Quogue's Historic District Turns 10. Why Is Jessup Manor's Future Still an Open Question?

"We're not going down the road to strict landmarking," Mayor Robert Treuhold told a packed Quogue Community Hall at his State of the Village address this year. "Maybe if the village wants that, we'll consider it, but that's a big step."

That same address marked 10 years since the Quogue Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A few months later, a demolition application for 107 Jessup Avenue tested what that listing protects. The house is still standing. A Village board kept it up by relying on standards about neighborhood character and property values, and the next decisions about the house rest with people the 2016 listing has no authority over.

What the 2016 Listing Does on Jessup Avenue

The district was officially listed on February 2, 2016. According to the advocacy group Save Quogue, the Quogue Historical Society and individual residents did the work behind that listing. Jessup Manor counts as a contributing property within it.

That status did not keep a demolition application off the Village's desk. At the August 21 Design Review Board hearing, the applicant's attorney told the board he knew of no ban on tearing down the house based on its location in the Historic District or its National Register listing. He also argued that the Village Code does not require DRB review of a demolition permit at all. Historical Society co-chairs Chester Murray and Pi Gardiner had already told Newsday that the threat to the house showed how few protections historic properties have in the village.

Save Quogue states the gap more bluntly. The group says the Village's design review provisions "do not even use the words 'historic' or 'historical,'" do not identify the district, and set no specific standards for historic properties. In its reading, that leaves the DRB to rely on general tests such as neighborhood character, compatibility and property values. The Village has made some changes. Starting this year, permit applicants in the district have to say whether a structure "contributes to the historic nature" of the district. The mayor also said there are no formal guidelines yet and called the effort a work in progress.

The House the Listing Recognizes

The story of the house explains why so many people came to that August hearing.

Abram Edwin Enos built it in 1899. He was a Black Civil War veteran whose family had roots in the village going back to the 19th century, according to the Quogue Historical Society as reported by Newsday. 27east adds that he served in the U.S. Navy and was the grandson of a free, formerly enslaved man. His wife, Mary Nancy Lee, belonged to the Shinnecock Nation and to a family prominent in the region's whaling industry.

In 1920, his daughter Mathilda "Tillie" Enos Dent turned the house into the Shinnecock Arms, a boarding house for domestic workers who came to the South Fork with summer residents. In 1938 it appeared in The Negro Motorist Green Book. In 1954, The New York Age described it as "the oldest summer hotel" for Black Long Islanders.

Historians told Newsday that the house and St. Paul's A.M.E. Zion Church, which Lee helped found in the early 20th century, are the last remaining buildings tied to the Black community that formed in Quogue in the mid-1800s. Murray also pointed to the building's architecture. "It is an example of Victorian architecture that captures the boarding house era here in Quogue. It's one of the few remaining," he said.

The house went under contract to a custom homebuilder. The sale depended on demolition, and plans called for a seven-bedroom home in its place.

What Stopped the Demolition on August 21

The hearings started out covering two applications, one to demolish the house and one for new construction. According to the DRB minutes, the applicant withdrew the new construction application on August 18, which left only the demolition request. Board member Paula Prentis said the board still had jurisdiction because the Building Inspector had referred the application to it. Two members recused themselves. Sally Booth stepped aside because she belongs to the Historical Society, and Sarah Adams because she owns a neighboring property.

Newsday reported a standing-room-only crowd that applauded after each speaker. Former mayor George Motz said tearing the house down "is a mortal sin in anyone's mind." The vote to deny was unanimous. Prentis read the resolution, which found that demolition would:

"have a detrimental impact on the character of the neighborhood and the Quogue Historic District," reduce nearby property values and "adversely affect the general welfare of the area and the entire community of the village."

The resolution does mention the district by name. Its grounds, though, are the general ones Save Quogue says the code relies on: neighborhood character, property values and the general welfare. Save Quogue has argued that the code already supports this use of authority, because material exterior changes require DRB approval and "demolition is the ultimate form of material exterior alteration." The applicant's attorney disputes that reading, and that disagreement is where the next round starts.

Three Doors Still Open

The developer's attorney, Allan Hyman, told Newsday the plan was to appeal to the Board of Trustees. "Reasonable people can disagree," he said, adding that "we have a private property right."

Each possible outcome runs through a different decision-maker.

The appeal steps come from the DRB procedures the Village adopted May 21, 2026. The public agenda for the Trustees' September 18 meeting does not list a Jessup Manor appeal. That alone does not show whether papers were filed with the Clerk.

The Community Preservation Fund path depends on the owners. Southampton Town Supervisor Maria Moore told Newsday that if the owner is willing to sell, "we could then proceed and get the appraisals and make an offer and hopefully save the structure." The fund already plays a role in Quogue. The mayor has described a $500,000 grant for a rain garden near the Quogue Wildlife Refuge to filter runoff headed into the Old Ice Pond, plus a $1 million grant for bioswales around the village. At the August hearing, Gardiner said the fund had shown continuing interest in the house. She and Murray backed a Town purchase that would turn it into a museum, and the Historical Society has suggested the building could also serve as its headquarters. 27east reported that the Preservation League of New York State wrote to Moore in support of the museum idea and offered technical help. Brenda Simmons, president of the Southampton African American Museum, told Newsday that "a lot of us are now banding together to make sure, if there's any way possible, that this place will not be demolished."

The Historic District listing plays no role in any of these three paths. Its main contribution so far is the documentation of why the house matters.

What Happens at Village Hall Next

Here is the public timeline so far:

1. February 2, 2016: The Quogue Historic District is listed on the National Register.
2. January 2026: Per Save Quogue, the mayor announces that demolition and permit applicants must disclose whether a property is in the district and whether it is a contributing property.
3. May 21, 2026: The Village adopts DRB procedures, including the 15-day appeal window.
4. August 18, 2026: The new construction application for 107 Jessup Avenue is withdrawn.
5. August 21, 2026: The DRB unanimously denies demolition.
6. September 18, 2026: The Trustees meet with no Jessup Manor item on the public agenda.
7. Tuesday, October 20, 2026, 3 p.m.: The next regular meeting of the Board of Trustees.

The rules themselves are also under discussion. Save Quogue wants the code to explicitly allow denial of unnecessary demolitions on historic grounds, wants demolition and replacement applications reviewed together, and supports a six-month moratorium on demolishing contributing properties if code changes aren't ready. The mayor's stated position is to encourage respect for the district without moving to strict landmarking. Agendas and minutes are posted on the Village of Quogue Board of Trustees page, and that is where an appeal, a hearing or a policy change would appear first. As of today, the Trustees page lists minutes only through July 17, 2026.

At Stoebe & Co., we follow what Quogue's boards decide about the historic houses that give Jessup Avenue and Quogue Street their character, and how those decisions affect owners in the district. If you own a contributing property and want to know how the Village's review process applies to your plans, get on the VIP list and we'll send updates when the Trustees act.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.