These guidelines apply to the seven original
Montauk Association houses: Agnew House, 101 DeForest Road; Benson
House, 115 DeForest Road; Sanger House, 123 DeForest Road; Hoyt House,
129 DeForest Road; Andrews House, 153 DeForest Road; de Forest House,
167 DeForest Road; and Orr House, 181 DeForest Road.
A. Preserving original materials. Because these houses
possess an extremely high level of historic and architectural significance,
a principal goal of the historic district is to retain original materials.
(1) Intact original materials should not be removed.
(2) Deteriorated original materials should be repaired
rather than replaced.
(3) When severe deterioration makes replacement necessary,
the new material should be an exact match of the original.
B. Restoring original features.
(1) Recent owners have undertaken a program to restore
their houses by replacing missing original features. Encouraging accurate
restoration is a goal of the historic district.
(2) Replacement of missing features or materials should
be substantiated by documentary and physical evidence.
C. Wall material. The wall material is an important character-defining
feature of these Shingle Style houses. The Benson House is entirely
shingled while the other six houses have a clapboard first story with
shingled walls above. The shingle cover has great variety and includes
diamond, fish scale, chisel, saw tooth and staggered shingle patterns.
Today only the Agnew House retains original shingles. These are eighteen-inch
Atlantic white cedar shingles which have a smooth surface. Other houses
have replacement shingles which for the most part match the original
shingle coursing and patterns. Historic photographs along with salvaged
original shingles provide a good record of the original shingle treatments.
Some of the houses retain original clapboards. Others have replacement
clapboards which match the exposure and dimensions of the originals.
(1) Original shingles should be retained. If replacement
is necessary, new shingles should match the existing in material,
surface texture, dimensions and pattern.
(2) If nonhistoric shingles need to be replaced, new shingles
should match the original shingles as closely as possible in material,
surface texture, dimensions and pattern as substantiated by documentary
and physical evidence.
(3) Original clapboards should be retained. A clapboard
wall should be repaired by piecing in Dutchmen or new clapboards rather
than wholesale replacement.
(4) If clapboards are deteriorated and need to be replaced,
new clapboards should match the existing in material, surface texture,
dimensions and exposure.
D. Roof material. The roofs are an important design element
of the Montauk Association houses with their defining gables and secondary
dormers, towers, cross gables and eaves at varying levels. Although
none of the houses retains the original roof shingles, six of the
seven houses have cedar shingle roofs which match the coursing of
the original roofs.
(1) Roofs should be clad with eighteen-inch cedar shingles.
(2) In reviewing a proposal for a composition shingle
roof the Board will consider the importance of the roof to the design
of the house and the relationship of the roofing to other proposed
work. Composition shingle roofs should have shingles of a rectangular
design, a small scale, and a uniform gray tone no lighter than the
color of weathered wood shingles.
E. Chimneys. Chimneys are an important design element
of the cottages, each of which has its own distinctive chimney. The
different treatments include pilastered stacks, different corbelled
caps, dovecote hoods and the shingles wrapping around the exterior
stack of the Hoyt House. This variety contributes to the informal
character of this group of houses.
(1) Any proposal to remove or take down and rebuild a
chimney requires review.
(2) Original chimneys should be retained. If rebuilding
is necessary, the existing brick and mortar joints should be matched.
F. Gutters and leaders .
(1) The Montauk Association houses originally had wood
gutters or half-round metal gutters and round metal leaders that directed
rainwater from the roofs into cisterns where it could be used as part
of the domestic water supply. Most of the houses today have half-round
copper gutters and round copper leaders.
(2) Wood gutters or half-round metal gutters and round
metal leaders are appropriate. Copper, lead-coated copper or galvanized
steel are appropriate for metal gutters and leaders.
G. Doorways. The wide Dutch entry doors of most of the
houses are a hallmark of McKim, Mead & White's Shingle Style houses
and convey the open relationship between the interior, the porch and
the environment.
(1) Review is required for any proposal to replace a door
or components of a door enframement.
(2) All significant elements of an original doorway, including
the door, should be retained and repaired instead of replaced.
(3) If replacement of any component is necessary, the
new material should match that being replaced.
(4) Installing a storm/screen door at any doorway is exempt
from review.
