Government Briefs 11.30.17

Southampton Town

Board will consider the Hills proposal

A Southampton Town Board meeting will be held at Town Hall on Tuesday afternoon. The board will consider the zone change application for the Hills at Southampton, a proposed mixed-used planned development district in East Quogue, and a local law to change the zoning district there for the Hills. The meeting begins at 1 p.m.  

New York State

Boathouse on the Register

The William A. Farnum Boathouse in Sag Harbor has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. announced on Nov. 20. The property had been added to the New York State Register of Historic Places in October. State and National Register listings can assist property owners in revitalizing buildings, making them eligible for various public preservation programs and services such as matching state grants and state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits. 

Built circa 1915, the William A. Farnum Boathouse is named for an early-20th-century stage and film actor who had roles in more than 20 films from 1930 to his death in 1953. The boathouse featured a lower level for boat storage and an upstairs lounge and trophy room where Mr. Farnum hosted summer and Christmas parties. 

The Ellis Squires House in Hampton Bays has also been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Federal-style structure is historically significant for its architectural design representing its post-Revolutionary construction period. The two-story house with a gabled roof was built circa 1790 and has a wealth of interior fabric dating from its late-18th-century construction period. Located at 186 Newtown Lane, it is the oldest surviving dwelling in Hampton Bays and is named for its first owner and builder. 

It is believed that Ellis Squires Jr. and his wife, Jerusha Rogers, built the house, providing for a family that grew to seven children. Ellis and Jerusha Squires also established a network of descendants and a community that became known as Squiretown in the 19th century.