Tinme

Wednesday, April 24, 2024

the time has come

Video of SHHS Preservation Forum December 3rd 2022

Saturday, December 17, 2022

Here is a link to the hour and twenty five minute video of the entire Preservation Forum.

The recent Preservation Forum was a resounding success. Over 60 people attended SHHS's second Preservation Forum held Saturday December 3rd at Christ Episcopal Church, and everyone agrees it was much needed and a great success.

Nancy Achenbach, President of SHHS kicked off the forum with opening remarks at 1:00 p.m. and then Randolph Croxton began moderating the event. The panel consisted of four (4) chairpersons of the Village Boards: Will Sharp, Harbor Committee; John Shaka, Planning Board; Jeanne Kane, Zoning Board of Appeals; and, Steve Williams, Historic Preservation & Architectural Review Board.

The goal of the forum was to share the village's preservation oversight process, to increase transparancy, and to "de-mystify" the day-to-day practical details required for the successful managment of preserving history. Questions for the panel were submitted before the event as well as on the way in to the event.

Some of the comments heard following the event were:

"Much needed!"
"Timely"
"This cleared up so much for me!"
"We need more of these."

Click here to watch the complete video.

Mashashimuet Park Through the Years

Sunday, July 10, 2022

Presented by the Park Board of Trustees

2022 Exhibit Opening
Reception & Refreshments
Sunday July 10th - 5:00 p.m.
___________________________

Mashashimuet Park is not only a centerpiece in Sag Harbor but has been the center for community, school and family events for generations. This beautiful park has been the stage for Band Concerts & Plays, Trotting, Bicycle, and Running Races, Tournaments & Team Sports like Baseball and Field Hockey, and, of course, Skating on Otter Pond.

In 1908, Sag Harbor benefactress, Mrs. Russell Sage, began the process to create what would later be named Mashashimuet Park for the youth and families of the area. William Wallace Tooker named the park "Mashashimuet", Algonquin for "Place of the Great Springs".

Let's celebrate this centerpiece together. Come join us for the Opening of this year's Exhibit and hear the Park Board of Trustees talk about "Mashashimuet Park Through the Years".

Mashashimuet Park

Treasure Lost

Monday, May 2, 2022

Michael Heller, a third-generation resident of the East End - is relocating to Greece!

Heller is a photojournalist, documentary photographer, a long-time member of the Hook & Ladder Co. #1 for the East Hampton Fire Department, and the Staff Photographer for the Sag Harbor Express. As such, he has documented Sag Harbor's history in the making.

As Sag Harbor's landscape has been renovated, repurposed and preserved, Heller has been on hand to document four significant, recent projects.

Between 2011 and 2016, Heller photographed the renovation and construction of the John Jermain Memorial Library; the images of which can be found in its archives.

In 2011, Heller was onsite as the four-year project to laboriously convert the lifeless Bulova Watchcase Factory into condominiums began. He documented this event from start to finish in his book Watchcase - The Story of A Rebirth.

On that frigid day in December 2016, Heller was on the scene as a firefighter and then photographer when the building at 90 Main Street, which houses our iconic Sag Harbor Cinema, burned for hours on end. This event he documented in a book entitled A Phoenix Rises - The Fall and Rise of the Sag Harbor Cinema.

And, most recently, Heller was on hand to document the renovation of Long Wharf, from beginning to end, which he documented in A Short History of Sag Harbor's Long Wharf.

Sag Harbor's history in the making ... all documented and preserved by Michael Heller's unique images and words. Heller has given so much to our small village - he is a treasure - one who will be sorely missed.

Michael will not be embarking on this new adventure alone. He will be joined by another Sag Harborite - Jackie Marks, who once served as the Historical Society's archivist before taking a position with the Amagansett Library. Their departure will leave a hole in our small village, one that will not be filled anytime soon. We wish them all the best for their future.

"May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The Rain Fall Soft Upon Your Fields."

A Traditional Irish Blessing

Michael Heller received our Sag Harbor Historical Society 2018 Dorothy Ingersoll Zaykowski Award for Contributions to the Appreciation and Preservation of Sag Harbor History. Photographed here with Jack Youngs, the then-President of SHHS and Nancy French Achenbach, our current President.

The Sag Harbor Spur

Sunday, March 27, 2022

If you want to study the development of commerce and communities in the U.S., you only have to follow the railroads. The development of the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) (1844) opened Long Island for settlement and farming along the railroad line. Between 1870 and 1939, a 4-mile-long spur operated between Bridgehampton and Sag Harbor which enabled the Fahys Watchcase operations to move to Sag Harbor and encouraged the creation of the East End's best trotting course in 1879, located where Mashashimuet Park is today.

Watch the video linked here, by SHHS Trustee, Nancy Remkus, to hear how the LIRR was chartered to connect New York and Boston; be introduced to the Long Pond Green Belt, along which the railroad ran; and, learn about ice harvesting on Round Pond and how the LIRR transported it to New York way back then.

Sag Harbor Railroad Spur

Beachcombing Can Be Fun!

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

One of the exhibits now on display at the Historical Society's headquarters, the Annie Cooper Boyd House at 174 Main Street, is "Beachcombing for Evidence of Sag Harbor History - 80% Proof" by Jean Held.

Jean has been beachcombing Haven's Beach ever since the village began dredging the west side of Long Wharf four years ago and piping the dredged material at the beach. Sag Harbor and history enthusiasts have collected a treasure trove of artifacts. In Jean's case she has then applied her considerable research skills to determining each artifact's origins. She's worked long, hard and happily and has now created an exhibit for all of us in which she shares her "finds" and some conclusions. Items found date from the Revolutionary Ward to the present It's a fascinating glimpse into how Sag Harbor society has related to itself, the rest of the U.S., and the world for the last 250 years.

