Fort Pond House Restoration Complete
The Town of East Hampton has announced that the restoration of Fort Pond House in Montauk in now complete and it has returned to community use.
Fort Pond House, 128 Second House Road in the Shepherd’s Neck area, was purchased from Lee Deadrick by East Hampton Town in 2003 and used for environmental education and arts classes until it was closed in 2010, designated as surplus property, and was listed for sale. Built circa 1926, the house was previously a 1,200 square foot residence.
The resolution of sale was rescinded in August 2013 and the 3.9-acre property was officially designated Carol Morrison Park, named after Carol Morrison, a well-known Montauk environmentalist and land preservation pioneer. Through the leadership of the town’s Property Management Committee, community donations and volunteer support, an extensive 12-month renovation and restoration of both the house and grounds has been completed.
According to the town, the property includes natural woodland and open lawn and occupies a promontory overlooking Fort Pond. Situated on the western shore of Fort Pond, the second largest fresh water pond on Long Island, the property has 784 feet of Fort Pond waterfront. There are trails throughout the property, and there is launching access for small boats, kayaks and canoes.
Town Deputy Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc, the committee liaison, said, “Recognizing the value of this property to our community, I am proud to have contributed to its restoration. The dedication and effort from our Property Management Committee, several town departments, and donations from Men at Work, [Concerned Citizens of Montauk], Warren’s Nursery and Fort Pond Native plants, have demonstrated the benefit of an effective public-private partnership”.
Prior to its closure, the Montauk Boy Scouts, Montauk Public School, Third House Nature Center, CCOM, Hamptons Shakespeare and numerous other organizations and groups had routinely used the property. “Many of these same organizations have expressed interest in their continued use of Fort Pond House and Carol Morrison Park, and we now have a tremendous asset and management plan to help ensure they can,” Van Scoyoc said.