Real Estate

Real Estate: Recording Flanders history, in homes

The former Flanders schoolhouse on Flanders Road now (above) and in a circa 1910 photograph. The first school building burned in 1869 and was rebuilt around 1888. It served as a school until 1959; it is now a private residence. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch & Suffolk County Historical Society)
The former Flanders schoolhouse on Flanders Road now (above) and in a circa 1910 photograph. The first school building burned in 1869 and was rebuilt around 1888. It served as a school until 1959; it is now a private residence. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch & Suffolk County Historical Society)

Others buildings mentioned in the report were deteriorating but have been rebuilt or restored, such as the two barn buildings on the Big Duck Ranch. Just last week, the town accepted a $10,000 donation from Martin Maurer, whose family originally owned the Big Duck, to aid in the restoration of a Victorian barn on the property.

Unlike a Historic District designation, the Hamlet Heritage Area Report focuses more on celebrating old buildings than on preservation, according to Sally Spanburgh, chair of the Southampton Town Landmarks Board.

“That’s a very important distinction,” Ms. Spanburgh said at the June 19 Town Board work session, where the report was discussed. “These are heritage areas. They are honorary recognitions of the special character and history of a particular hamlet. They’re distinctly different from a historic district, which requires owner consent and is layered with restrictions and preservation tools. These are much more celebratory about a hamlet’s historic and character and pride of place, and are really great tools for the community.”

The town landmarks board has done similar heritage area reports for several other hamlets in Southampton Town, and hopes to do one for each of the town’s 15 hamlets, Ms. Spanburgh said.

The heritage areas also don’t have the same stringent criteria for inclusion as a historic district or even the townwide survey of historic resources that’s currently underway, Ms. Spanburgh said.

“In order to be included in a heritage area report, we’re not too picky,” she said. “It can’t be falling down, but it doesn’t have to rise to a certain level of integrity [that a National Register of Historic Places property does]. It could be covered in vinyl, it could have several additions, but if it is still representative of a particular narrative associated with that site, then it’s generally included if it’s still recognizable as its original self.”

The report was created with input from community members and civic organizations and will eventually be published on the Landmarks Board’s page on the town web site.

“I work at the Big Duck and I can tell you that many, many people come in who grew up in the area and lived in these old homes, and they are very interested in this information,” said Janice Young of Flanders, another a member of the Landmarks Board who worked on the report. “I found myself referring to it when it was even in draft form. I think it’s going to be a very useful tool.”

The Flanders report took six years to complete, Ms. Spanburgh said.

“They are very substantial documents, but they are terrifically appreciated by the residents that live in these areas and they help build pride of place. If somebody new moves into the community and wants to learn a little more about that particular hamlet, they can refer to these resources,” she said.

Gary Cobb of East Hampton, a former Landmarks Board member and a former president of the Flanders Village Historical Society, said that while the goal of heritage area reports is to identify historic structures and resources in a community, he wonders how successful they’ve been.

“These reports often sit on a shelf at Town Hall and nobody reads them,” Mr. Cobb said. “I’d like to see them be made more accessible — maybe have them for sale at the Chamber of Commerce or at the Big Duck.”

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The 'Blue Barn' on Flanders Road was once the carriage house for Havens House, a popular summer hotel owned by Chauncey and Mary Alice Havens. The hotel was destroyed by fire in 1924. Fred C. Havens, above, known as Ted, in front of the building in an undated photo. (Credit: Babaraellen Koch & Mark Hansen courtesy)
The ‘Blue Barn’ on Flanders Road was once the carriage house for Havens House, a popular summer hotel owned by Chauncey and Mary Alice Havens. The hotel was destroyed by fire in 1924. Fred C. Havens, above, known as Ted, in front of the building in an undated photo. (Credit: Babaraellen Koch & Mark Hansen courtesy)