Perched near a cliff overlooking the Long Island Sound, this house served as the summer home of Booker T. Washington (1856–1915) between 1911 and 1914. In recognition of its ties to Dr. Washington, the property was designated as a Huntington Town landmark in 2005. Unfortunately, the house has been unoccupied since the 1990s and is located in a coastal erosion hazard zone. In 2009, the owner (who purchased the property three years after town landmark designation) petitioned the town to revoke its landmark status and allow for demolition. A huge public outcry caused the petition to be withdrawn. A subsequent plan proposed moving and reusing the structure as a guest house for a new residence to be constructed at the property; this plan, however, did not proceed.
Preservation Long Island recommends sensitive rehabilitation of this building with the review and approval of the Huntington Town Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). Given the national prominence of Dr. Washington’s life and work, every effort should be made to retain as much original material as possible.
STATUS: THREATENED
• As of 2019: No apparent change in status.
• As of 2014: No action taken. The house remains vacant and gutted. It was never moved.
• Endangered Places listing affirmed the structure’s historical significance.
• Booker T. Washington’s birthplace in Hale’s Ford, VA, was listed on the National Register in 1966 and designated as a National Historic Monument on April 2, 1956.
