Historic Home In Bridgehampton May Find New Owners

The owner of a historic Bridgehampton home who applied to have it demolished is considering several offers to have it relocated and preserved instead.

“We have at least four interested parties that have come forward,” the owner’s attorney, David Kirst, told the Southampton Town Landmarks and Historic Districts Board on Tuesday, February 17. The board has been reviewing the application to demolish the house. “We are very open to that, and we’ll provide a reasonable time frame” for the home to be properly moved, Mr. Kirst told the board.

Located at 195 Quimby Lane, the house was built by Benjamin Glover for Benjamin Franklin Howell, who lived from 1801 to 1855. The current owner is architect Francois de Menil, whose sister Adelaide de Menil and her husband, Edmund Carpenter, donated a cluster of historic buildings that were used as part of the current East Hampton Town Hall.

Among the parties interested in relocating the home are Peter and Lisa Zippelius, who went a step further and submitted a “non-binding” letter of intent to Southampton Town dated February 17 to move the house from its current location about 2 miles north to 40 Hildreth Avenue in Bridgehampton. “The location on Hildreth Avenue is actually not too far from where the house was originally located and moved from in 1982,” they stated in the letter.

In fact, it was in 1983 when Wallace and Elise Quimby purchased the Howell home and had it moved to its spot on Quimby Lane. Like the Howells, the Quimbys are another family with historic roots in the hamlet, theirs dating back to the 19th century.

“We are always sad to see historic homes in our town get demolished; however, we were never in a position to relocate one until now,” the Zippeliuses wrote. They added later, “The house is full of character, much of it dating back to 1840, and we would love the opportunity to acquire and preserve the home.” They reportedly have been receiving estimates for the home’s relocation and restoration and expect to have “more clarity around the details and timing within the next few weeks.”

The two-story Howell house has three bedrooms and three baths, with a side gabled roof, double-hung windows and a central entry. Covered in cedar shingles with corner boards, it has one- and two-story rear extensions. The residence also has symmetrical internal side chimneys, a style of construction that dates to around 1800.

At last week’s meeting, the Landmarks and Historic Districts Board unanimously agreed to reject the application to demolish. The board’s role is strictly advisory and non-binding, intended to educate homeowners about their property’s historical significance and to make recommendations.

Although it’s hard to predict what will come from the interest in preserving the home, the number of people who have come forward is “very encouraging,” said the board’s chairperson, Sally Spanburgh, after the meeting. She called Mr. de Menil’s change of heart “a breath of fresh air” and said, “The attorney and owner have been very accommodating.”