Come see the small treasures found at the bottom of our harbor.

Helping Our Garden Grow

Sunday, April 25, 2021

We at the Sag Harbor Historical Society, honored Earth Day and National Garden Month in a special way by inviting families to help us plant an herb garden and bring Annie's spirit to life ... and we had a wonderful time!

Bonnie Grice, dressed in period costume, welcomed the gardeners behind the ACB HOuse where Annie's own kitchen garden would have been. Folks chose thier herbs, Parsley, Sage or Rosemary, and BOnnie was there to assist and offer planting tips and a bit of herb history. Each herb was tagged not only with its name but the gardener's name as well. WE thank the Peconic Land Trust and the Sag Harbor Garden Center for sponsoring this event and providing the herbs.

Between 11:00 and 1:00, Nancy Remkus played music and sang songs on the stairs of the house, facing an audience safely spaced in chairs with no sense of crowding ... on our new front lawn!

Hopefully every gardiner will return to see how "their garden grows". CLICK HERE TO LINK WITH A SHORT SLIDESHOW that is indicative of how the entire day progressed. Gardiners young and old participated and the individuals shown are only representative of those who helped us celebrate this glorious day in Sag Harbor. Thank you one and all!

Photos by Claudia Ward, Steve Gould and several attendees (many thanks). Slideshow by Claudia Ward and Music by Alexandre Desplat, "The New York Times" from the soundtrack of Julie and Julia

Helping Our Garden Grow April 2021

Celebrating Black History Month - The Fortunes

Saturday, February 20, 2021

Caroline Charlotte “Carrie” Smiley Fortune was born in December 1860. As Carrie’s granddaughter, Elizabeth Bowser, wrote in Voices of Sag Harbor, Carrie “was born a slave in Jacksonville, Florida, the daughter of a plantation owner named Smiley and an Indian girl.” Elizabeth explained, “Plantation owners made a practice of recruiting Indian girls from the then western frontiers of the United States.” and “my grandmother Carrie, [was] the issue of her Indian mother and the slave-owning plantation owner.” In the late 1870s, Carrie moved to Sag Harbor to be the personal seamstress for the wife of a Captain living near the neighborhood of Eastville. Carrie, soon made friends in Eastville and taught them her fine dress-making skills. Just look at the exquisite details in the dress she’s wearing in this photograph.

In 1878, Carrie’s sweetheart, T. Thomas Fortune, arrived from Jacksonville and claimed her as his bride, and they settled in Brooklyn. Carrie kept in touch with her Sag Harbor friends, and the Fortune’s visited frequently during summertime, eventually becoming one of the first African-American families to “summer” in Sag Harbor. Carrie and Thomas had 5 children, 3 of whom died. Carrie, herself, died in 1940 at the age of 80.

T. Thomas Fortune (1856-1928) was born a slave in Marianna, Florida and was freed by the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. He attended Howard University briefly, leaving to be a journalist. Fortune established The New York Globe, which later became New York Age, the nation’s leading black newspaper which survived until 1960. “The condition of black people in the southern United States became his primary concern, and the press was his weapon to change those conditions. By 1887, he had established himself as the most prominent black journalist of the time.” Also in 1887, Fortune organized the National Afro-American League “to secure the defense of the black community against lynchings, riots, and other terrorist violence” (source: blackpast.org). This organization served as a model for later civil rights organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Fortune shepherded and opened doors for leaders like W. E. B. DuBois and Ida B. Wells. Fortune's wife, Carrie Smiley Fortune, was a founder of the National Urban League. Fortune died in 1928 at the age of 72.

LIGHT UP THE HARBOR RECOGNITION

Sunday, December 20, 2020

Light Up the Harbor!
The Results Are In!

We were so impressed with all of entries to the Society's 2020 Light Up the Harbor Event. Heaven knows we all need some light and joy in our lives in these trying times and our friends and families stepped up to the challenge. We had so many entries selecting a handful for special recognition was not easy but, at the end of the day, we all win with this endeavor - participants and spectators alike. Take a look at this SLIDESHOW BY CLICKING HERE. It was created by Nancy Remkus, a SHHS Trustee, showcasing every one of the entries. Tell us they aren't all winners! We'll share the results below as well as a route map that you can drive to see each and everyone of these special creations.

And the Results Are ...

Recognition

Robert Gibbs & family, 287 Main Street
Liz McGuire & Maggie Reilly, 291 Main Street
Jeff Peters & Mary Ann Miller, 365 Main Street
Susan Fick Pluchino & family, 6 James Place

Honorable Mention

Marla Alper & Chris Coffee, 31 Madison
Shawn Beyer-Mitchell & family, 303 Division Street
Farrin Cary & family, 11 Oakland Avenue
Yadira Castiblanco & family, 58 Howard Street
Mare Dianora & family, 26 Grand Street
Lisa DiGirolamo & family, 53 Highview Drive
Bonnie Jackson & Bill Porter, 36 Payne Avenue
Joe & Karen Lauro, 249 Main Street
Marie-Christine McNally & the Popadick Family, 25 Burke Street
Richard Pantina & family, 82 Harbor Drive
Frieda & James Renner, 22 Forrest Street

Congratulations to one and all! THANK YOU for Lighting Up the Harbor this year, for all of us to see!

Speaking of seeing, if you feel like taking a drive to see this year's participants and all the lights, print out this post which includes a list of the participants "in geographic order" and an indicative map of where they are. It's a circular route that will allow you see every entry to "Light Up the Harbor 2020" ... and more! We hope you enjoy this as much as we have.

Happy Holidays friends, family, neighbors ... one and all!

