The Village Hall Restoration Project Underway
(Ribbon Cutting coming soon!)
By Lucy Danziger
On the occasion of its turning 100, restoration work began on the historic building that houses Village Hall to restore the exterior of the building to its former glory. Built in 1923 as the Bellport Memorial Library in honor of the fallen local heroes of World War 1, the building served as the library for 62 years, until 1985. To this day, some Bellporters lovingly remember sitting for hours in the children’s reading room on the south end of the building, light streaming in through the Palladian south-facing window, pouring over books in a space that is now the mayor’s office and conference room.
The building — which is on the National Register of Historic Places — was originally painted white
shingles with dark green shutters, and only much later (when it was shingled in the 1980s) did it become
the gray shingles we know today. The building’s architect, Aymar Embury II, was a well-known East End
architect when he was hired by the ladies who founded the Bellport Memorial Library Association in 1919
to build the library on land at the corner of Bell Street and Bellport Lane, purchased and donated for the
library by Lucy B. Mott. The lot had once been the site of Captain Thomas Bell’s apple orchard.
Esteemed Architect Chosen to Design Village Hall
Architect Aymar Embury II (1880 – 1966) has been called the “unsung hero of the New Deal,” joining
President Roosevelt’s Advisory Committee on Architecture (from 1934 to 1943) and serving as New York
City Parks Department’s Chief Architect in 1934. Embury once said he enjoyed the opportunity to make
elegant buildings out of inexpensive materials such as cement and red brick.
Embury was the architect for the Central Park Zoo, the Prospect Park Zoo, the Orchard Beach Pavilion
and many other iconic buildings that stand to this day. He worked on a mid-century renovation to the
Metropolitan Museum of Art and won awards for buildings from the Hamptons to Washington D.C.
Women Donate Books, Raise Money to Build the Memorial Library
In 1919, a small group of women met at the home of Mrs. Charles E. Osborn to plan for a memorial to
honor all those who had been members of the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps during the Great War. They
threw a block party to raise the initial money for the building (which cost $8,000 to build), and in 1920 the Bellport Memorial Library Association was incorporated and building plans finalized.
The initial idea for a local library collection was hatched back in 1897 when a group of women who called
themselves the “Entre Nous Club” of Bellport held a book collection and gathered more than 60 books
from their personal shelves. Before the memorial library was complete, the growing collection had several homes, including private homes and the basement of the Methodist Church. To raise funds, Mrs.
Frederick Edey opened her private playhouse at her estate, Nearthebay, for benefits to aid the library
fund. (The Nearthebay Playhouse was destroyed by fire in 1971.)
From Water Damage to Restoring Architectural Details
The library building, which became Village Hall in 1985 when the library moved to its new home, features
several original architectural details, including a “dental” frieze inspired by the Parthenon, a feature that
became damaged when the original “Yankee” gutters (hidden to hide their utility) came under disrepair.
With the frieze, the Palladian portico, and elegant south window, Embury had created a Neo-Classic gem.
But years of neglect and a general lack of upkeep resulted in leaks and water damage to several parts of
the building, including the basement, interior walls, and shingles, creating a situation where the structure
was in dire need of repair.
The current administration, upon seeing the damage, put the stalled restoration project back on track. The exterior work is being done with such attention to detail that the exact measurement of the length of
exposure of each shingle, called the “reveal,” is being replicated at a precise 8 inches. The need for
extensive repairs had made this a two-year project, but once completed, the building will be a cornerstone of the community.
“I am dedicated to preserving what makes Bellport such a beautiful and peaceful place to live,” said
Mayor Veitch. “Village Hall is one of the most visible buildings in the community, and we are thrilled to be
able to restore it to its original Greek Revival style.”
The interior of the building still needs work, Mayor Veitch pointed out, but first she plans to finish the
exterior and the landscaping and then hopes to be able to restore the interior. “We have saved money by
doing the work with our own gifted carpenters who work for the Department of Public Works (DPW),”
Veitch said. “We have talented craftsmen employed by the village and they are dedicated to making
Village Hall look as beautiful as ever. Our employees have been working closely with members of the
Historic Preservation Commission to make sure we honor the historic nature of the structure.”
The project, expected to be completed soon, is just the latest in a 35-year tradition of Historic
Preservation of valuing and preserving the historic buildings and rich history of Bellport Village.
Original architecture of the library, left and Village Hall earlier this summer(right).
The restoration work is underway on the east, north and south sides. Quick progress is being made on the shingling by Village carpenters who started on the back and are completing the north and south sides. The last surface to be finished will be the front.