Hildreth's, South Ferry Named to State Registry Of Historic Businesses

Like the governor and other members of the New York State Legislature, Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. was allowed to nominate two businesses in his district for inclusion in the state’s new Business Preservation Registry.

He chose Hildreth’s Home Goods in Southampton, which bills itself as America’s oldest department store and was founded in 1842, and the South Ferry, which has served Shelter Island since the early 1800s.

Both made the cut.

“In a district such as mine, with such a deep history, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of businesses that could qualify,” Thiele said. “But if you ever were going to establish a historic business registry, they’d be the poster children for it.”

Although being named to the registry is purely honorary, Clifford Clark, the president of the South Ferry and fifth generation of his family to shuttle passengers between Shelter Island and North Haven, said it was a thrill nonetheless.

“The meaning of this honor is not lost on the Clark family,” he said. “We realize how special this legacy is and the awesome responsibility it demands. We thank Assemblyman Thiele for nominating South Ferry and are humbled by being part of the first group to be so honored.”

“I think it’s fantastic,” said Henry Hildreth, who is also the fifth generation to run the family business. The rise of online shopping has made it harder to run a brick-and-mortar retail business, he continued, “But it’s nice to know that people still shop with us. I take great pride in that, and I take great pride in my wife and kids who work so hard.”

Hildreth’s forebears arrived in the United States in 1635, settling first in Massachusetts before finding their way to Southampton. Like most early settlers, they were farmers until Lewis Hildreth opened a general store on Southampton’s Main Street. It remains in its original location.

The store sold staples like flour, salt, sugar, and coffee, along with some fabric and housewares as available. Over the decades, it was transformed into a home goods store, serving the growing population of summer visitors to Southampton. Today, it is the East End’s most complete home goods store.

Hildreth said his wife, Colleen, is involved with the business “24/7.” “She more or less runs it,” he said.

The couple’s oldest daughter, Kailey, works for the store, and their son, Henry, works in the warehouse. Their daughter Sayre works when she is home from college.

The South Ferry traces its roots to Samuel Clark, who originally ran a ferry from Shelter Island to Greenport in the late 1700s. He eventually moved to the south side of the island and married into the Havens family, which had been running its own ferry service, connecting the island with North Haven.

Clark used a small sailboat to ferry passengers to and from North Haven. As needed, he would tow a barge laden with a cow or two and maybe a wagon of goods. Steam-powered boats eventually replaced the sailboat, and Model T’s and other early automobiles replaced horses and wagons. Today, the company runs a fleet of diesel-powered ferries that operate year-round and in all but the worst weather.

Like the Hildreths, the Clarks are hands-on business owners. Clifford Clark is joined by his brother, Captain Bill Clark, as owners. Clifford Clark’s wife, Tish, is the company’s chief financial officer. Bill Clark’s two sons, Bill Clark III and Briton Clark, are both licensed captains who work for South Ferry. Jennifer Clark, who is married to the grandson of the late Captain Donald Clark, is the office manager, and Briton Clark’s daughter, Amelia Clark, who is a student at Rhode Island University, will join the company in the summer. And Captain Nicholas Morehead, Clifford Clark’s son-in-law, who died last May, was also a member of the team.

“Historic businesses are the backbone of a thriving community’s sense of heritage and identity,” Thiele said in a release accompanying the announcement. “It was an honor to nominate Hildreth’s Home Goods and the South Ferry, two family-owned businesses born from our country’s earliest days, for this esteemed recognition. With each generation, these two worthy establishments have continued to serve as emblems of life here on the East End, and I look forward to seeing their ongoing success for years to come.”