Sag Harbor Historical Society Uses Video To Help Tell The Village’s Story

Thursday, October 29, 2020

This article, written by Stephen J. Kotz, was printed in the Sag Harbor Express on October 29, 2020

The photo is tagged "Nancy Remkus films Nancy Cory at the Old Whalers' Church as part of her series for the Sag Harbor Historical Society. STEPHEN J. KOTZ"

"What started as a series of PowerPoint presentations to introduce students at the Sag Harbor Elementary School to the village’s rich history has morphed into a series of short videos that its creator hopes will help draw attention to the Sag Harbor Historical Society.

Nancy Remkus, a retired teacher and member of the society’s board, has been making the videos with the aid of other society members.

“We want to share more Sag Harbor stories with people and hopefully encourage more people to become members of the society,” Ms. Remkus said.

The initial video featured Deanna Lattanzio, another retired educator, giving a tour of the society’s headquarters, the Annie Cooper Boyd House, which is set back from Main Street just a few paces south of the village’s business district.

Ms. Lattanzio was also enlisted to tell the story of the Cilli Farm, the only farm in the village, which had been owned by her grandfather. Bethany Deyermond, another retired teacher and society board member, took on the role of Sag Harbor’s major benefactress, Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage, who gave the village the John Jermain Memorial Library, Pierson High School, and Mashashimuet Park and Otter Pond, among other major gifts.

Another video traced the history of the Long Island Rail Road’s service to the village, which was discontinued in the 1930s. Trains followed a spur from Bridgehampton through the Long Pond Green Belt before crossing a trestle along Sag Harbor Cove and arriving at a depot at what is now the site of the village post office.

Ms. Remkus also filmed two videos of historical society board member James Marquardt reading from his book, “True Stories of Old Sag Harbor.”

So far, though, the most involved production enlisted five narrators from the historical society telling stories of some of the more colorful “permanent residents” of Oakland Cemetery.

WLNG radio host Bonnie Grice tells the story of Captain David Hand and his five wives, four of whom died before the age of 30, while Bethany Deyermond tells the story of Joseph Fahys, who brought his watchcase factory to the village in the 1800s.

Jack Youngs tackles the story of Ephraim Byram, a village clockmaker, inventor, and philosopher, while Ms. Remkus narrates a segment on the philosopher and adventurer Prentice Mulford.

And Ms. Lattanzio describes the life of Fannie Tunison, who was born paralyzed, but who was able to learn how to use her mouth and tongue to thread a needle and sew. She later became her family’s major breadwinner by reading fortune cards and doing other tasks.
Last week, Ms. Remkus started her latest video, one that will tell the story of Dorothy

Ingersoll Zaykowski, whose book, “Sag Harbor: The story of an American Beauty,” is a highly regarded history of the village. For that video, she taped Nancy Cory, a member of the Old Whalers’ Church, Catherine Creedon, the director of the John Jermain Memorial Library; Tony Garro, who leads historic walking tours of the village; and Bryan Boyhan, the former publisher of The Sag Harbor Express.

The videos are available on the historical society’s Facebook page and website, sagharborhistorical.org, under the Blog heading."

Journaling 101

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Journaling is seen by some as an intimate recording of personal thoughts and feelings, others consider it a cathardic exercise that relieves tension, and others think of it as an historical documentation of a specific point in time. It truly can be all of these things. The following entries were submitted for our Jounaling posts. The voices are distinctly different, just as the individuals behind them are. Thank you for sharing these thoughts and perspectives. Please continue by sending your submissions to http://sagharborhist@gmail.com

DAVID BRAY

I was not residing in Sag Harbor after 50 years but had just begun being a resident at Peconic Landing when the sequestering began. I am still sequestered after almost two months. Peconic Landing is still providing services which I might not be receiving if I still was residing in Sag Harbor.

BARBARA SCHWARTZ

The pandemic of 2020 and how I celebrated my 90th birthday.

It is March 20, 2020 and I am recording my birthday in the midst of the Corona virus. I have lived through the depression, stock market crash, World War II, 9/11 in NYC and I will survive this. During World War II I never felt afraid, we kept busy knitting for the soldiers, collecting aluminum foil, growing victory gardens and other activities. We heard about the war on the radio or saw pieces of it in newsreels on Saturday at the movies but it wasn’t broadcast 24 hours a day on TV as it is now. We had to deal with rationing, I still have my ration book, and we had to darken our windows at night but we weren’t quarantined and isolated as we are now.

A party at Brian & Linda’s was planned for tonight with Deirdre, Liam, Ann, Kathy & Maureen but it had to be cancelled as we were staying indoors. I baked cupcakes and iced them in the morning and that evening face-timed Deirdre and Liam and Sam and they were face-timing with Anna and Nick. We lit our candles and then sang Happy Birthday to one another and blew them out. Liam and Sam baked a pineapple upside down cake for Deirdre. As we were singing my doorbell rang and out in the road in front of my house were my neighbors, about a dozen of them, singing Happy Birthday to me. What a day it was. Despite the gloom and darkness, there was light and gladness tonight. Thank you Sag Harbor.

March 21, 2020 The celebration continued. My neighbors who were in California and Florida sent their greeting on Facebook and said they were sorry they could not be here to join the singing.

My grocery delivery from Serene Green arrived and in the bag was a little pound cake and a birthday card. Everyone has been so nice.

I place an order with Peapod two weeks ago and it will arrive the 30th. They are really busy. My drug store delivered my prescription so there is no need for me to go out.

Today I sent both of my granddaughters, who are nurses, chocolate covered strawberries to thank them for what they are doing in the hospitals under trying circumstances.

Wednesday my order from Everyplate arrived and I started cooking my dinners. It was a box with enough ingredients to make six dinners. That should keep the wolf from my door. On Monday my Peapod order finally arrives, it has taken two weeks to get a delivery date.

