By Georgia de Havenon, Historic Preservation Committee Chair
On a balmy Saturday afternoon in early September, the Village Preservation Society hosted its Annual Meeting and Historic Preservation Award Ceremony at the Tennis House on Maidstone Ln. While the Society is involved with numerous projects that relate to the well-being of the Village and its inhabitants, the Annual Meeting now showcases our Historic Preservation Award Winners. This was the fifth annual Historic Preservation Award ceremony and we were eager to hear the renowned preservationist Frank E. Sanchis speak about “East Hampton Village and the Importance of Historic District Designation”.
The meeting began with recognition of the past award winners, both in the private and public sectors. Present were several of the owners who had received awards for their homes in the private sector. Also in attendance were officials from both the Town, Supervisor Peter von Soyoc and Deputy Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, and the Village, Mayor Jerry Larsen for the public sector.
Frank Sanchis, presently Chair of the Preservation League of New York State, has over 50 years of experience in the preservation field. His talk focused on East Hampton’s special sense of place. He remarked that the Village’s visual character is made up of attributes such as: its age, it is one of the oldest communities in the United States founded in 1648; its building stock, some of which dates to the early 18th century; its open spaces, including the village green and broad main street (originally for the passage of livestock); its range of building types, and the consistency of their materials.
How to preserve these characteristics was his next focus; he reminded the audience that the power to protect these unique characteristics lies with the local municipal government which has the authority to control privately funded alterations to protected buildings and districts. He complimented the Village of East Hampton for having a Design Review Manual for the Main Street Historic District (written by Robert Hefner and adopted in 1986, revised in 2020) and for preserving specific buildings such as Home Sweet Home in the 1920s and the Dominy House this year.
He reminded us that Historic Districts are not static and thoughtful regulation is required to maintain that particular sense of place. That maintenance includes authenticity in new construction (not to be confused with constructing a replica), maintaining scale and materials and avoiding creep – unregulated change that occurs bit by bit. Most importantly, it is essential to maintain scale and material, as mentioned in the guidelines, the statutes of which are regulated by the Village.
Another way in which he feels sense of place can be perpetuated is by the development of preservation trades, perhaps beginning with instructing students in the local high school. Mr. Sanchis ended by suggesting that it is important to keep re-evaluating boundaries throughout the village and to consider additional historic districts and individual building designations. He reminded us that future stewardship lies in the hands of the next generation and we must begin to involve new preservationists.
Following Frank Sanchis’ stimulating talk, the Historic Preservation Awards were presented. In the public sector, the unique ensemble of buildings that are the Dominy House and Workshops (1773-98) were honored. This project was a triumph of restoration undertaken by the Village of East Hampton and presided over by Robert Hefner.
Reconstructed in its original location using historic timber frame construction methods, the house is an exhibit of fine craftsmanship in itself. Nathaniel Dominy IV (1737–1812), Nathaniel Dominy V (1770–1852), and Felix Dominy (1800–1869) fashioned clocks, furniture, and other decorative items in the workshops adjoining the home. Having the workshops reunited with their home gives a sense of how the Dominy family lived their lives and turned out countless expertly crafted objects. The restoration was made possible through the support of the Village of East Hampton, and a number of generous donors, including Dudley Roberts who donated the two workshops. The Dominy House and Workshops are now being administered by the Historical Society of East Hampton, and the interior has been restored to museum standards with exhibitions planned for in the future. The Dominy House was designated an Historic Landmark by the Village of East Hampton Board in 2013.
Accepting the Award were Robert Hefner, who supervised the restoration, Hilary Osborn Malecki, Chair of the East Hampton Historical Society, Steven Long, Executive Director of the East Hampton Historical Society, and Jerry Larsen, East Hampton Village Mayor.
Two awards were presented for private projects. The Abraham Baker House, 1745, located at 9 Cross Highway, is often thought of as the Clubhouse of the East Hampton Riding Academy, into which it was transformed in 1924. This was where Jacqueline Kennedy rode as a young girl. Among the founders of the Academy were her father, John Vernou Bouvier III and publishing magnate Robert Appelton. Later it was lived in by the – film star Frank Lovejoy. The Bakers were a large family and certain members lived on Gardiner’s Island where they worked for the owners. Abraham Baker’s son was named Gardiner Baker. The award for this early timber-frame building was accepted by the restored home’s current owner, Jacqueline Astier.
The Deacon David Huntting House at 102 Main Street, c. 1760, showcases a handsome proportioned pilastered front door surround, paneled double doors, and, in the interior, a remarkable curving staircase. The dormers, the front porch and the kitchen wing are early 20th century additions. Deacon David Huntting (1815-85) was a Trustee of the nearby Presbyterian Church, Chair of the Village Trustees and Village Clerk in 1870. The Huntting property extended from Main Street to Town Pond and Egypt Lane, this house stood near the road, but was moved to its present site in 1921. Adjacent David’s Lane was named for Deacon David Huntting and his nephew, David H. Huntting (1850-85) when it was established in 1923.
Now owned and restored by Frank Morgan and Brent Feigenbaum, who accepted the award, the home is one of the most stately buildings on Main Street.
These descriptions give evidence of the rich history of our Village, a history that we all should be protecting. As Frank Sanchis pointed out, East Hampton will change, but it is our duty to make sure that the sense of place of the Village is not destroyed.
Let us close with a reminder from the past applicable to the future discovered in the East Hampton Library, Long Island Collection. From Deacon David Huntting in an address delivered before the Sunday School of the First Presbyterian Church of the Town of East Hampton; on the fiftieth anniversary of its establishment, May 26th, 1874, as one of the scholars of the First School, he urged his listeners.