H. Windows The variety of window sashes which include
different configurations of multipane sash and "Queen Anne sash" (a
large single pane surrounded by a border of small panes) contributes
to the informal nature of the houses. The house designs are also enlivened
with distinctive window types such as the large stair hall windows,
the triple-hung windows opening to porches, wheel windows, eyebrow
windows and stained glass windows.
(1) Original window casings and any decorative trim should
be retained. If replacement is necessary, the new material should
be an exact match of the existing material.
(2) Original window sash should be retained. For any request
to replace original window sash with new sash the Board will consider
the following:
(a) The contribution the window sash make to the historic
character of the house and the condition of the sash.
(b) Replacement sash should match the material, configuration
and dimensions of all components of the original sash.
(3) Storm windows and window screens are exempt from review.
I. Window shutters. All the houses originally had louvered
window shutters which were an essential functioning component of the
summer cottage. During the day the shutters blocked rays from the
sun while allowing the ocean breezes to cool the rooms. Today only
the Benson House has shutters.
(1) Plans to remove, replace, or install window shutters
require review.
(2) Plans to replace missing shutters should be based
on documentary and physical evidence.
J. Porches. The many porches are one of the principal
character-defining features of these Shingle Style houses. The porches
convey the relationship of the houses to the environment and to the
Atlantic Ocean. All the houses have broad porches across the front
facade, many of which wrap around the side walls or have projecting
bays. The Andrews House and the Benson House have second-story sleeping
porches. The porches feature a variety of turned posts and boxed posts,
spindle screens, brackets, open balustrades and shingled balustrades.
(1) Original porches and their posts, balustrades and
brackets should be retained. If replacement is necessary, the new
material should be an exact match of the existing material.
(2) Replacement of missing porch components should be
substantiated by documentary and physical evidence.
K. Paint and stain. Queen Anne and early Shingle Style
houses were painted or stained, often with complex schemes involving
several colors. Evidence of the original paint schemes of the Montauk
Association houses is provided by: traces of paint and stain on original
shingles, clapboards and woodwork; historic photographs; and by early
watercolors of the houses by W.L. Andrews and Eloise Payne Luquer
(see Designation Report). Colors used to paint wood trim and clapboards
included dark green, dark red and reddish-brown. Some of the houses
also had stained shingles giving them a completely colored exterior.
On the Agnew House, for example, the clapboards and window sash were
red and the shingles and window trim were green. The Andrews House
had clapboards stained a reddish-brown and green painted trim. Today
all shingles are natural. On some houses the woodwork is painted white
and on others it is painted a color. Because of the variety of colors
employed in early Shingle Style houses and the variety of colors on
the Montauk Association houses today, there is a considerable range
of appropriate colors.
(1) Painting wood trim and clapboards a color associated
with the early Shingle Style is appropriate. Because of its prevalence
today, white is also an appropriate color for wood trim.
(2) Staining wood shingles a color associated with the
early Shingle Style is appropriate. Leaving shingles natural is also
appropriate.
(3) Any proposal to remove exterior paint requires review.
The method causing the least harm to the wood should be used.
L. Additions and alterations. A principal goal of the
historic district is to preserve the integrity of the original design
of these highly significant houses. Because of their orientation to
the Atlantic Ocean, to the Clubhouse and to each other, these houses
do not have primary "front" and secondary "side" facades. The south,
east and west walls of these houses are all important character-defining
facades that were carefully designed by McKim, Mead & White. Additions
to and alterations of these walls would diminish the architectural
integrity of these houses. The Agnew House, the Sanger House, the
Hoyt House and the Orr House had original small service wings extending
from the north wall. These service wings are clearly secondary to
the main house in their size and scale and in their plain design.
(1) There should be no additions to the south, east or
west walls of these houses. There should be no alterations to these
walls except for the restoration of missing features.
(2) The original service wings designed by McKim, Mead
& White serve as precedents for proposed additions to the north
wall. An addition to the north wall should be: stepped back from the
side walls; modest in size and scale; secondary in character; and
compatible in massing, proportion, arrangement of windows and other
openings, roof form, texture and materials. It is appropriate for
an addition to be subtly differentiated from the original house. An
addition should not alter an important historic feature of the north
wall, such as a stair hall window.
(3) Any proposed alteration should not destroy a historic
feature that characterizes the house, diminish the architectural integrity
of the house or diminish the setting of the historic district.
(4) If a building program requires floor area greater
than what can be accommodated by the historic house and a modest north
addition, the option of placing some requirements in a separate building
must be considered.