I have cleaned my office, organized my desk and will now start on the storage room down stairs. I should have the house pretty organized by the time we are able to go outside again. I do hope we can still have my birthday party with the whole family that is planned for July. We will just have to wait and see.

JUDITH LONG

Coronavirus Diary (March 16)

Liquor store guy asked me to supply my own pen to sign the receipt. I did.

NPR reports that health workers are taught how to get in and out of their hazmat suits correctly. The protocol is called “don” and “doff”—so courtly, so lovely.

Odd disappearances at Schiavoni's: plenty of eggs, milk and produce. No cheese, oranges, or honey-crisp apples (plenty of other varieties).

Chapped hands from scrubbing for 20 seconds. Never used to wash hands much, as they got clean washing dishes (am I alone in never having owned a dishwasher?).

It looked like Easter Sunday at Long Beach on Wednesday. Tons of adults and kids strolling, walking dogs, riding bikes, flying kites, greeting each other, smiling. Coronavirus briefly forgotten

Coronavirus Diary—II (March 21)

Not isolating! The virus is turning us into socialites. Emailed next-door neighbor Lee and suggested a short walk. We’ve been mentioning this idea for months. Have never done it. Now we do it at social distance. We bump into her neighbor on the other side, who offers us help if needed: “I know you live alone.” (On people offering help: It’s the old double-edged sword: pleasing but I feel as I do when someone gives me their seat on the subway. Really? I look that feeble?)

On to the deli, where we social-distance chat with a couple of Latinos eating at the picnic table. Back down the sidewalk, we bump into Lee's daughter. More social-distance chit-chat. (I may now be able to tell her two daughters apart.) We head across the street and call on another neighbor—a first. We all seem more chatty and friendly these days.

The Long Beach lot is parked up as if it’s a Sunday in June. Some jerk in a sports car had the nerve to honk repeatedly at a walker strolling down the parking lot, as we tend to do. She held her ground and did not move over. We don’t reward rudeness. All he had to do was say Excuse me.

A friend sends a picture of empty bread shelves at her grocery, except one section: gluten-free bread. Full. No one wants it. Ha ha ha ha.

A Conversation with Bethany Deyermond and the Sag Harbor Express

Friday, October 11, 2019

A member of the Sag Harbor Historical Society Board of Directors and that nonprofits treasurer talks about its newest Halloween happening, “Annie’s Field of Jack-O’-Lanterns,” which will be held on Wednesday, October 30, from 5 to 6 p.m., at the Historical Society’s Annie Cooper Boyd House at 41 Main Street in Sag Harbor.

“Annie’s Field of Field of Jack-O’-Lanterns” will be held for the first time this year, inviting members of the community to the Annie Cooper Boyd House to show off their own carved jack-o’-lanterns and enjoy music, treats and a ghostly parade through the historic residence. Where did this idea come from?

Of course, the Lion’s Club in Bridgehampton has always had a wonderful event every year the Monday before Halloween and it is a really neat event. Sag Harbor has a lot of Halloween events, but we have never had anything like that and the Annie Cooper Boyd House is the perfect place for a lit pumpkin display — it is set back from Main Street and has a beautiful front porch. For us, this is another way we can get community members to notice the house and hopefully come in and enjoy what it has to offer. Our greatest mission right now is the preservation of that building — it is really what we need to focus on right now — and this is another way to introduce members of our community to this important building.

The Annie Cooper Boyd House, an 18th century home owned by artist and diarist Annie Cooper Body, was left to the Historical Society and serves as both its headquarters and museum. Fundraising through events like this will help aid the society as it moves forward with repairs to the building?

Yes. Right now we are very much focused on fundraising to replace the roof, which of course has to be done historically, in the correct way — we cannot just slap an asphalt roof up there — with wooden shingles. We are not even really sure the last time the roof was replaced but it is very much needed now — there is already a leak onto the front porch and it is our responsibility to ensure that house is maintained properly. Our gala, unfortunately, did not cover the full expense of the roof replacement or the other things we try and accomplish as a historical society, so we are hoping by drawing in more community members through events like this we can get more support for the society and for the building.

What are other ways the Historical Society supports Sag Harbor history?

Obviously, at this point, we are not in a position of preserving historic buildings ourselves — they are privately owned — but we did work with the Village of Sag Harbor on the restoration and preservation of the Old Jail House. And we do get the word out about the importance of preservation. Homeowners and even realtors will come to the Historical Society when a house is bought or goes up for sale to learn about the history of these places, and the society keeps files detailing that history.

Will “Annie’s Field of Jack-O’-Lanterns” include a contest?

We decided against a content and what to make this a community event — not just a children’s event but one where we can have families come down and join us. And we will have a pumpkin out where we are asking guests to support us with a $5 suggested donation.

We are looking into the future for the Historical Society — we want to get younger families into the building with their children so they can see what we are all about and maybe join us in what we are trying to do. It will be a nice event, we will serve cider, Nancy Remkus is singing and Jean Held’s exhibit cataloging items she has found on Havens Beach will still be up. When kids come in and see it they think it is really neat and here they are learning a lot about Sag Harbor history.

Are you carving a pumpkin?

Of yes. I will do a good, old-fashioned, jack-o’-lantern. And everyone on our board of trustees is going to carve a pumpkin as well and we will display them about a week before the event. The Friday before, October 25, Nancy Remkus and Deanna Lattanzio are attending Morning Program [at Sag Harbor Elementary School] to talk about the history of Sag Harbor with the kids, which is something they will be doing every month. We are going to talk to them this month about Annie and the House and ask them all to come down with their pumpkins and help fill up our yard.

