Touring Southampton’s History On Two Wheels

When the Southampton History Museum recently promoted its Bike Southampton event, a tour through the “wide streets of Southampton to critical cultural institutions and places of historical significance,” a footnote mentioned the co-sponsors included the Southampton Village Climate Action Committee. So while this particular bike route is a nod to Southampton Village’s past, its raison d’être is the future of the village.

A bit of background:

In May 2021, the Southampton Village Board of Trustees passed a resolution declaring a climate emergency in the municipality. The upshot is that the village has committed to making climate mitigation a priority.

The resolution, said committee member Sheila Peiffer, formalizes a commitment to make the environmental health the “lens to look through … the guiding principle in all policy, planning and purchases” in the village.

The committee decided to promote biking in the village, both as a way to underline it as an environmentally friendly form of transportation but to also help get the word out about its work. The members have made recommendations to planners for changes in the village that would accommodate more bike lanes — although it will never be allowed on Main Street and Jobs Lane in the business district for safety reasons — plus the addition of bike racks.

Bike Southampton is the result of a collaboration with the Southampton History Museum: a loop that passes five points of historical interest.

As a cyclist, I wanted to pedal the route and it made sense to invite friends of mine, who were born and raised in Southampton Village, Edward Corrigan and Dylan Henderson. Along the way, I was regaled with anecdotes of Southampton history passed down among generations of Corrigans. If you’ve got a street named after your family, it’s a safe bet that there are stories to tell about the village in days gone by.

The route starts at the Rogers Mansion on Meeting House Lane, a good choice on the part of the planners; there is ample parking at the history museum, as well as across the street in the church parking lot.

Heading west on Meeting House Lane, the first turn is at Pine Street and then a right onto Hampton Road. Worth noting here — and not part of the tour — is that Southampton Elementary School, which stands on that corner, is next to Southampton Town Hall. Town Hall was once the high school, and the heating systems were connected: the building that’s now Town Hall would pump the steam into the elementary school building for heat. Those systems are now independent.

Incidentally, the old elementary school was in what is now Lola Prentice Park on Windmill Lane. It was knocked down and the remains, as the story goes in the Corrigan family, were buried under Pond Lane next to Lake Agawam.

The next turn, off Pine, is at Layton, but had we gone all the way to Powell, we’d have passed the Southampton railroad station, itself a historic building, with its seashell-studded exterior.

Either way, the route brings you to North Main, under the underpass for a left onto Willow Street. At the terminus, a crossing of North Sea Road is required, which can be harrowing if a motorist doesn’t give you the courtesy wave to cross. Use extra caution here.

The crossing brings you to the second stop, the Southampton African American Museum, a longtime dream of Brenda Simmons that last year became a reality. The old barbershop showcases the rich history of African Americans in the village, an incredible — and necessary — addition to the array of places that celebrate the past.

From there, head west up Hillcrest Avenue and make a right toward Hillcrest Terrace, where you will see two yellow stanchions and a paved path. Ride this to the end (it’s fun!) and then you’ll have to navigate around the outside of the chain-link gates to get onto North Bishop Lane. Head south and a short way up on your left is Moses Park, a new addition to the village’s assets. There is no historical significance to it, but was added so the public might become more aware of its existence.

Once upon a time, the land that is now Moses Park, was owned by the Stump family. My riding buddy Ed said that the field, when his father was a child in the 1930s, was filled with black-eyed Susans, and his father was known to take a nap over there with what he called the black-eyed “snoozies.” The Corrigans purchased the land in the 1950s before it changed hands again and was eventually sold to the village for preservation.

The park has a lovely cinder path loop around a field of gorgeous grasses and many bluebird boxes. Narrow bike tires are not the best on this path, but it’s lovely for walking or running.

After the park, the route continues from North Bishop to Moses Lane, to Armande Street to Halsey Street and then a crossing of Montauk Highway. Again, use caution and hope for that friendly wave from a motorist.

Once you’ve crossed, head east to First Neck Lane and then make the first left on Culver, where Agawam Park comes into view.

According to Conor Flanagan, assistant director at the Southampton History Museum, “Lake Agawam has historic relevance as a sacred site to the Shinnecock Nation and holds various monuments, including the Pyrrhus Concer monument, which is directly across from the site of his former home that was torn down years ago and SAAM is seeking to rebuild.”

The Southampton African American Museum’s website notes that “Pyrrhus Concer was born on March 17, 1814, to an enslaved mother, Violet; following her status, he too became the property (whether technically a slave or an indentured servant) of his mother’s owner Captain Nathan Cooper in Southampton. Subsequently, Concer was sold to Mr. Elias Pelletreau II for the sum of $25. Five years old at the time of his sale, Concer had no choice regarding his transfer, leaving his mother behind when he was still a young child. Even after slavery ended in 1826, Pyrrhus Concer apparently remained in the Pelletreau household until he was about 26 years old.”

After that, he took to the whaling ships and then eventually settled at the home he inherited from his grandfather at 51 Pond Lane. Concer operated a ferry on Lake Agawam.

Hugging Agawam Lake, the route heads toward First Neck Lane to Gin Lane, where you can’t miss St. Andrew’s Dune Church. The red building, once a lifesaving station, stands in contrast to the blue sky. Flanagan said that a book was recently published about the church’s Tiffany windows.

No history tour in Southampton Village would be complete without a stop at the Halsey House on South Main Street. It is the oldest English style house in the State of New York, having been built around 1683.

As my cycling buddies and I made our way there, I said, you know, I’ve never been in the Halsey House, to which Ed Corrigan replied, “Neither have I.” I know I’ll have to get there one day when it’s open (Saturdays only or by appointment).

Along nearly the entire route, which we did on a glorious summer evening, we saw others out on bikes or walking, many nodding or waving a greeting, just soaking up the end of another day in Southampton Village.