Since 1720 the little house on Summit Street has been expanded, renovated and even moved to suit its masters. And now it's time for a major new addition.

Home to Reverends Earle and Wightman.
Originally built on South Street as a small, one-room dwelling, the Earle-Wightman house grew over the next 150 years to its current size. During that time the house had several owners. As the 19th century began, two successive Baptist ministers, the Reverend Marmaduke Earle and the Reverend Charles S. Wightman, made their home there, each for 55 years.

Oyster Bay Historical Society Headquarters.
In 1966 the house was donated to the Town of Oyster Bay by Hempstead Bank President, Bruce Wood Hall. It was renovated and moved to Summit Street under the direction of John Collins, an authority on architectural history and historic preservation. Mr. Collins' drawing of the house is seen above. Today the little house with charmingly irregular windows, hand-wrought nails and riven-oak furring, serves as the headquarters and museum of the Oyster Bay Historical Society.

The Society uses the house for historic exhibitions -- such as the just-ended Art of Oyster Bay exhibit, educational programs, research, and office space for staff. It is also used to house the Society's collection of historic letters, documents, photographs and artifacts.

The Need for a Safe Repository.
Of course the house was not built with any of these purposes in mind. The dangers of housing an irreplaceable historic collection in a 300 year old wood frame structure were made all too vivid by the October 2003 fire which destroyed the historic Masonic Lodge just a few blocks away. Many artifacts, historical records, and Masonic memorabilia were lost forever in the fire.

Spurred both by growing pains -- since its founding in 1960, the Society has become a vital part of community life -- and by the need for a safe archival site for its historic collection, the Society has begun raising funds to construct a non-combustible, masonry building which will be located behind the Colonial Garden at the rear of the Earle-Wightman House.

Building Plan Approved.
The new building, which will have the heating, ventilation and air conditioning needed for archival storage, will be made to look like a period barn, as shown in the artist's rendering at right. It will serve the Society as its research and collections center. The estimated cost of the building, which was approved in concept by the Oyster Bay Landmarks Commission in October 2003, is between $750,000 and $1,000,000.

Contribute to the Building Fund. Use the Make a Donation button below to contribute to the Oyster Bay Historical Society Building Fund with your major charge card or PayPal. Thanks!