Alexander Hamilton, David Frothingham, and SHHS

Saturday, May 14, 2016

This week is the 225th Anniversary of the first copy of Frothingham's Herald which was printed in Sag Harbor, right near the Annie Cooper Boyd House. The Herald was the first newspaper printed on Long Island, predating the Sag Harbor Corrector by more than 20 years.

For many years, the Herald was believed to have been printed in the Annie Cooper Boyd House, which was sometimes referred to as the Herald House. Annie Cooper Boyd believed her home was the site of Frothingham's business, and she certainly shared the story with many visitors to her tea room.

Now, how does any of this connect to the "Ten Dollar Founding Father" enjoying a revival thanks to Lin-Manuel Miranda's play? As politics in New York became more splintered during the Federalist Era, restrictions were placed on what could be printed in the press, and newspapers were the battleground for many of these political fights. Printers and editors of newspapers were often strongly allied with the Federalists or Anti-Federalists. Sag Harbor was a bustling port, about to become one of two official ports of entry for New York.

The printer of the Long Island Herald, David Frothingham, or his columnists didn't entirely agree with Alexander Hamilton's Federalists. David Frothingham was arrested for printing material critical of Alexander Hamilton and the Federalist Party under the Alien and Sedition Acts. Frothingham disappeared after his arrest, adding an air of drama and mystery to his story.

SHHS Trustee Barbara Schwartz chased David Frothingham through the archives, trying to determine exactly where he printed his paper, and concluded it was probably across the street from the Annie Cooper Boyd House. This afternoon, SHHS Volunteer Dan Sabloski will share a collection of scanned copies of Frothingham's paper, the Long Island Herald.

For those of you who can't make it in person for this surprise pop-up display, the East Hampton Library's Long Island Collection has digitzed their copies of the Long Island Herald. And you can check out some of the issues Dan Sabloski will be sharing through the East Hampton Library's website.

Here's a link to the East Hampton Library's scan of the very first issue of Frothingham's Herald, which was printed 225 years ago on May 10, 1791.

"As We See It"

Saturday, March 12, 2016

SHHS has run a series of advertisements on preservation in the Sag Harbor Express. Because many of them appeared this Winter when people may have missed the Express, we are reprinting them here.

Here's the first one:

"As We See It"

The Village of Sag Harbor is confronted by the challenge of un-regulated and un-fettered development” throughout the community. Historic structures and character are at risk of being lost forever.
There is a need to control the treatment of buildings of special architectural or historic distinction and, or, that are of value as a part of the historic background of the Village. Detrimental treatment includes demolition, alteration or extension, and new construction within historic areas. In addition, there is a need to protect the natural environment and our historic waterfront.
The Historic District designation, the Board of Historic Preservation and Architectural Review, and the Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan are designed to meet these challenges. With these tools the Village is able to control and manage change in a manner that allows accommodation without being locked into a “museum” mentality.
The Village’s Historic District is nationally recognized: on par with Charleston, South Carolina, Nantucket, Massachusetts, Savannah, Georgia and New Orleans’ Vieux Carre’. It was created through the researching and cataloging of hundreds of buildings, residences ranging from the colonial period to late Victorian, and by providing the documented information necessary to have a historic district placed in the National Register of Historic Places. The role of Village’s Board of Historic Preservation and Architectural Review is to administer and apply the requisite standards to proposed construction activities in the Historic District.
Our Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan and its companion Harbor Management Plan similarly researched and cataloged the marine history and resources of the Village. The entire Village is contained within the Plan and actions proposed, whether private or public, are to be reviewed to assure that the result will be consistent with the Plan’s Policies and Objectives. The Harbor Committee is tasked with performing this review and to make recommendations to the other Village Boards, including the Board of Trustees.
Sag Harbor Boards should be confidant that they work with the support of local, state and federal law. The task of application is in the hands of our elected officials and appointed boards, which will find that they have all the law and guidelines they need to make responsible decisions. The education and training of board members and their advisors, today and in the future, is the key to our success.
As members of the community we all, residents and those whose livelihood is derived from real estate related activity, have a responsibility to educate ourselves and potential newcomers as to what we value and hold important for our community. Knowing a building’s context and place in the history of the Village and guiding potential actions accordingly will benefit the individual owner and the community as a whole.
Sincerely,
Sag Harbor Historical Society

We will continue to post our series "As We See It" here, between other posts.

SHHS Trustees Take a Stand on Preservation and Tear Downs

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

The SHHS Trustees are working on several fronts to expand our preservation in advocacy in a way that will be more than just another loud angry voice, trying to focus on education and partnership building.

Our Board's recent Letter to the Editor of the Sag Harbor Express is printed below. Quotes from our letter were also referenced in this recent article by Sag Harbor Express writer Dawn Watson, titled "Land Ho(ld)!"

