Pyrrhus Concer Homestead to Be Razed and Reconstructed

Photo: A porch at the Pyrrhus Concer house from an expired real estate listing

51 Pond Lane in the Village of Southampton, the home of former slave and ferry captain Pyrrhus Concer will be demolished by its current owners but Mayor Mark Epley has said pieces of the historical structure will be salvaged and the building reconstructed at a different location.

Concer was born a slave into the Pyrrhus family in 1814, where he worked until the abolition of slavery in New York State in 1827. He then signed on to crew on whaling ships out of Sag Harbor. He was aboard the “Manhattan,” the first American ship to visit Tokyo in 1845. In 1849, he traveled to California to pan for gold. In later years, he captained a small ferry on Lake Agwam. He is buried in North End Cemetery with his wife.

According to an article in Newsday, on March 17, of this year, Assemblyman Fred Thiele Jr. declared the day Pyrrhus Concer Day in New York State to commemorate his birth.

The property, which can be viewed in a listing found on StreetEasy, was sold to David Hermer and Sylvia Campo for $2.75 million in 2013. At the time of their purchase, there were no known covenants or historic restrictions attached to the deed. The new owners planned to raze the house and build on the lot.

Subsequent to the sale, it was reported in 27East, a group of concerned citizens advocating on behalf of Long Island’s African-American history made their concerns known to the Suffolk County Legislature as well as the Village of Southampton’s Architectural Board of Review who declined to give permission to the new owners to raze the property.

Those advocating on behalf of historic preservation, according to the article in 27East included the chairwoman of the African American Museum of the East End, Brenda Simmons; the president of the Association of Suffolk County Historical Societies, Georgette Grier-Key; the president of the Eastern Long Island chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Lucius Ware; and the director of the Southampton Historical Museum, Tom Edmonds.

David Hermer and Sylvia Campo then filed a $10 million suit against the Village of Southampton.

A settlement was reached between the Village and the buyers in May allowing the building to be razed, but giving the Village 60 days to remove historical and architectural elements for future preservation.

As reported in 27East and Newsday, the Village contracted Strada Baxter Design/Build, an Amagansett historical restoration and renovation contractor, to salvage historical elements of the building to be used in a reconstruction slated for a future date on a site as yet to be determined.

Mayor Epley is quoted in 27East as having said that the Village is developing a plan to rebuild the structure and they are seeking a high-visibility location.

A lawyer for the present owners of 51 Pond Lane told Newsday that an agreement has been made allowing the Village to erect a commemorating plaque to Pyrrhus Concer at 51 Pond Lane.