In the Montauk Association Historic District
there are five nonhistoric houses. This classification is made on
the individual property sheets in the historic district designation
report. These properties are: 109 DeForest Road; 139 DeForest Road;
152 DeForest Road; 156 DeForest Road; and 1692 Montauk Highway. The
intent of review of these nonhistoric houses is to see that any changes
do not detract from the setting of an historic house and the natural
setting of the historic district as a whole. Therefore, any proposed
changes to a nonhistoric house should be judged for their compatibility
with the historic houses and with their setting.
A. A proposed change to a nonhistoric house will be judged
by the principles of compatibility found in the following "Guidelines
for New Construction."
B. The degree to which a proposed change will be visible
from an historic house, the Clubhouse Site, DeForest Road, the bluff
at the Atlantic Ocean, Montauk Point State Boulevard, and other roads
will be taken into account.
Most existing garages and outbuildings are located
away from the houses and are at a lower elevation where they can be
set into the landscape.
A. Accessory buildings should be located where they will
not detract from the historic setting.
B. Accessory buildings should not be placed within the
immediate lawn setting of the historic houses.
C. Accessory buildings such as garages, sheds and pool
houses should be small in scale and compatible with the house, its
setting and with the setting of the historic district.
There are five vacant lots within the Montauk
Association Historic District and there is the potential for additional
lots with the subdivision of two large parcels. In addition, there
is the potential for the five properties with nonhistoric houses to
be redeveloped. As these guidelines and the Montauk Association Historic
District Designation Report make clear, the relationship of the historic
houses to the environment and to each other is the critical value
of the district, Even with preservation of the seven Montauk Association
houses, the character of the historic district can be lost if new
construction intrudes on that setting and breaks up those relationships.
A. The site for a new house.
(1) The siting of a proposed new residence is the most
important ingredient in achieving a compatible fit into the historic
district.
(a) The 1881 Montauk Association site plan drawn by Frederick
Law Olmsted specifies the exact location of about two dozen houses.
(b) A group of 10 house sites and the Clubhouse site are
arranged along a ridge north of DeForest Road. These are the sites
with the highest elevations and were chosen for the seven original
houses. Today these houses retain the relationships to one another
and to the environment that Olmsted intended.
(c) On the plain south of DeForest Road, within the present
historic district, Olmsted drew only two house sites set far apart
so as not to interfere with the direct relationship between the houses
on Deforest Road and the ocean. On this plain there is one hillock,
but instead of placing a house on top of this rise, Olmsted placed
it on the forward slope, so that only the roof of the house would
be within the vista from the houses on DeForest Road. This is an example
of the attention Olmsted gave to the impact of each house on the setting
of the others. The second house site is also at a relatively low elevation.
Today there are two houses on this plain. In their relationship to
the topography and in their alignment these two houses fit into the
setting of the historic district in a different way from that envisioned
by Olmsted. There remain three vacant lots on this plain and the potential
for three new houses to intrude upon the setting of the historic district
and to diminish the vivid connection between the historic houses and
the Atlantic Ocean.
(d) Another group of 10 house sites is spread out along
an arc a considerable distance to the north of the original DeForest
Road houses. Olmsted envisioned this as a second informal range of
houses similar to those on DeForest Road. Today there are three houses
positioned more or less along this arc of Olmsted house sites. Because
these houses are set a good distance to the north and the historic
houses are oriented toward the west, east and south, they do not interfere
with any of the primary vistas from the historic houses.
(2) In evaluating a potential site for a new residence
the following guidelines apply:
(a) The potential for siting a new house according to
the 1881 Olmsted plan should be evaluated first.
(b) The site of a new house should conform to the rhythm
of houses and open space established by the seven original houses.
(c) The site of a new house should not intrude upon the
vistas from the historic houses and the Clubhouse site to the Atlantic
Ocean or vistas from one historic property to another.
(d) The site of a new house should conform to the character
of open space, the relationship to the natural topography and the
rhythm evident on the 1881 Olmsted plan for the Montauk Association.
B. The design of a new house. If a proposed new residence
is properly sited, a design that is compatible with the setting of
the historic district can be achieved. The seven historic houses are
quite consistent in size, massing and materials. These consistent
features mean that no one house stands out from the group. A new house
should also adhere to these consistent characteristics as detailed
in the following guidelines. Some of the nonhistoric houses in the
district were designed with these principles in mind and fit well
into the setting, such as the 1985 house at 152 DeForest Road.