Dear Mayor Sandra Schroeder, Village Board of Trustees, Mr. Thiele,
The Trustees of the Sag Harbor Historical Society wish to go on record in support of your efforts to change our existing zoning codes. Our mission statement requires the Historical Society to help foster respect for Sag Harbor’s exceptional heritage. We believe that a community has a right and even an obligation to protect the historic treasures which it has been fortunate enough to inherit. We are profoundly aware of the courage being demonstrated by the Mayor, all of our village Trustees, and the professionals who are working hard to come up with stronger laws in support of that goal. For the many, many people in this community who care about such things, the need to improve our ability to preserve old homes and the feel of Sag Harbor is quite obvious. For them, changes in the size and scale of Sag Harbor’s houses have been rapid, obvious, and, in some instances, wrong. This community also understands that when people have a financial interest in this jumbo sizing activity they will organize in support of their own interests. This is why we believe it is important for us, an organized group of community residents, with a long term commitment to Sag Harbor, should publicly applaud the Board’s efforts.
We recognize that there are inevitable challenges to the preservation of this village, and in the present circumstance those challenges are greater than they’ve ever been before. Money is being spent on paid advertisements and law suits which might erode the fighting instincts of some elected officials. However, we believe that under very trying circumstances, you are demonstrating in a most convincing way that Old Sag Harbor is not yet ready to give up the ghost. We urge you to continue your efforts with full knowledge that you have the support and gratitude of the Sag Harbor Historical Society.
Respectfully,
The Trustees of the Sag Harbor Historical Society
Jack Youngs, Diane Schiavoni, Muriel Falborn, Deanna Lattanzio, Jean Held, Barbara Schwartz, Deborah Anderson, Neil Slevin, Ryan Horn, John Borjoren, Nancy Achenbach, Pierce Hance, Joseph Zaykowski, Martha Siegler, David Bray, Andrea Meyer, Christine Roth

SHHS Trustees, and our new part-time office manager, have helped several homeowners research the historic character of their house to help them find the most appropriate ways to add to, preserve and restore their home and property.

Gail Gallagher's posts on Annie Cooper Boyd

Saturday, April 4, 2015

From time to time, SHHS gets a visitor at the Annie Cooper Boyd House who shares Annie's passion for creating images. During the end of the last Board of Trustees meeting, the wonderful Gail Gallagher stopped in to explore the Annie Cooper Boyd House. Gail is a painter who maintains a blog, and she produced a beautiful series of blog posts with gorgeous images of what saw at the house.

Her initial post describes how some of the books sold through our website and at SHHS's Annie Cooper Boyd House got her interested in Annie Cooper Boyd as a fellow artist:

"I recently read the wonderful book, Anchor to Windward, The Paintings and Diaries of Annie Cooper Boyd. The book's editor, Carolyn Oldenbusch, offers a glimpse into the life of one of Sag Harbor's early artists by combining quotes from Annie's diaries with sketches and watercolors. There are also some precious early photographs. The book is an introduction to a woman that I immediately wanted to know more about."

- Gail Gallagher, Painting the Hamptons "Annie Cooper Boyd"

Here's a few teasers from her initial visit, where she focused on many of Annie's decorative details:

Gail has since returned to SHHS,to see the bathroom mural Annie Cooper Boyd painted in her bathroom, and she has written a well-researched post about Annie's influences as an artist.

Her artist's perspective shows in both of these post.

Gail's own artwork is inspired by the landscapes she encounters in the Hamptons, and she immediately recognized this same influence on Annie Cooper Boyd. Readers will quickly see the connections between Annie's images and present-day painters like Gail through Gail's insightful words. It is easy to see the connections to many of Annie's waterfront local scenes with fluffy clouds when looking at Gail and Hugh Gallagher's paintings.

Check out her posts on Annie's influences as an artist to learn about who--besides William Merritt Chase--helped Annie develop her skills as an artist!

http://paintingthehamptons.blogspot.com/2015/04/annie-cooper-boyd-artistic-influences.html

Gail also wrote about Annie's life in the 1880s as a young woman in New York City. Check out all of her Annie Cooper Boyd posts here:

http://paintingthehamptons.blogspot.com/search/label/Annie%20Cooper%20Boyd

Hotels in the Railroad Era

Monday, August 18, 2014

Perhaps the most famous hotel in Sag Harbor is the American Hotel, with a prominent Main Street location. Addison Youngs and his father-in-law Captain William Freeman opened the American Hotel in 1877, as on the first hotels on Long Island to offer the conveniences of electric lights, steam heating, and indoor plumbing. Previously, the building existed as a commercial space for furniture-maker Nathan Tinker, on the site where James Howell operated an Inn in the pre-revolutionary period. The structure that currently stands is not pre-revolutionary, and it reflects construction after the 1845 fire. It reflects the c. 1880 expansions and additions of Addison Youngs. These expansions included the iconic front porch, which is now a popular dining area.

Also near the American Hotel was the Mansion House, located in the present-day municipal building. Built in 1846, in the glory days of the whaling industry, the Mansion House also provided a free carriage service to the steamboats. The Mansion House hotel included several shops. One of the shops was the pharmacy operated by local anthropologist-historian-pharmacist-photographer William Wallace Tooker.

Near the present-day Corner Bar, the Oakley family built an expansion of their Nassau Hotel. However, the Nassau Hotel caught fire in 1854, and by 1859 the Oakley family had to auction the hotel. The new owner continued to operate a hotel under the name Nassau House on the site. Other fires and remodeling influenced the ownership and façade of the hotel. By 1894, Nassau House was remodeled into the four-story building with modern utilities remembered as the Hotel Bayview.

Several boardinghouses operated in the village during the 19^th century, including a few that catered to specific summer clientele, like the Lobstein House, the Lily Pond House, the Lundhurst Hotel, and the East End Hotel, and the Bijou Hotel. From 1891 until 1970, the preferred summer accommodations for the wealthy and celebrities was actually on Brickkiln Road outside the village. This hotel was called the Sea View Hotel (later Hill Top Acres) operated on Brickkiln Road.

For the less famous, Hedges House opened in 1817, across from the Nassau Hotel, catering to sailors during the heyday of the whaling industry. Betsy Josie also operated a boarding house on Meadow Street, in the path of the railroad. Her fight with the Long Island Railroad is featured in SHHS’s current exhibit on the Long Island Railroad in Sag Harbor.

The Fordham Family's Revolutionary War

Saturday, July 5, 2014

While the Fourth of July has many special traditions in Sag Harbor, the village sent several men to fight for independence. Last year, SHHS provided a brief history of the Battle of Sag Harbor. Continuing on the theme of recognizing our Revolutionary War history for the 4th of July, this year the focus will be on the Revolutionary War service of the Fordham family.

