East Hampton House Tour
It’s that time of year when pumpkins abound, the leaves cascade off the trees and the Hamptons transforms from a bustling beach area to a cozy community rich with historical details in every nook and cranny. It is amazing how the season of autumn highlights the great bones of the East End’s architecture. I am looking forward to one of my very favorite events of the year, the Annual East Hampton Historical Society House Tour, which benefits the East Hampton Historical Society.
The kick-off cocktail party is the evening of Friday, November 25, from 6 to 9 p.m. and marks the 27th year of this annual event, which is traditionally held over Thanksgiving weekend. [expand]
The party will be held in the stunning home of the historic Charles H. Adaams House in East Hampton Village. Originally designed by William B. Tuthill, the architect of Carnegie Hall, and built in 1891, it is one of the largest, traditional East Hampton “cottage” style homes built in the late 1800s designed in the ornate Queen Anne style. It offers up many awe-inspiring features such as an asymmetric façade, a round tower, a front porch extending the length of the house, second-and third-story porches, spindle work and columns, and patterned wood shingles.
On Saturday, November 26, the House Tour takes place from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. This year’s tour promises to offer up a medley of some of the finest examples of historic and modern architecture in the Hamptons while giving the public “behind the privet hedge” views of these unique homes. With five properties on the tour, there will be something for everyone’s architectural interests from a historic cottage to a contemporary house with clean lines.
“We thought we had a real challenge this year coming up with an interesting mix of homes to rival last year’s tour,” says Joseph Aversano, Chair of the event. “Our committee started work in August, and the mix this year exceeds all our expectations!”
Richard Barons, Executive Director of the East Hampton Historical Society, believes it is precisely this mix of architectural styles that gives East Hampton its unique character and flavor. “Our community has the added benefit of having wonderfully diverse architectural styles that span several centuries,” Barons explains.
To add to the anticipation and excitement the exact locations of these private homes will be revealed to ticket-holders the weekend of the event. Tickets to the Opening Night Cocktail Party start at $150 and include entry to the tour the following day. Tickets to the House Tour are $65 in advance and $75 on the day of the tour. You can purchase tickets at the Historical Society’s office at 101 Main Street, Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. or call 631-324-6850.