Community Corner
Ferry Service Across Lake Agawam Pitched for 2014
Ferry planned to take passengers between Agawam Park and ocean beach on Gin Lane.
A group of Southampton residents wishes to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of a local historic figure by re-launching his ferry service at Lake Agawam.
The Agawam Ferry Company is proposing to run a ferry daily from sunrise to sunset in July and August of 2014, taking passengers between Agawam Park and Gin Lane. The boat would be named for the man who inspired the new ferry, Pyrrhus Concer.
Concer was born a slave in 1814 in Southampton, but after he was freed at the age of 18 he became a whaler out of Sag Harbor and was aboard the first American ship to enter Toyko Harbor, the Manhattan, according to historical accounts. He then joined the California Gold Rush before eventually returning to Southampton, where he ferried passengers across Lake Agawam.
Village resident Nick Palumbo said he found Concer's story interesting and thought a new ferry service would be a good way to commemorate his life.
"It's an interesting aspect of our local history that has been lost a little bit," Palumbo said. "It's a way to remind people that Southampton was and is a seafaring town."
When he realized that 2014 would be the year of Concer's 200th birthday, it cemented the idea. He said he also aims for the ferry to promote awareness of the condition of the ailing lake.
"We've had preliminary discussions with the village and have met with several different civic organizations who will hopefully help in is putting this together," Palumbo said.
The plan is to crowdsource the funding by selling tickets well in advance. "We're looking to raise funds that would enable us to either buy or lease a boat," he said. The electric ferry would carry eight to 10 passengers.
He has also been speaking with the Southampton Historical Museum and the Sag Harbor Whaling Museum about designing events around the ferry service.
Palumbo, who is a former member of the village's Planning Board and Board of Architectural Preservation and Historical Review and a current member of the Southampton School Board, has been working with a steering committee to get the project off the ground. It includes himself, his brother-in-law Sean Hattrick, Kevin Luss of The Luss Group, Sea Scout Ship 908 leader Josh Belury, Southampton Village Planning Commission member Ed Simioni and Mark Parash of Sip'n Soda.
The ferry would leave from the north end of the lake, at Agawam Park, and travel about eight-tenths of a mile to the parking lot at the lake's south end. From there, travelers can cross Gin Lane and go to the private Bathing Corporation of Southampton or to Southampton Village's Gin Beach. Those willing to walk three-quarters of a mile each way can visit Coopers Beach, which has lifeguards, concessions, bathrooms and showers.
Palumbo said right now the plan is for the ferry to be in service for just the one summer — but that could change, and it could return in years to come. "Potentially, if it were successful all around and we had the wherewithal to keep it running, I think it is something we would definitely consider," he said.
Palumbo will present the proposal to the Southampton Village Board during the board's June 13 meeting at Village Hall. He said he also plans to bring the idea to the Southampton Town Trustees, who have jurisdiction over the bulkhead at the south end of Lake Agawam and the parking lot there.
If everything goes as planned, ferry tickets will be available soon at agawamferry.org.
