Dear Friend,
Many community members have asked me when the Historical Society plans to return to the Osborn-Jackson House at 101 Main Street, which served as our long-time headquarters. As I described in my letter to the East Hampton Star last month, the Historical Society has no plans to reoccupy the Osborn-Jackson House.
Unlike our historic sites such as Mulford Farm and the Moran Studio, where a concerted effort preserved the property for use as a museum, the Osborn-Jackson House became a museum almost by accident. For generations, it was home to the Osborn family. Initially built in the early 18th century, the southern wing of the house was added in the 1860s by Sylvanus Osborn. The “Jackson” part of the museum’s name comes from Lionel and Patricia Jackson who owned the property in the 1970s. In 1977, they donated the building to the Village of East Hampton with the stipulation that it had to be used a museum. The Village considered running the museum itself, but opted to lease the building to the Historical Society, which opened it to the public from 1978 until the Covid-19 pandemic precipitated its closure.
In early 2021, the Village discovered asbestos in the Osborn-Jackson House and required the Historical Society to relocate its operations. The move to Clinton Academy was supposed to be brief, but unfortunately, the Village found several structural issues during the asbestos abatement that will require a major financial investment to correct. The Historical Society continues to use the site temporarily to store a limited number of artifacts until its new Collections Storage Center is completed at Mulford Farm.
In 2022, the Village presented the East Hampton Historical Society with the very exciting opportunity to take on the new Dominy Shops Museum, which the Village owns, with the proviso that the Society would need to vacate the Osborn-Jackson House permanently. With the Historical Society’s endorsement, the Village invested in the completion of the Dominy Shops restoration and tabled work on the Osborn Jackson House.
I recently conferred with Village Administrator Marcos Baladrón who said he is committed to preserving the exterior of the Osborn-Jackson House, which the Historical Society wholeheartedly supports. The Village is exploring a variety of options for how the interior can be used most effectively to serve the needs of it residents. My hope is that the building becomes a visitor center for the community and the Jacksons’ original vision could still be realized through a video and other interpretive materials that encourage visits to our numerous historic sites and museums.
Sincerely, Steve Long, Executive Director