This past weekend I enjoyed covering the Quogue Historical Society's Biannual Holiday House Tour on Saturday December 14, 2019.

Saturday, December 14

Holiday House Tour, 2 to 6 p.m.

Cocktail Party, 6 to 8 p.m.

Supporters visited five Quogue houses festively decorated for the holidays. A Cocktail Party at one of the homes followed.

First house on the list was the

 "Nestledown Cottage"

A quintessential Quogue two-story shingled cottage with symmetrically paired second story gables an an elongated front porch supported by Doric styled columms. Nestledown boasts all of its original six over six windows. It is pleasantly located on Beach Lane, a short distance from the ocean and retains its immense charm after more than 100 years.

"Old Trees"

This elegant home was built in 1894 for Mr. and Mrs. Crowell Hadden, st., and was designed by their son, Howard Hadden, as his first project while an architecture student. Mr. Hadden Sr. was a Civil War veteran who was Chairman of the Board of the Brooklyn Savinggs Bank. The home was built on Post Lane on the eastern end of Quogue Street, at the head of Ocean Avenue which at the time led directly to the Atlantic Ocean. It was constructed as a two-story shingled colonial revival-style house with a posted wraparound porch, a porte cohere, and a hipped roof. Old Trees is a wonderful example of the scale and remarkable architectural sophistication of some of Quogue's significant "Summer Cottages" and the interiors refect craftsmanship and detail of the time it was built.

"Windrush"

Dating from the 1890's, the home was built originally as a barn annexed to the Hallock Boarding House (now Quogue Club at Hallock House). The structure likely built by Asher Benedict Hallock was eventually converted to a two-story , five-bay residence with a gable roof, cedar-shingle siding and centered chimney. Walter Booth Tuthill took ownership of the home from his aunt, Mrs Asher B. Hallock in the 1920's. the house named "Windrush" because of the strong air currents that flowed through its porch. The house was purchased by the Gerard McAllister family-circa 1945. In the 1960's the porch and its two stone columms were enclosed to add interior living space.

After a change in ownership the home was purchasedin the late 1980s by Jerome Coleman, a former president of the University Club in NYC, who obtained a vintage chandelier after a club rennovation and installed it in the living room. The current owners purchased the home in 2013 embarking on a significant restoration and addition in 2015.

The last two homes are situated on Old Point Road. One of the homes was built in 1902 on Midhampton Point, this house has commanding views of Shinnecock Bau and Phillips Creek on the eastern edge of Quogue. It was built by James Moore Montgomery who was active in many organizations over the years and was the founder of the Quogue Field Club's Junior Sports Division in 1920. He was also the great uncle of Actress Elizabeth Montgomery best known for her TV role as Samantha in Bewitched.

In 1972 Fashion Designer Arnold Scaasi purchased thehome living there for several decades with his huband Parker Ladd. While undertaking some rennovations, Scaasi asked famed Sculptor Louise Nevelson what color to paint the exterior of the house which had been grey reportedly she answered "Black darling," so he decided on just that. the home was featured in an least two issus of Architectural Digest which have been kept at the residence. The home was recently purchased again in 2017 for a full rennovation top to bottom. The owners now have retained two black metal animals left by Scaasi in the living room decor, as well as two pairs of Lucite candlesticks and an all white ceramic fruit bowl he left on the dining room table.

The last home om Old Point Road is a fully restored Dutch Colonial. the home was originally bult as a summer home in the summer colony developed by Elwin Kane Stewart from Ohio and was called Midhampton Point. Mr. Stewart built his family's lovely summer home overlooking Shinnecock Bay in 1904.

The current owners purchased this home in 2012. At the time a pool and pool house had been added and some renovations had been done. The magnificent updated chef's kitchen and family room are truly the heart of the home, with modern conveniences that enhance the house without diminishing its historic status.

For more informatiom please visit http://quoguehistory.org/

The Quogue Historical Society was founded in 1947 as the Historical Committee of the Quogue Library. In 1948, the Post family donated Quogue’s first schoolhouse, built in 1822, to the Library to be operated as a museum. It was moved to its current location behind the Library and, in 1949, opened to the public.

In 1977, the organization was incorporated and chartered as the Quogue Historical Association by New York State Regents and, in 1980, the charter was amended to change the name to the Quogue Historical Society.

In 2011, the Society moved its offices from the Quogue Library to new headquarters at 114 Jessup Avenue, a mid-19th century building located near the commercial and administrative center of the Village.

Called the Pond House because of its proximity to the pond at the corner of Midland and Jessup Avenues, the building provides two floors of exhibition space; climate controlled storage of the Society’s collections of artifacts, clothing and textiles, photographs, and documents; research facilities, and administrative offices.

The Pond House is owned by the Village of Quogue and administered by the Society under a license agreement. The Society is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization run by a Board of Directors, part-time Curator, and a cadre of dedicated volunteers.

To further its work in education, collections care and research, and historic preservation, the Society relies on donations, large and small.

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