?A Walk to Remember

???In “Widow’s Walk,” Suzanne Vega – who will be playing at the Talkhouse September 1st – sings “That line is the horizon. We watch the wind and set the sail, but save ourselves when all omens point to fail.” It’s a song about divorce, but Vega’s metaphor references a very real piece of architectural history. Before the days of Greenpeace and Free Willy, whales were great monsters of the sea. They were to be hunted and exploited. The oceans ran red with blood. As demonstrated by Melville’s Ahab and his battle with the giant white sperm whale called “Moby Dick,” the life of a whaler was no picnic. It was not uncommon for these men to labor for seemingly infinite hours while enduring paltry rations and cramped, disgusting quarters. Some men made great fortunes, while others died. Houses were erected along the shore and the captains once again set sail to claim their bounty. It was on these houses, where the women waited, that the widow’s walk was born.
Gone sometimes for many, many months, the whalers’ lives were in danger, even when not faced with a thrashing, angry whale. Disease, weather, and myriad other terrible fates waited hungrily in dark, wooden shadows and the roiling deep, ready to suck their existence away forever. The women knew it. And they contemplated the cruel facts each day as they paced the lengths of their very own wooden decks, installed upon the roofs of the homes. Back and forth along the rail they looked out to the sea and waited for that boat to return. These were the whaler’s widows. And where they walked, atop the house, praying, was the Widow’s Walk.
It might be a bit dramatic, but this little intro to the Widow’s Walk is fairly accurate and relevant to the East End. We live in a part of the world where whaling was a firm reality, and its history can be seen all around us. Check out, for instance, the Marine Museum in Amagansett. It covers the history of whaling and fishing on Eastern Long Island and holds a number of interesting artifacts from the era when we powered lamps with blubber instead of batteries. Sag Harbor is probably most famous for its whaling roots, and a casual stroll through town can become a fun exercise in searching for references to the extinct American profession.
With Post-Modern architecture being all the rage around here, it’s not entirely uncommon to see Widow’s Walks perched on the roofs of beach houses in all our towns. Things are a bit different today. It’s more likely you’ll see women sunbathing and reading Candice Bushnell or US magazine than staring off into the horizon and waiting for their dead husband to materialize, but nonetheless, they’re up there. Maybe some are awaiting the appearance of a shimmering, 200-foot yacht and a Hip-Hop entrepreneur boyfriend, smoking his favorite Habano. Either way, they’re up there. The Widow’s Walk completes the aesthetic proportions of a classic, period-inspired home. It’s a fantastic place to get some fresh air, enjoy the view that was built into the absurd price of your home, read a book (maybe even Moby Dick), or simply to get away from the chaos of August in the Hamptons. Now that you’ve read this article, and again, maybe Moby Dick, the roof deck is a terrific conversation piece. A guy can climb up and revel in seaman fantasies. Smoke a pipe. Tie a peg to your leg. Practice screaming “Aaargh” like a good pirate. Wear an eye patch. Suck on a lemon and complain about scurvy. Whatever your pleasure, what was once a symbol of melancholy and despair can be a great place to serve cocktails to your friends from Greenwich and admire the fleet of German cars and SUVs in the driveway.
Widow’s Walks are not outrageously difficult to install if your roof is right. You’ll need to build a box and, depending on your taste, decorative railing. Visit local museums or research some books on whaling history. Think Sag Harbor and Nantucket. Inspiration is out there. Maybe go modern and make a metal deck to match your oh-so-out, modern décor. Whatever you choose will be steeped in local history and that of New England. Do it right and you’ll be applauded by houseguest after houseguest. Besides, think of the rental value for next summer when you’re out at sea.
–Oliver Peterson