Montauk Historical Society

THE PURPOSE OF THE MONTAUK HISTORICAL SOCIETY IS TO COLLECT, RESTORE, PRESERVE AND DISPLAY HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT BUILDINGS, OBJECTS AND WRITINGS AND TO PRESERVE AND SHARE THE HISTORY AND CULTURES OF MONTAUK AND THE EAST END FOR THIS AND FUTURE GENERATIONS.

THE LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM: THE MONTAUK HISTORICAL SOCIETY OWNS AND MAINTAINS THE MONTAUK POINT LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM. THE MONTAUK POINT LIGHTHOUSE HAS LONG BEEN FAMED AS THE SYMBOL OF LONG ISLAND AND ONE OF AMERICA'S OLDEST LIGHTHOUSES. AUTHORIZED IN 1792 BY THE SECOND CONGRESS UNDER PRESIDENT GEORGE WASHINGTON, IT WAS BUILT BY NEW YORK ARCHITECT, JOHN MCCOMB, IN 1796. ON MARCH 5, 2012, THE MONTAUK POINT LIGHTHOUSE WAS DESIGNATED A NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK, JOINING THE RANKS OF ONLY 11 OTHER LIGHTHOUSES IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAVE BEEN SO HONORED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR BECAUSE OF THEIR EXCEPTIONAL VALUE IN ILLUSTRATING AND INTERPRETING THE HERITAGE OF OUR NATION. THE LIGHTHOUSE TOWER AND MUSEUM ARE OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND TOURS ARE AVAILABLE FOR SCHOOLS AND OTHER GROUPS. EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS ARE HELD THROUGHOUT THE YEAR ON THE LIGHTHOUSE GROUNDS. THE LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM, WHICH IS LOCATED IN THE 1860 KEEPERS' HOUSE, DISPLAYS AN ASSORTMENT OF HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS AND IS HOME TO SEVERAL UNIQUE COLLECTIONS. IN ADDITION TO THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS AND DWELLINGS, THE COLLECTION INCLUDES NAUTICAL INSTRUMENTS, SHIP MODELS, FURNITURE, AND WHALING INDUSTRY ARTIFACTS. THERE ARE EXHIBITS SHOWING THE HISTORY OF THE LIGHTHOUSE AND THE EROSION CONTROL EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED OVER THE YEARS. THE LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM'S COLLECTION FEATURES TWO EXCLUSIVE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS. ONE OF THESE IS THE CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORIZATION TO CONSTRUCT A LIGHTHOUSE AT MONTAUK POINT AND IS SIGNED BY THEN SECRETARY OF STATE, THOMAS JEFFERSON. THE OTHER IS THE FEDERAL AUTHORIZATION TO PURCHASE THE LAND AT MONTAUK POINT FOR THE PURPOSE OF BUILDING A LIGHTHOUSE. THAT DOCUMENT IS SIGNED BY THEN PRESIDENT GEORGE WASHINGTON. THE SECOND HOUSE MUSEUM: SECOND HOUSE, BUILT IN 1746 AND REBUILT IN 1797, WAS ORIGINALLY A DWELLING FOR A LIVESTOCK KEEPER AND HIS FAMILY. IT WAS ONE OF ONLY THREE HOUSES THAT EXISTED IN MONTAUK IN THE LATE 18TH AND EARLY 19TH CENTURIES. THE OLDEST AND MOST HISTORIC DWELLING STILL STANDING IN MONTAUK, IT REMAINS THE SUBJECT OF A METICULOUS RESTORATION BY THE TOWN OF EAST HAMPTON, WHICH HAS FINISHED ALL EXTERIOR WORK AND IS TURNING TO THE INTERIOR. AS WE AWAIT COMPLETION OF THE BUILDING, WE CONTINUE TO PLAN OUR NEW MUSEUM. THE MONTAUK INDIAN MUSEUM: THE MONTAUK INDIAN MUSEUM IS DEDICATED TO THE PRESERVATION OF THE PRE CONTACT HISTORY OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF MONTAUK. IT IS HOME TO FOUR MURALS DEPICTING LIFE IN MONTAUK IN DIFFERENT ERAS BEFORE EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT, ALONG WITH AN EXTENSIVE COLLECTION OF POINTS AND TOOLS. THE MONTAUK OCEANS INSTITUTE: THE MONTAUK OCEANS INSTITUTE IS A MUSEUM ON THE LIGHTHOUSE GROUNDS WHOSE AIM IS TO HEIGHTEN AWARENESS OF THE HEALTH OF OUR OCEANS THROUGH TEMPORARY EXHIBITS, LECTURES, AND EVENTS. THE OCEANS INSTITUTE HAS RECEIVED A PLEDGE OF 120,000 FROM A PRIVATE ENTITY TO ALLOW US TO COMMISSION AN INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL AQUARIUM POPULATED BY 18 SPECIES OF LOCAL UNDERSEA LIFE. THE CARL FISHER HOUSE AND ANNEX: THE CARL FISHER HOUSE AND ANNEX, A HISTORIC PROPERTY BUILT BY DEVELOPER CARL FISHER IN THE MID-1920'S, WAS PURCHASED IN DECEMBER 2021 BY THE TOWN OF EAST HAMPTON WITH COMMUNITY PRESERVATION FUNDS FOR THE PURPOSE OF HAVING IT PRESERVED AND TURNED INTO A MUSEUM AND HISTORY CENTER. THE MONTAUK HISTORICAL SOCIETY SIGNED A LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR THAT PURPOSE WITH THE TOWN IN 2022. THE HOUSE, WHICH AWAITS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS BY THE TOWN, IS CURRENTLY BEING USED AS A MONTAUK HISTORICAL SOCIETY HEADQUARTERS AND ALSO AS A VENUE FOR EXHIBITS AND LECTURES ABOUT LOCAL HISTORY.