23 of Sag Harbor's verterans are known to be buried in the Sag Harbor Old Burying Ground. Of those veterans, almost a quarter were the sons, grandsons, or sons-in-laws of Nathan Fordham of Bridgehampton.

Nathan Fordham of Bridgehampton died in 1774. His sons, Daniel, "Esquire" Nathan, and Ephraim Fordham all fought for the Patriot cause. His son-in-law Braddock Corey also fought with the Americans.

"Esquire" Nathan Fordham, known for his title as a lawyer (probably to distinguish him from all the other men of the same name in the family) was a member of Sag Harbor's Committee, a group of local supporters of the Provincial Congress, and an early leader in the Patriot political movement. "Squire" Nathan Fordham served in Josiah Smith's militia regiment, and fled to Connecticut when Long Island fell to the British. "Esquire"'s son John Fordham also served in the militia and is recorded among the refugees in Connecticut.

Brother Ephraim Fordham appears to have captained a ship, probably a privateer, during the war. He helped move his family and his brothers' families to Connecticut. He signed the Articles of Association, an open political declaration of support for the American cause.

Daniel Fordham joined Colonel Mulford's militia men. During the war, Daniel Fordham, like many other Long Island volunteers, was able to get leave to transport families between British-occupied Sag Harbor and American-controlled Connecticut. Daniel's wife Phebe Jessup Fordham and her daughters and younger sons to eventually travel to Connecticut for safety, staying first in Saybrook and later in Middletown. That move was probably quite a challenge, considering it involved rowboats and small children. Phebe had 10 children, her youngest children were born in 1771, 1774, and 1779 respectively. The youngest son was born during the Fordhams' time as refugees in Connecticut.

Phebe and Daniel Fordham's older sons, Nathan and Frederick Fordham, served under Colonel Henry B. Livingston's 4th New York Regiment of the Continental Line. The Fordham brothers were involved in defending New York during the Battle of Long Island. Both brothers were captured and imprisoned in the Wallabout Bay Prison Ships where they survived for an astonishingly long period of approximately 6 years (an average life expectancy of 3-6 months on the prison ships makes this hard to believe). During Nathan and Frederick's imprisonment, Daniel secured permission to travel to Sag Harbor and repair his son Nathan's home after it was attacked by plunderers.

Frederick Fordham died at age 17 from mistreatment during his imprisonment, after surviving several months on the Wallabout Bay prison ships in Brooklyn. Fordham's imprisonment experiences were probably comparable to Captain Thomas Dring and Joseph Plumb Martin's and others who recorded their life on the HMS Jersey. Frederick was released from Wallabout Bay as he neared death in 1782, and he was able to make it back to Sag Harbor before he died. His uncle, Captain Ephraim Fordham, appears to have returned to Sag Harbor around the time of Frederick's burial.

Daniel's son Nathan became a refugee in Connecticut following his release from the prison ships, like the rest of the family. Nathan seems to have stayed in East Haddam, CT, like some of Daniel's brothers. Nathan would later become one of the ship captains of Sag Harbor, and he and his wife Mary Howell Fordham would name two sons after Frederick, although neither of those boys lived until adulthood.

Sites associated with the Fordham family in Sag Harbor include the the American Hotel, which was the site of Daniel Fordham's inn. The Long Wharf also has strong associations with the Fordham Family. The first Long Wharf was built in 1761 by a Nathan Fordham (probably "Esquire" Fordham) and James Foster. In 1771, Daniel Fordham became a shareowner in the original Long Wharf. A later descendant, John Fordham, operated a blacksmith shop known locally for eel spears and clam rakes. Somehwere near where the Watchcase Factory condos are currently being built, Ephraim Fordham and another Fordham family member owned homes in the late 18th Century. Ephraim's home was closest to where Sage Street hits Madison Street, and the property probably extended to Church Street.

Daniel Fordham's home was probably near the present-day American Hotel, and other Fordham family members owned businesses along West Water Street, one of them is probably near where the Post Office is today. Braddock Corey lived somewhere on Union Street, probably between the Old Whalers' Church and Main Street.

Policy for Group Tours

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Over the course of the last year, SHHS's archival consultant Jackie Marks and several Trustees, including the many-talented Dorothy Zaykowski, Barbara Schwartz, and Jean Held, have worked to develop policies to help us deal with different requests from the public.

The Annie Cooper Boyd House sees a steady volume of visitors throughout the year, including tour groups. We also receive a large number of research requests. We try to handle all requests as fairly as possible, and to respond to the specific needs we encounter.

In recent years, we have dealt with more complicated situations, such as publication requests, or special requests for tours requiring our volunteers to be in multiple places throughout the village. This has prompted us to establish more formal written policies.

The first set of guidelines we are releasing is our policy for group tours, which are designed for large parties to see sites throughout the village.

Policy for Guided Group Walking Tours Of the Village of Sag Harbor

Contact: Sag Harbor Historical Society Office 631-725-5092

Each tour lasts approximately two hours and includes the following historic sites:

• The Annie Cooper Boyd House, home of the Sag Harbor Historical Society & Museum (c.1796)

• The Custom House (1791)

• Hannibal French House (built 1875)

• The Old Whaler’s Church (built 1843-1844)

• The Fire Museum (built 1833; became home of Montauk Hose Co., and Gazelle Hose Company beginning in 1896)

• Sag Harbor Jail Museum (1916)

Reservations to be made in advance by calling 631-725-5092, via email, or in person at our headquarters in the Annie Cooper Boyd House located at 174 Main Street in the Village of Sag Harbor.

