September 2026
History Matters
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Dear Friend,
Last month, we were grateful to have over 120 people join us – despite light rain – for the ribbon cutting for our new Collections Center.
Since its founding in 1921, the East Hampton Historical Society has established a world-class collection of nearly 20,000 artifacts documenting our community’s cultural heritage. According to textile curator, Lynn Bassett, our collection includes extremely rare and important items that would be treasured in any historical collection in the nation. And now, 45 years after the idea to build a centrally located, climate-controlled storage center was first proposed, we finally have a facility worthy of housing our world-class collection.
Not long after I joined the Historical Society nearly five years ago, a curator from the Winterthur Museum came to see some objects in our collection. When I expressed some embarrassment about the storage conditions, he said, “don’t worry, I’ve seen worse.” I told him, we’re in East Hampton, we should not be in the “I’ve seen worse” category. |
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Fast forward to this past summer, I along with Anna Muller, our Curator of Collection (who was instrumental in the success of this project) gave a tour of the new Collections Center to a group of museum professionals. While they were impressed with the facility itself, several of them asked, “How did you fundraise for a 5,500 sq. ft. storage building?”
I explained that it was a credit to the incredible leadership of the Board of Trustees and the generosity of a committed group of supporters, especially the New York State Council on the Arts and the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation. Also, we depended on the generous in-kind contributions of Ben Krupinski Builder and Bruce Siska Architect.
One of the reasons it took over 45 years to complete the Collections Center is that it’s truly one of the most unsexy museum projects imaginable. It’s not like a visitors center or exhibit wing, which the public regularly gets to see. In fact, I was recently told that nobody wants to pay for shelving, security systems, or electrical wiring in a capital campaign. I am deeply grateful for the generosity of so many members in our community who did.
Sincerely,
Steve Long, Executive Director |
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TOM TWOMEY SERIES
Final Presentation this Saturday!
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| This month, the East Hampton Historical Society and the East Hampton Library are presenting the final Tom Twomey Series presentation of the year. Join us on September 19 at 3 PM for Returning to our Roots: East Hampton’s New Farms. During this panel discussion moderated by the Vice President of the Peconic Land Trust, Yvette DeBow-Salsedo, contemporary farmers will discuss the history of their farms, how agriculture is changing, and the challenges they face. |
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Watch July’s Tom Twomey Series presentation by Jon Rodriguez
The Convict Pastor: Thomas James & the Puritan Roots of Christian Nationalism
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Visit our Historic Sites!
Upcoming Guided Tours & Programs
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Tickets now on sale!
East Hampton House & Garden Tour
Kick-off Cocktail Party on Friday, November 27
Tour on Saturday, November 28
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You’re invited to the 38th Annual East Hampton House & Garden Tour benefiting the East Hampton Historical Society! This year’s tour unlocks the doors to five truly spectacular homes, each brimming with charm, history, and distinctive architecture. Step inside and discover the stories, style, and secrets that make these East End treasures so extraordinary.
The festivities begin with an exclusive cocktail party at a stunning private historic home on Friday, November 27, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Then, on Saturday, November 28, from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM, enjoy your journey through five exceptional residences—each offering its own unique story and inspiration.
Join us as a “Tour Sponsor” and you’ll enjoy access to both the Tour and the exclusive Cocktail Party, plus special recognition in our printed invitations and event program shared with hundreds of fellow enthusiasts. Don’t miss your chance—register by September 30 to secure your place in this extraordinary tradition.
Photo by Joshua McHugh
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Scrimshaw and East Hampton Whaling
Artist’s Talk and Hands-on Workshop
Friday, October 16 at 5 PM
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Semiquincentennial History Festival
October 17, 10 AM to 2 PM
Mulford Farm
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From the Collections
Flax Wheel
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During “Forefather’s Day” at Clinton Academy in 1940, Sybel Dominy Mulford (pictured here) demonstrated how to use a flax wheel. At the History Festival on Mulford Farm next month, we’re thrilled that Fen Youmans, a descendent of David and Phebe Mulford, will demonstrate flax spinning again.
Flax, which was commonly grown on Mulford Farm, was an important crop. It provided residents with a local source of fiber for making linen, which was used for clothing, bedding, and other household items. Growing flax during the American Revolution helped East Hampton and other communities become less dependent on imported cloth and allowed families to produce many of their own textiles.
A flax wheel in colonial and early America was used to turn prepared flax fibers into thread that could be woven into linen cloth. Markedly different from a wool spinning wheel, the flax wheel used a pedal and required the spinner to sit next to it. A wool wheel was operated by hand while standing and walking.
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After flax plants were harvested, retted, dried, broken, and combed to separate the fibers, the long fibers were placed on the wheel’s distaff. The spinner used the foot pedal to turn the large wheel, which rotated a smaller spindle. As the wheel turned, the spinner carefully pulled and twisted the flax fibers, creating a strong, thin thread that was wound onto the spindle. This thread was then woven on a loom – like the one at Mulford Farm – to make linen. While weaving was considered men’s work in the 18th century, spinning flax was the responsibility of women and girls in the household.
Join us for a tour of the Mulford Farmhouse and you can see the flax wheel on display in the East parlor.
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Catch the latest edition of our podcast
Spirit of ’76: East Hampton in the American Revolution
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This month’s episode of the Spirit of ’76 explains how war reached East Hampton by September 1776, marking a major turning point in how the American Revolution affected East Hampton residents. During September, the Town was occupied by the British, families were separated, many East Hampton residents became refugees in Connecticut, and uncertainty was constantly present.
Researched, written, and narrated by recent East Hampton High School graduate Colin Kelley, the Spirit of ’76 podcast is available on WLIW.org, the Historical Society’s website, and our mobile app on www.BloombergConnects.org. It can also be found on most streaming apps.
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