Housed in an 18th century Sag Harbor home, the museum puts on yearly summer historic exhibits, holds lectures, and is open on the weekends for public tour. In the rear of the property is the Museum’s interpretation of William Cooper’s whale boat shop, containing an excellent small exhibit of boat building tools and video’s about Sag Harbor’s famous whaling industry.
Contact us to visit the museum & boat building exhibit during the off season, view the archives, or speak with a knowledgeable member of the Sag Harbor Historical Museum.
Historical Archives
As part of it’s mission to represent the history of Sag Harbor to the public, the Sag Harbor Historical Museum holds archives of historical documents, books, photography, art, and period clothing. The various collections date from the mid 1700’s to current day. All archives are located in the museum and are accessible with the supervision of a Trustee. The Museum will do a research of local homes (the history, locating the building on an old map, identification of previous owners, etc.) as best they can for a fee of $200. A simple map location of local homes is free. See detailed specifics of the archival collections below:
- A library of over 300 historic books, maps, diaries, and bibles
- Historic documents, including about 100 family histories, 100 house histories, various church histories, deeds, and ledgers
- Around 1,000 pieces of correspondence, most either to or from Nancy Willey
- Over 30 oral histories, documented in either audio or video
- Ten boxes of authentic period clothing
- A large photograph collection, both physical and digital, of local Sag Harbor landmarks
- Over 600 works of art done by Annie Cooper Boyd, including framed paintings, pen and ink sketches, greetings cards, postcards, and calling cards
Support Us Through Membership
Help preserve and celebrate the rich history of Sag Harbor!
Annual Membership Costs:
- Senior $25
- Individual $35
- Senior Family $50
- Family $70
- Sustaining $100
- Sponsor $250
- Patron $500
- Donor $1,000
- Benefactor $2,500
- President's Circle $5,000
History of Annie Cooper Boyd
Annie Cooper Boyd was a local artist, diarist, and important primary source for understanding the history of Sag Harbor. Born in 1864, she grew up next door to the Historical Museum’s headquarters on Main Street. As a teenager, and through adulthood, Annie documented the architecture and natural beauty of the East End through her drawings, paintings, and diary. She even painted several doors in the museum with iconic local landmarks. Through her art and writings, visitors are able to envision what the village and environs looked like in the late 1800's. Annie also has a connection to Sag Harbor’s famous whaling industry, as the daughter of William Cooper, a shareholder in a number of whaling ships and local whale boat builder.
The Annie Cooper Boyd House was left to the Historical Museum for use as its museum and headquarters in the will of Annie’s daughter, Nancy Willey. Following in her mothers' footsteps, Nancy contributed to the maintenance of the historical character of Sag Harbor through a lifetime of activism, research, and preservation.