(1) General.
(a) The Architectural Review Board shall take into account
the visibility of the proposed new residence from: the site, porches
and interiors of the historic houses; the Clubhouse site; DeForest
Road; the bluff at the Atlantic Ocean; Montauk Point State Boulevard;
and other roads. Priority will be given to the compatibility of the
most visible features of the proposed new house.
(b) In order for the Board to judge the visible features
and the impact of a proposed house on the setting of the historic
district, a mock-up of the proposed house on the site shall be required.
At a minimum, the mock-up shall consist of poles indicating the height
at each end of the main roof ridge and poles indicating the height
of the walls at the four principal corners.
(2) Restrained design.
(a) All elements of a new house should contribute to an
harmonious relationship with the historic houses and their setting.
(b) Creating a new design that embodies the best principles
of form, scale, proportions, materials, massing and rhythm of the
historic houses is encouraged.
(c) The conservative use of decorative detail would enhance
compatibility with the setting of the historic district.
(3) Size and massing.
(a) A new house that has the size and important dimensions
of the seven historic houses would fit best into the setting of the
historic district. The dimensions of a new house should be within
the range of the following corresponding dimensions of the historic
houses and should not exceed these dimensions:
[1]
Range in size (first floor and second floor):
2,000 square feet to 5,000 square feet.
[2]
Range of width of south facade: 32 feet to 54
feet.
[3]
Range of width of south facade including projecting
porches: 47 feet to 67 feet.
(b) The massing of the Agnew House and Hoyt House with
a main block and secondary wing to the north provides a model for
an appropriate way to break up the mass of a house.
(4) Roof form.
(a) The historic houses have a predominant gable-roof
form. Cross gables, dormers, porches and eaves at different levels
are used in a restrained manner to give a somewhat complex roofline.
(b) The roof of a new house nay be the most prominent
feature within the vistas from the historic houses. A wood-shingled
gable roof is a form compatible with the setting of the historic district.
First-floor eaves may increase the harmonious fit of a new house into
the setting of the district.
(c) Dormer windows, cross gables and other features should
be used with great restraint, especially on the roof slope facing
the historic houses.
(5) Height. Height is an important element of the design.
A lower building will be a less prominent feature of the landscape
and will interrupt vistas and relationships to a lesser degree than
a taller building. The height of a new house should contribute to
a harmonious fit into the setting of the district.
(6) Materials. The materials of a new house should be
in harmony with the materials of the historic houses, which have cedar
shingle roofs, a combination of shingle and clapboard siding, and
painted wood doors, windows and trim.
(7) Proportion and arrangement of windows and other openings.
(a) The windows of a new house should generally be rectangular
with a vertical proportion.
(b) The arrangement of windows and doorways should produce
a balanced facade.
(c) New houses should have a ratio of door and window
area to wall area similar to that of the historic houses.
In considering a proposal to demolish a building
or structure or component of a building or structure the following
guidelines apply:
A. No historic building or structure or significant component
thereof should be demolished.
B. The Architectural Review Board shall consider the
historic and architectural significance of the building or component,
the contribution the building or component makes to the historic district,
and the impact of its removal on the character of the district.
C. If an application for demolition is based on structural
instability or deterioration, a technical report prepared by an architect
or engineer is required. The report will detail the problems and provide
cost estimates for their correction.
D. Before approval can be granted to demolish a building,
the Architectural Review Board shall determine that all alternatives
to demolition have been considered.
E. The Architectural Review Board may require adequate
documentation of a building or component through photographs and measured
drawings as a condition of approval when there is no alternative but
demolition.
F. Before approval can be granted to demolish a building,
the Architectural Review Board shall require that plans for proposed
new construction or other use of the site be submitted and approved.
The siting of the seven original houses according
to the Olmsted plan is a critical component of their historic and
architectural significance. The seven historic Montauk Association
houses should remain on their original sites. In considering a proposal
to relocate a building or structure the following guidelines apply:
A. The Architectural Review Board shall consider the
historic and architectural significance of the building, the contribution
the building makes to the historic district on its existing site,
and the impact of its relocation on the character of the district.
B. Before approval can be granted to relocate an historic
building, the Architectural Review Board shall determine that all
alternatives to relocation have been considered.