomplished at the Historical Society and what do you look forward to doing later this month?

I recently started my time at the Historical Society, and so far, I’ve enjoyed working on writing pieces that spotlight what there is to offer here, such as the Claus Hoie exhibit at Clinton Academy. Later this month, I look forward to exploring the various historical sites and assisting with events, so I can get as involved as possible.

What inspired your interest in history? Is there a particular aspect of the past that you find most intriguing?

Growing up in Amagansett, I often heard stories about the whaling and farming industries that shaped the East End into what it is today. Learning about these parts of history inspired my desire to learn more about what made East Hampton the community it is now.

Which of the Historical Society’s sites do you find most interesting? Why?

I find the Marine Museum particularly interesting because it’s very close to my home, and I spent many summers attending the “Marine Explorers” program there. I’m fascinated by the history of Amagansett’s beaches, the town’s whaling heritage, and its role in World War II. Because the Marine Museum is so close to me, it holds a very special place in my heart.

What are your plans for the future?

After my internship at the East Hampton Historical Society, I will return to Hotchkiss for school. Even so, I hope to continue my work with the East Hampton Historical Society in the future and continue to help out.

ANNOUNCING NEW WATERCOLOR CLASSES

IN OUR HISTORIC GARDENS

Join our watercolor workshops at the garden behind Clinton Academy and the Mary’s Garden at the Moran Studio. Each workshop is led by a skilled instructor who will guide students from beginners to experienced painters in color mixing, sketching, composing, techniques for laying in layers of background color and building detail, to create an expressive garden painting.

Wednesday, June 24, 10 AM-12 Noon: Watercolor Painting at the Mimi Meehan Garden at Clinton Academy with Barbara Thomas

Thursday, July 9, 9:30-10:30 AM: Watercolor with de Gournay and their hand-painted wallpapers at Clinton Academy

Wednesday, July 29, 3:00-4:00 PM: Watercolor Painting in the Moran Garden with Janet Jennings

CELEBRATE AMERICA’S 250TH

Fourth of July at Mulford Farm

11 AM to 4 PM

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You’re invited to the reopening of the Mulford Farmhouse on July 4! From 11 AM to 4 PM, you can tour the newly restored farmhouse and learn how the American Revolution unfolded in East Hampton. Less than three weeks after it was signed in Philadelphia, a copy of the Declaration of Independence was delivered to Colonel David Mulford, who lived at Mulford Farm. In addition to taking a guided tour of the Farmhouse, join us for a special “Revolutionary Walking Tour” of East Hampton’s Main Street presented by Town and Village Historian, Hugh King.

Celebrate Independence Day in East Hampton –

• Guided Tours of Mulford Farm

Ongoing, 11 AM – 4 PM

10 James Lane, East Hampton

• Revolutionary East Hampton Walking Tour

Meet at the Home Sweet Home Museum at 3 PM

14 James Lane, East Hampton

TOM TWOMEY SERIES

This year, the East Hampton Historical Society is thrilled to partner with the East Hampton Library on the Tom Twomey Series. On Thursday, July 23 at 5:30 PM, the Rev. Jon D. Rodriguez, Pastor of The First Presbyterian Church of East Hampton, presents The Convict Pastor: Thomas James and the Puritan Roots of Christian Nationalism, exploring the life of East Hampton’s first minister whose faith defined a community and ultimately landed him behind bars.

——————–

UPCOMING LECTURES

Saturday, September 19, 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.

Thursday, October 15, 5:30 PM: A Maritime Lair: The Royal Navy and Gardiner’s Bay

• Christopher F. Minty, project director of Naval Documents of the American Revolution at the Center for Digital Editing at the University of Virginia, explains the importance of Gardiner’s Bay during the American Revolution. Not only did it serve as the operational center for the Royal Navy, it underpinned the entire British war effort.

Programs are free of charge and take place in the Baldwin Room at the East Hampton Library, 159 Main Street.

Watch The History of East Hampton during the American Revolution

April’s Tom Twomey Series presentation by Leah K. Lebec

Catch the latest edition of our podcast

Spirit of ’76: East Hampton in the American Revolution

Entitled “Suspicion in East Hampton amidst a wider war,” the June episode of the Spirit of ’76 explores how the community’s wartime experience existed on two levels at once: dealing with security and suspicion at home while contributing to a conflict that stretched hundreds of miles beyond Eastern Long Island. 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.

SUMMER EXHIBITION AT CLINTON ACADEMY

Claus Hoie’s watercolors exploring

Long Island’s whaling history

—————————-

An exhibition of watercolors by the acclaimed painter Claus Hoie is now on display at Clinton Academy through the summer. Formerly housed at the East Hampton Town Marine Museum, the exhibition highlights Long Island’s role in the whaling industry. Many of the works incorporate accounts from actual logbooks and journals maintained by 19th-century whalers.

Born in 1911, in Stavanger, Norway, Claus Hoie emigrated with his family to Brooklyn, New York, at the age of 13. He studied art at the Pratt Institute and the Art Students League in New York. During World War II, Hoie served as a sergeant in the 99th Infantry Battalion, a special Norwegian-American Unit whose mission was to assist in the liberation of Norway. During the war, he developed his artistic style through watercolor paintings depicting the mountain troops. After the war, Hoie continued his studies at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris.

Hoie and his wife, fellow artist Helen Hoie, moved to Hook Pond Lane in East Hampton in the 1960s. There, his work became increasingly influenced by the sea, focusing on watercolors and marine life. His connection to the ocean, however, began long before his move to East Hampton, as he spent time at sea with his grandfather and father, both of whom were ship captains. 

Claus Hoie’s watercolors are on display in the gallery at the Clinton Academy, 151 Main Street in East Hampton from Monday through Friday from 11 AM to 4 PM.

Register to be listed on the Program

20th Annual Antiques & Design Show Benefit

Preview Party – Friday, July 10

6:00 PM – 8:30 PM

Get ready for the 20th Annual Antiques & Design Show benefiting the East Hampton Historical Society. Taking place on Mulford Farm, the festivities kick off with a Preview Cocktail Party on Friday July 10, 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM. The show’s hours are 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Saturday, July 11 and 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Sunday, July 12.

Join us as a Show Sponsor, which means you can attend the Preview Party and shop the Show before the general public. Show Sponsors will be recognized in printed copies of the Antiques & Design Show Program, which will be distributed to thousands of attendees and friends of the Historical Society. To secure your spot in the printed invitation, please review the Show Sponsor opportunities and register by June 30.   

Join us for a special presentation by Sean Decatur,

President of the American Museum of Natural History

Talk with Reception to Follow

July 17, at 5 PM

The presentation and reception will take place at Clinton Academy, 151 Main Street.

Admission is free, but reservations are strongly encouraged.

East Hampton Historical Society

www.easthamptonhistory.org

—————————–