Rogers Mansion

For hours and scheduling information see: Plan A Visit

Watercolor of the Rogers Mansion by Kevin O'Malley

The headquarters and special exhibition space of the Southampton History Museum since 1943, this site features a assemblage of historic structures anchored by spectacular Rogers Mansion, spanning nearly 400 years of local history.

The land upon which the mansion now sits was allotted in 1648 to William Rogers (ca. 1606–1667) an early English settler. The main Greek Revival-style house incorporates elements of an earlier structure redesigned ca. 1843 by Captain Albert Rogers (1807–1854), a direct descendant of William Rogers. The house was further expanded by later owners, including Dr. John Nugent (1858–1944) and Samuel L. Parrish (1849–1932). Parrish hired renowned architect Grosvenor Atterbury (1869–1956) to redesign the property, a project that involved moving the house 100 feet back from Main Street to its present location in 1926.

History of the Rogers Mansion

Southampton's first English colonists arrived in 1640 and established a settlement nearby this site at the north end of Old Town Pond. In 1649, the colony expanded along the north and east side of Lake Agawam, with Meeting House Lane as the primary throughfare connecting the old and new settlements. The new settlement was divided into lots ranging between three to nine acres in size. The Rogers Mansion now occupies the lot awarded to William Rogers (ca. 1606–1667). William was born in England around 1606 and immigrated to Connecticut in 1640, relocating to Southampton by 1644. William Rogers moved west to join the English settlement in Huntington, NY, leaving his Southampton property to his son Obadiah. The house remained in the Rogers family for several generations.

Although the first house built on the lot no longer survives intact, Rogers Mansion incorporates timbers from an earlier structure that may date to the 17th or 18th century, possibly representing elements of the original house. Based on the size and shape of the older timbers, we can get a sense of what the earlier structure may have looked like, as shown in the rendering below.

Besides the old timbers incorporated into the Rogers Mansion, a separate 18th-century structure was attached to the east side of the house, creating a rear wing shown in the rendering below. The rear wing still remains today and is now used as the museum's kitchen and offices.

In 1842, Captain Albert Rogers (1807–1854) inherited the property from his mother Phebe Sayre Rogers (1785-1842). Albert was a successful whaler who commissioned the Greek Revival-style renovation of family's old house in 1843 to give it a more fashionable look for the time. Although he retired from deep sea whaling, Albert participated in whale hunts near Southampton's shore. Unfortunately, he died in 1854 from an infection after being severely injured when a whale capsized his small boat during an expedition from shore.

Captain Albert Rogers

Albert's widow, Cordelia Halsey Rogers (abt. 1809–1887), inherited the house after his death. At some point during her ownership, between 1873 and 1889, Cordelia sold the eastern half of the property allowing for the creation of Oak Street and Walnut Street. The sale established the 1.7-acre lot which the house currently occupies.

Cordelia and Albert's three children, Mary Rogers (1839–1919), Jetur Rose Rogers (1841–1919), and Edwin Herrick Rogers (1843–1926), were the last of the Rogers family to own the property. They sold it to Dr. John Nugent (1859–1944) two years after Cordelia's death. Born to Irish immigrants in Riverhead, NY, Nugent earned a medical degree from the University of Michigan in 1881. Upon returning to Long Island, Nugent partnered with Lemuel R. Wick (1831–1892) as a druggist from 1882 until the summer of 1883. From 1884 to 1887, Nugent maintained an office in Captain Charles Howell's building on Main Street. He was appointed Southampton Town Health Officer in 1887. Nugent purchased the Rogers Mansion in 1889 for his young family, making a few additions to expand the living space, including fashionable enclosed porches. He also added the Nugent Carriage House which still stands today just west of the mansion.

Dr. John Nugent

In the fall of 1899, Nugent sold the property to Samuel L. Parrish (1849–1932). Parrish was born near Philadelphia in 1849 to a prominent Quaker family. He was attended the Phillips Exeter Academy and Harvard University, graduating with a law degree in 1870. He established a law practice in New York City in 1877 and began to summer in Southampton along with many other wealthy members of New York's Gilded Age Society. Parrish became deeply involved with the local community, helping to build several long-standing institutions, including the Southampton Hospital, Parrish Art Museum, and Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. Today, these institutions continue to promote Parrish’s wide-ranging civic values, from education to medicine to the arts and culture, as well as sports and recreation.

Samuel L. Parrish

During his ownership, Parrish doubled the footprint of the house. He hired hired renowned architect Grosvenor Atterbury (1869–1956) redesign Rogers Mansion, ultimately moving the house back 100 feet from Main Street in 1926. The interior was also extensively redesigned to better accommodate and more lavishly entertain guests. Concerned that poorly designed commercial building might negatively impact the setting of his summer estate, Parrish also commissioned Atterbury to design several of the stores still standing along the Main Street side of Rogers Mansion.

The Rogers Mansion about 1900. Parrish and a young girl are pictured in the side yard.

After Parrish’s death in 1932, the house was briefly used by the Red Cross and YMCA. The property was acquired by the Village of Southampton from Parrish's estate in 1943. That same year, Southampton Village entered into a stewardship agreement with the Southampton History Museum (then known as the Southampton Colonial Society). More than 82 years later, the successful public-private partnership between the village and museum at Rogers Mansion continues today.

The Rogers Mansion in 2018

More detailed about this site can be found in the

Rogers Mansion Historic Structure Report (2017).