Issue #3- April 13, 2007

Houses On Parade

The March of the Historic Homes From Further Lane to Pantigo Road

By Victoria L. Cooper

The time has come for the historic structures on the oceanfront de Menil estate, set to move to the thirteen-acre East Hampton Town Hall property, to embark on their epic journey. The move is being accomplished by Davis Construction, owned and operated by Guy Davis in Westhampton Beach. Davis has been moving houses, buildings and other types of structures for over thirty years. He believes strongly in house moving and stated that, “It is great to see all these historic buildings saved. We are proud to be a part of this historic move, which is one of the largest in the country. We move buildings every day but it is rare to move this many structures simultaneously.”

The move will serve to preserve the eighteenth and nineteenth century buildings assembled in the 1970s, when the de Menils moved to their 35-acre oceanfront East Hampton home and began purchasing them from around town and towing them to their Further Lane property. Now they are to give a new face to the Town Hall campus, two miles away.

Davis has mapped out a route for the farmhouses and barns to travel to their new home. The biggest structures, most of which are near the ocean, will be taken north across the Further Lane property first. As they near Further Lane, they will be taken to the preserve field across the street one by one, and then to Sam Lester’s farm property, which happens to be where Skimhampton Road and Pantigo Road meet. As we go to press, the structures are lining up and will shortly proceed left, a half-mile to their final destination on Pantigo Road, at East Hampton Town Hall.

They will make the move down Montauk Highway together on Saturday, April 14, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The rain date is set for following Saturday, April 21.

Since one of the tallest structures towers to approximately 69 feet atop its wheels, the power lines, utility wires and even some tree branches will have to be removed temporarily to ensure a smooth ride. Speaking of the ride, the buildings will move at a slow and steady walking pace. Public officials have been made aware of the move and Inland Structure Engineers will be taking care of the road closures and detours.

The largest three houses will be moved on hydraulic, self-propelled power dollies, which are operated by remote control and help to evenly distribute the weight of the house while it travels on uneven ground. This type of dollie is the latest advancement in house moving technology and allows the house to float on oil (the hydraulic part) as a means of preventing any cracking, twisting or breaking. With houses this old, using the right equipment is essential to prevent any visible scars or breaks that could result from improper moving. The rest of the buildings will be moved on dollies towed by Mack trucks. Some of the smaller barns and buildings are going to be moved next week on flatbeds, which will not require special routes or road closures.

If it isn’t obvious already, the precise planning of this move is crucial to its overall success. It is no wonder then why the de Menils picked Davis Construction. Some highlights of the company include moving the Beechnut Farm in Bridgehampton over 100 feet in November of 2006. This was the largest house ever moved on Long Island, at 22,000 square feet total — 210 feet long and 325 tons. In June, they will move three historic buildings on the Harvard Law campus in Massachusetts. They have also moved other houses, or should I say, McMansions, on Further Lane and lots of little antique barns and sheds, the conservation of which has apparently become a fashionable new project for some celebrities. East Hampton neighbors Roy Zuckerberg, the retired vice chairman of Goldman, Sachs & Co. who bought the Tyson Lane property, and Helmut Lang, the famous fashion designer, are just a few of the high-profile people who have chosen to move old structures onto their properties.

Moving structures such as these historic houses and barns is not easy and requires a combined knowledge of geometry and physics and proficiency with the most technologically advanced equipment. There’s no question that the de Menils care very deeply for these historic buildings — they have not only donated the structures, but have also paid for the entirety of the moving cost. Adelaide de Menil, who is famous for her photography, has taken an active role in the process and has been seen climbing over machinery, taking photographs of the structures en route. There has also been a cinematography crew on site, which will be documenting and taping the project.

When all is said and done and the buildings have successfully been moved to their new home, they will sit on a series of steel beams until they are ready to be lowered onto their new foundations. It has been speculated that the de Menils are planning a pyrotechnic celebration — a colorful tribute for all those who made this historical event a reality.