The Shelter Island History Center project stemmed from a desire to shore up the aging Havens House Museum and protect the thousands of irreplaceable documents and artifacts we have collected over the years. The new History Center will house the Historical Society's collections and create new spaces for exhibits, offices, meetings and educational programs.
The new facility, being built to complement our Havens House museum, will consist of two levels, one below grade. The new space in its entirety will be approximately 2,800-square feet. The main level, which will be flooded with natural light, will include a meeting room, a space for curators and a 425-square foot climate-controlled archival vault where the Society's collection will be permanently stored. This will allow the Society to properly house, preserve and expand the existing collection of 100,000 documents.
The lower level will consist of a workroom, an exhibition gallery, collections storage and a mechanical room to supply utilities for the new building and the Havens House museum. The two floors will be connected by dual staircases and a lift to provide access for people with limited mobility.