The Village of Southampton and the Southampton History Museum are pleased to announce a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of restoration work at the historic village-owned Rogers Mansion, headquarters of the Museum since 1943. The groundbreaking will take place on March 6th, 2025, at 2pm and the public is welcome to join Southampton Village Mayor William Manger, 1st New York State Assembly Member Tommy John Schiavoni, Executive Director Sarah Kautz and other local officials. These repairs support the long-term preservation of one of Southampton’s most beloved landmarks so that the community may continue to benefit from the Museum’s exemplary programs and exhibitions that celebrate local history at Rogers Mansion for generations to come.
The $1.2 million exterior restoration plan was developed by architect Ben Chaleff of Chaleff & Rogers Architects, P.C., and will be executed by Lipsky Construction, general contractor. The project is funded by $700,000 from Southampton Village and a matching grant of $500,000 from New York State’s Environmental Protection Fund Grant Program for Parks, Preservation and Heritage. The work is approved by the New York State Historic Preservation Office and will follow the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for the Treatment of Historic Properties to repair windows, roofing, cladding, gutters, and the deteriorated front porch. The exterior of Rogers Mansion should be restored to its full glory in time for the opening of the Southampton History Museum’s special exhibition commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.
“It is of paramount importance to preserve Southampton’s rich history and the Rogers Mansion is at the very heart of that history,” said Southampton Village Mayor William Manger. “This restoration was long overdue; it is critical to the health of the property, and most importantly, ensures that current and future generations will be able to access the past. We are grateful to New York State for their support in this endeavor.”
Rogers Mansion represents nearly four centuries of local history. The land upon which the mansion sits was allotted to William Rogers (ca. 1606–1667), an early English settler, in 1648. The impressive Greek Revival-style mansion which now occupies the site was built circa 1843 for Captain Albert Rogers (1807–1854), a direct descendant of William Rogers. Further expansions were completed by later owners, including Dr. John Nugent (1858–1944) and Samuel L. Parrish (1849–1932). Parrish hired renowned architect Grosvenor Atterbury (1869–1956) to redesign the property, a project that involved moving the house back 100 feet from Main Street to its present location in 1926. The house was briefly used by the YMCA and the Red Cross during World War II. Rogers Mansion was acquired by Southampton Village in 1943, and the Southampton History Museum began using the building that same year. In 1951, the Museum leased the entire building and grounds, beginning an ongoing 82-year public-private partnership with the Village to preserve this beloved local landmark.
“We are so grateful to the Village and State for generously funding this much-needed restoration project,” said Sarah Kautz, executive director of the Southampton History Museum. “Rogers Mansion has been our cherished headquarters since 1943. For more than 80 years, we’ve proudly worked in partnership with the Village to preserve this building as a place to share our extensive library, archives, and collections spanning over 400 years of local history with residents and visitors. The Museum has hosted countless programs, exhibitions, and events for the public in this space. These repairs will enable the Museum to explore exciting new ways to engage our community at Rogers Mansion.”
Rogers Mansion is a prominent cultural resource and attraction in the heart of downtown Southampton Village, located on the South Fork of Long Island, about 95 miles east of New York City. A popular destination for seasonal residents and visitors, the Village has about 4,600 year-round residents, swelling to over 12,000 people in summer, including second-home owners, seasonal residents, and tourists. Rogers Mansion is a contributing resource of the Southampton Village Historic District, a designated local historic district of Southampton Village, listed on the State/National Registers of Historic Places in 1988. The Rogers Mansion Museum Complex was listed on the State/National Registers of Historic Places in 2011.
While the physical space of Rogers Mansion undergoes restoration, the Southampton History Museum continues to offer various creative, engaging, and educational programs to keep people connected to Southampton’s unique past. The Museum’s new pop-up exhibition exploring local experiences of World War II will open on Friday, May 2, 2025, at Veterans Memorial Hall, presented in cooperation with Southampton Village, the Village Commission on Veterans Patriotic Events, and the Southampton Cultural Center.
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