Small and Large Groups Welcome.

At the discretion of the tour guide groups of more than twenty visitors may be separated into smaller groups to ensure the fullest enjoyment and benefit of all.

Fee to be paid in full before or on the day of the tour. Please make checks out to: Sag Harbor Historical Society. Receipt for payment upon request.

Groups of twenty people or less: $100.00

For each additional visitor a fee of $5.00 will be charged.

Preserving Local History: Southampton Petition and SHHS

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Preservation--and what that term truly means--has been an ongoing issue in the Village of Sag Harbor lately. Zoning and Architectural Review Boards held hearings on several controversial projects in the Village over the last few years, and there are continually more proposals for remodeling, renovating, and even entirely rebuilding properties throughout Sag Harbor.

Similar issues are facing surrounding villages, and the two towns that make up Sag Harbor. We hope you will take some time to read Sally Spanburgh's Change.org petition on 436 Gin Lane in Southampton. This very historic property is up for demolition. Sally Spanburgh has worked with SHHS to try to develop some programming about how to research historic homes--a key task for many who are updating and renovating their historic homes.

Sag Harbor is unique with some of the village's preservation restrictions, because the entire Historic District was nominated for a protective designation, as this blog has previously discussed. However, that designation doesn't apply to houses outside the Historic District, and areas along much of the waterfront.

SHHS Trustee meetings have spent many hours over the last few years debating our role in local preservation movements, and how SHHS can work to support preservation without duplicating the work of other organizations. SHHS Trustees recognize that historic homeowners need to be able to safely maintain and care for their homes and businesses. The Trustees also believe it is deeply important to document and preserve Sag Harbor's historic character. Of course, one of the most beautiful and challenging aspects of Sag Harbor living are the number of different approaches to tackle the same problem...

Preservation is the least restrictive and least disruptive set of standards for historic structures. It does not require rebuilding to a specific period, like a restoration standard. This broad umbrella term remains an increasingly pressing issue in Sag Harbor for multiple reasons, and this blog will continue to have commentary on some of the competing interests that require thoughtful attention from people who care about the historic character of the Village of Sag Harbor.

We hope our members will continue to reach out to us about their thoughts and concerns with local projects and preservation issues, to help our Trustees.

Trees, Thanks, and Looking Forward!

Sunday, August 4, 2013

The SHHS Trustees all breathed a giant collective sigh of appreciation and gratitude when Patricia Piotrowski of Bartlett Tree Experts offered to donate her services, not only for the care of some invasive bugs eating our boxwoods, but to take down a giant tree that had grown a little too close to the Annie Cooper Boyd House.

Taking down this tree was the right decision for a variety of reasons. Obviously foremost was the safety for our historic building with the recent extreme weather trends. The health of the tree according to Bartlett Tree Experts (and other arborists we asked for a second opinion), and the way the tree was growing also influenced SHHS's decision to consider removing the tree.

Additionally, the SHHS Trustees are working towards rebuilding the falling down shed in the yard of the Annie Cooper Boyd House, with hopes of using the space for some of our school groups and lecture sessions. This project dovetailed nicely with the consult from the arborists we spoke with about our buggy boxwood problem.

Patricia Piotrowski's offer from Bartlett was no small gesture. This came at a time when SHHS has struggled to meet our routine expenses, and we were facing repairs that needed to happen to keep our building safe.

SHHS Trustee and photographer Jean Held documented the efforts of the Barlett crew removing our tree. Because of Bartlett's donation of continued tree maintenance for our property, the SHHS Trustees are relieved to be able to approach the start of hurricane season thinking about historical matters, upcoming exhibits, and grant writing!

Dramatic pictures from our tree removal, showing just how close the tree was to the house are visible here:

Next time you're at the Annie Cooper Boyd House, take a look out the dining room windows! You'll be able to see the changes from Bartlett's wonderful work. We hope you'll be with us this Friday August 9th for the next Fridays on the Porch!

And stay tuned for progress on the William Cooper Boat Shed Project! We hope one day soon we'll be hosting an event in that space!

4th of July: Sag Harbor Revolutionary War Sites

Thursday, July 4, 2013

On another note, for the Fourth of July, SHHS would like to remind everyone of our Revolutionary War Battle related sites. If you're looking for a way to add some history to your holiday, stop at Foster Memorial Long Beach, where the American militia under Lt. Col. Return Jonathan Meigs landed when they crossed Long Island Sound from Connecticut to raid British outposts in Sag Harbor.

The American forces rowed across Long Island Sound in a dinky little boat called a "whaleboat," much like what's visible in the front yard of the Whaling Museum. After leaving the boats at Foster Memorial Long Beach (which SHHS recently offered an exhibit about), the Americans came into Sag Harbor and seized and destroyed goods at the Long Wharf and what is now the American Hotel on Main Street. At the American Hotel, then a hotel owned by the Howell Family, the troops seized some British affiliated soldiers, and continued to what is now known as the Old Burying Ground, the cemetery next to the Old Whalers' Church on the corner of Union and Madison Streets.

British soliders built a fort in the cemetery that had been used for burials since at least 1767. This was a common practice during the British occupation of Long Island, designed to break the spirit of the rebellious colonists. The British fort in today's Old Burying Ground was located at the top of a hill in the center of the cemetery. The cemetery still has a noticeable incline in the center, along with an indentation in the middle of the hill, reflecting the British soldiers' fortifications.

No Americans died during this highly successful raid, which has been largely forgotten, but it came during a period of stalemate, making it a significant morale booster.

The Old Burying Ground is also a significant Revolutionary War site since it is the final resting place of several Revolutionary War veterans, along with their families. The Burying Ground signs out front, and inside the hedges note several veterans.