The Village of East Hampton has been at the forefront of historic preservations since it purchased the Hook Mill in 1922, restored it to its original condition, and opened it as a museum which is one of the most recognizable and photographed buildings in the country. Since then the Village has continued to restore and preserve East Hampton’s unique and beautiful historic buildings, greens, and properties - work that continues to this day.
Among the many places that residents can look to as part of their preserved heritage in addition to the iconic Hook Mill are: the Home Sweet Home Museum, the Gardiner Mill and House Lot, the Lyman Beecher House (Village Hall), and the Osborne-Jackson House. Most recently the Village used the Community Preservation Program to obtain a scenic easement on the Moran House and Studio and purchased and restored the Gardiner Mill Cottage. The Isaac Osborne House on the corner of Newtown Lane and Osborne Lane was purchased and restored to be used for additional office space, and the restoration of the Dominy home lot of North Main Street (in its original location), with the restored clock shop and woodworking shops attached to the recreated home, will be used as a museum when completed.
In addition to these wonderful properties, the Village has worked with residents to create four Historic Districts: Main Street, Hook, Huntting Lane, and Ocean Avenue. The Historic Preservation Ordinance protects buildings in those districts that are of historical significance from being razed or altered significantly and the Village Design Review Board works to oversee any changes that occur in those areas. In the Main Street Historic District alone, over half the homes were built before 1850. Also, the Timber Frame protection code is one of the most unique and important in the country, incentivizing owners of buildings that contain original timber frame construction to preserve these historic buildings for the future.
We are committed to the work of preserving and restoring our very important heritage as one of the earliest colonial settlements in the country. We hope to have your support as we continue this very important work in keeping East Hampton Village the special place it is today.
