Historic Houses: State Awards Grants

Third House in Montauk, the Ambrose Parsons House in Springs, home of the Springs Library, and a Sears Roebuck catalog house in Sag Harbor, the future home of the Eastville Community Historical Society, have been designated to receive funds from the state's Environmental Protection Fund, Governor George E. Pataki has announced.

Third House, part of Montauk County Park, will receive $82,500, which will bolster some $200,000 in county funds that were allocated for the historic house last fall. A county master plan for restoration and upgrading of the Third House complex was recently approved, which calls for roof work and restoration of the cabins as well as the upgrading of the entire complex to meet current health and fire codes. The county plans to begin the work immediately.

Roof Repairs

Parsons House in Springs is badly in need of roof repairs and will use its $20,000 grant to make them and to solve flooring and door problems as well. The house, whose original structure dates to the late 18th century, is listed on the National and State Historic Registers. It was rebuilt after fires in 1841 and 1851 and is considered a fine example of rural Greek Revival architecture.

In Sag Harbor, the Eastville Community Historical Society was granted $7,500 to restore one of the few Sears Roebuck catalog houses remaining in this area. The house was originally ordered from a catalog and assembled on-site at the corner of Route 114 and Liberty Street. It is in the Eastville section of the Sag Harbor Historic District.

Suffolk County, which gained ownership of the house a decade ago due to non-payment of taxes, donated the property to the Village of Sag Harbor. A long-term lease on the home for the Eastville Community Historical Society is expected to be finalized this week.

The house, which stood empty and unheated for 10 years, has fallen into disrepair. It has been estimated that it will cost approximately $90,000 for a complete restoration of the house, including a new roof, windows, and paint, although, said Kathy Tucker, a former Eastville Community Historical Society president who is spearheading the project, "we won't know just what it needs until the work starts."

The grant money, she said, would most likely be used to hire a project consultant and for a first phase that would include cleaning and stabilization to stop the deterioration.

The grant awarded fell far short of the $90,000 the society had applied for, so "I guess my life for the next few months will revolve around fund raising," Ms. Tucker said. The society hopes to receive community development funds from East Hampton Town as well as private donations, and it plans to use volunteer labor on the restoration where possible. Some professional painters had already volunteered their services, Ms. Tucker said.

Library Plans

The restored building will serve as the Historical Society's headquarters and as a repository for historical materials related to Eastville and surrounding communities. One room will house a library, Ms. Tucker said, where regional, biographical, and genealogical research can be conducted.

Materials collected yearly for Black History Month presentations on a variety of topics will be available too, including those for recent programs about the Amistad slave ship and the development of black communities. The society's collection of Eastville and Sag Harbor photographs will have a home there as well.

A total of $8.55 million has been awarded to 128 projects throughout the state from the fund, which has allocated more than $105 million in the 1996-97 state budget for all projects.

Administered by the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the fund awards grants on a 50-50 matching basis.