On Saturday, October 23, a model of the historic Village of East Hampton Hall building was installed at Mulford Farm on James Lane in a dedication ceremony led by Village trustees Rosemary “Rose” Brown and Arthur “Tiger” Graham and attended by board members of the East Hampton Historical Society.
The idea for the Village Hall model originated with Village trustee Rose Brown who thought a scaled replica of the mid-18th century building, known as the Beecher-Hand House, should be showcased in the Village’s 100th anniversary parade where it was first unveiled on September 25.
The 8x8x4-foot model’s construction, including materials and manpower, was donated by Ben Krupinski Builder whose principal Ray Harden led the team. Working from architectural sketches by James McMullan, principal of Fleetwood & McMullan Architects, they began construction in 2019. The model was hand-painted with trompe-l’œil details by Dave Mims of Mims Family Painting.
The model of Village Hall, joined by a model of the iconic Clinton Academy, resides under the roof of the 1770 Hedges-Edwards barn at Mulford Farm on James Lane which is overseen by the East Hampton Historical Society. Both models and restoration of the historic barn were donated by Ben Krupinski Builder.
According to “A Brief History of Our Village Hall” by Averill D. Geus, in 1800, the Beecher-Hand House was bought from a local physician by The Rev. Lyman Beecher — a Presbyterian minister, leader of the Temperance movement and father of Harriet Beecher Stowe who authored “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” In 1810, Rev. Beecher sold the house to Abraham Hand, a sixth generation descendent of John Hand of Kent, England and one of the 35 original proprietors of East Hampton. In 1994, the Village of East Hampton bought the historic building, located at 86 Main Street, for use as its Village Hall.