Old Boathouse Destroyed by Sandy Will Rise Again

An iconic building in Southampton Village, known as the old boathouse, which was destroyed during Superstorm Sandy, may be rebuilt soon.

One of the most photographed buildings in the area, the old boathouse sat on the bayside of Meadow Lane, on a private piece of property across from 1280 Meadow Lane.

The reconstruction project, along with the addition of a catwalk, has received approvals from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and is currently before the Village Zoning Board of Appeals. A decision is expected Nov. 21.

"I miss it and would love for it to be reconstructed," said Sally Spanburgh, an architectural historian. "Too many accessory structures in Southampton Village have been lost, and I can't think of another boathouse that survives."

"It was always a curiosity that I noticed when driving down the road," said Gary Lawrance, also an architectural historian. "It was the kind of building that you would look at as if you were seeing it for the last time each time you went by. It is little old markers like that building that remind you of yesterday — a day when it was an active useful building full of fun, laughter and the activity of good times and simple summers."

The leveling of the old boathouse was among the worst destruction in the village, though there was serious flooding throughout the village. The end of Meadow Lane, just before Shnnecock East County Park was completely flooded. The boardwalk at Munn Point was missing boards, and there was damage to Cooper's Beach pavilion.

Last year, Mayor Mark Epley said the owners Joseph and Diana DiMenna wanted to try and restore it. 

The rustic building had been photographed countless times over the years. It was featured in the background in "Refuge," an independent film shot in Southampton in February 2011, that premiered at the Hamptons International Film Festival.