Issue #36, December 1, 2006

11/30/06 7 PM

Be at Town Hall in Southampton If You Love the Bull’s Head

By J. Joseph Dadarria

The Bulls Head Inn, a white, two-and-a-half-story Greek Revival home, has majestically sat at 2546 Montauk Highway at the crossroads in the center of town in Bridgehampton since 1842. The Inn was built by The Honorable Judge Abraham Topping Rose of Bridgehampton, who, in lending his name to his home, officially named the structure The Judge Abraham Topping Rose House. This building was designed and fabricated with only two things in mind — the care and security of the Rose Family and (of course) to make a little money on the side by renting it to a wealthy local dairyman Henry Corwith and his family during the summer season.

Born into a wealthy Long Island family, Abraham Rose was raised in Bridgehampton, the son of a doctor, attended local schools and then in 1814 earned his degree in law from Yale Law School. After graduating, Rose worked for a while for the District Attorney of New York City, putting him in with some of the most powerful people in the nation at the time. As New York City was a perfect place for an eager young lawyer in the early 1800s to get a start, Abraham Rose became one of the top lawyers in New York City, dealing exclusively in cases involving the City of New York itself.

In 1823, Abraham met Eliza VanGelder, the daughter of the former Mayor of New York City. The two fell in love and decided it was time to give up the city life, get married and start a family. So Abraham, remembering his more youthful years amongst the shade trees and windmills of the East End decided to return to the town he was raised in: Bridgehampton. The two packed up, moved out East and built their home here. It today remains on the same spot it was built on, steadfast, on the northeast corner of the Sag Harbor-Bridgehampton Turnpike and Main Street.

Over the years, Abraham and Eliza’s family grew and the Rose daughters married into some of the richest families in the country. Antoinette Rose Esterbrook, became the wife of Richard Esterbrook Jr., heir to the Esterbrook Pen Company of Camden, New Jersey. In 1878, the Esterbrooks built an enormous mansion even larger than the Rose House, on the ocean in Bridgehampton, which they called the Tremedden. A large, ornate Victorian structure, it fell apart and then was torn down in 1939 amidst ownership battles amongst the Esterbrook heirs.

Residential structures such as The Bull’s Head Inn and Tremedden have inspired and will continue to inspire future generations to build and develop the residential homes of the Hamptons as we know them today.

For the last 20 years, the Bull’s Head Inn has been owned by Lynn St. John, who saw to its maintenance and operated it as an antiques shop. Now a company called the The Miaco Corporation hopes to develop the property as a restaurant, inn and spaa. And to do that, has applied for variances.

The Miaco LLC application calls for a 22-room hotel and spa, complete with a conference center, a 66-seat restaurant/bar, four multiple bedroom cottages, and a parking lot designed to hold 50 cars. Some residents would love to see the change. Personally, I would like to see a restaurant or bar, on the eastern end of Bridgehampton. But we should preserve the Inn. And limit its expansion.

The next Planning Board discussion about this piece of property will be held on November 30 at 7 p.m. in the Town Board Room, 116 Hampton Road, Southampton at which time the Planning Board will review the environmental status of the lot and maybe the merit of the application as a whole. If you’ve been to earlier hearings, you should know that the proposal now is larger and more elaborate than it was before. So you should consider coming to have another look. This is scheduled as the last of the public hearings. If you are interested in the history and future of The Bull’s Head Inn, you should be there November 30.