Southampton, New York

This rare “first period” house was built in 1660 when Main Street, in the pioneer hamlet of Southampton, was first laid out. Its owner, Thomas Halsey, was one of the original families who bought property from the Shinnecocks in 1640. Believed to be the oldest English-style house in New York State, the Halsey home is filled with 17th and 18th century furnishings, donated by local families. The kitchen has an early wide fireplace used for cooking and is surrounded by open hearth cooking tools. The collection of William and Mary furniture is of note as is a high chest, circa 1700, by Nathaniel Dominys, a local cabinetmaker. The first restoration was supervised in 1959 by Henry Francis duPont of the Winterthur Museum.