Year in Review: Making progress on Island History Center

Construction on the new Shelter Island History Center, being built to complement the Historical Society’s Havens House museum, got underway in 2017.

By October, foundation work in the basement of Havens House was complete and the museum stabilized. Also completed was the concrete work in the lower level of the History Center and construction on the framework and building façade was progressing well.

The center will house the Historical Society’s collections and create new spaces for exhibits, offices, meetings and educational programs.

The facility will have a meeting room, space for curators and a 425-square foot climate-controlled archival vault so the Historical Society can properly house, preserve and expand the existing collection of 100,000 documents.

A lower level will include a workroom, an exhibition gallery, collections storage and a mechanical room to supply utilities for the new building and the Havens House museum. The two floors will be connected by dual staircases and a lift to provide access for people with limited mobility.

The Havens House Museum has been closed during construction, but 2018 is expected to be “a year of celebration” filled with programs and exhibits.

As Fokine Construction moved into the final phase of construction on the new center, which is expected to be completed this spring, Janet D’Amato, acting president of the Historical Society’s board, reminded friends and neighbors they have one last chance to ensure their names appear on the donor wall in the building.

“Twenty years from now, people will visit the building and point out the names of their parents and grandparents on the donor wall,” Ms. D’Amato said. “I tell people that they absolutely do not want to miss the opportunity to have their names on the list.”