Darren St. George Takes the Reins at Southold Historical Museum

It’s a new era for the Southold Historical Museum, as the museum’s board has named Darren St. George its new executive director after a months-long search.

Replacing Deanna Witte-Walker in the role, St. George brings a wealth of similar experience with him to the museum, which covers the hamlet of Southold. He has previously worked with Preservation Long Island, the Roslyn Landmark Society, and St. George Living History Productions – a historical reenactment theater company founded by his parents.

“Darren St. George has exactly the qualities of leadership and sensitivity the museum needs to successfully move through 2025 and into the decade ahead, enthusiastically promoting interest in and education about the history of Southold,” museum president John Barnes said.

St. George, originally from Medford, has two bachelor’s degrees – one in communications and media studies, the other in psychology – from Fordham University, the latter of which he says plays a role in a job focused on history and preservation.

“Examining our human behavior and understanding why certain events or actions influence us, and understanding history is a lot of psychology,” St. George said. “‘Why does this matter to us,’ is important, and if you can understand what will resonate with your community, what resonates with your visitors, then you’ll be a lot more successful in imparting that information to them.”

Due to his involvement with St. George Living History Productions, St. George says he’s been helping preserve history since he was exactly five weeks old.

“It’s still early days, but I’m enjoying learning and meeting and hearing all of the ideas from the community and our supporters, because honestly, they have the best ideas that I could imagine,” St. George said. “Getting their input is one of my first objectives. After that, I’d like to see how we can connect and celebrate Southold history more directly with the entire community.”

St. George came over directly from the Roslyn Landmark Society, and was referred to this job by a friend. With the political climate of Southold Town  – and the entire North Fork – centered on both preserving the area and moving forward with the times, St. George feels that it is up to groups like the museum to help the community learn a sense of self and be able to advocate for better solutions.

“Any answer is going to begin with a conversation,” St. George said. “So if we’re going to find a way forward and into our future, it’s not just saying that we’re developing the land or knocking down a building, but having a conversation about it and finding a resolution that fits all of our needs. Adapt and reuse [of old buildings] is a wonderful solution to many situations. It may require commitment upfront, more capital of an investment, but that’s okay if as a community we value those aspects of our history, and we’ll put our money where our mouth is and step up to save these buildings, to preserve that history and build a bridge to the future.”

Already, St. George says he has met with many members of the community to hear their ideas to achieve these goals.

“Our doors are always open,” St. George said. “This is our shared community’s history, and it’s our privilege to celebrate it with the community. So if you have questions, if you have ideas, we’d love to hear them. Come say hello, send an email, get on the phone, and I’d love to talk to you.”

The Southold Historical Museum’s Winterfest will take place on Feb. 8. Other upcoming events include the Revolutionary War Reenactment, the Antiques, Fine Art, and Crafts Fair, the Annual Pickleball Tournament, the Annual Candlelight Tour, and more.

For more information, visit SoutholdHistorical.org, and follow SHM’s Facebook page at facebook.com/southoldhistoricalmuseum. Email info@southoldhistorical.org, or call 631-765-5500.