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Historical Society gift comes out of love for the Island

BEVERLEA WALZ PHOTO Elizabeth and William Pedersen at the Havens House Monday.
BEVERLEA WALZ PHOTO
Elizabeth and William Pedersen at the Havens House Monday.

The $1 million gift that Elizabeth and William Pedersen have given to the Shelter Island Historical Society springs from a simple motivation.

“We love Shelter Island,” Ms. Pedersen said.

In addition to the gift, Mr. Pedersen, a world-renowned architect, has designed plans pro bono for an ambitious building project.

Ms. Pedersen, who is chairwoman of the Society’s  board,  said that their generosity “started serendipitously” three years ago when funds were needed for a restoration specialist to do a thorough inventory of the Society’s Havens House headquarters.

“I came home from a board meeting and told Bill that our 50th wedding anniversary was coming up and we weren’t planning to celebrate in any social way to mark the date, but there was a need for $10,000 at the Historical Society,” Ms. Pedersen said. “He said, ‘Of course.’”

She credits being privileged to have parents who instilled in her a responsibility toward community. She grew up in Rochester, Minnesota, a small town  in the southern part of the state. After 50 years of farming outside town, Rochester was slowly inching toward the farm, she said.

“Instead of diving the farm,’ Ms. Pedersen said, “and making a lot of money, my parents gave it to the town. It was a significantly bigger gift than what we’re giving.”

Their gift is not necessarily to inspire others to give to the building project, although, “it might help other people get on a horse that’s up and running,” she said.

Ms. Pedersen downplayed her husband’s and her generosity.

“It’s a tiny mark where it can do some good to explain the incredible history that we all share,” she said.