12. Home of the Shelter Island Historical Society
Members of the Havens family lived in this house until 1913. For a few years, it passed through a succession of owners, and in 1925 was sold to a local couple, Mr. and Mrs. Frank B. Sherman, and they used it as a boarding house as well as their family home. In 1966, Mrs. Alice Sherman, by then widowed, agreed to sell the house to the Shelter Island Historical Society for a very reasonable price in order to preserve its history. The sale agreement included life tenancy for Mrs. Sherman, and when she died in 1971, the Historical Society took it over, making critical repairs in order to keep the house from deteriorating. In 2019, the Shelter Island History Center project was completed to shore up the aging Havens House Museum and protect the thousands of irreplaceable documents and artifacts we have collected over the years. The History Center houses the Historical Society’s collections and has spaces for exhibits, offices, meetings, and educational programs.
(End of tour. Return downstairs.)
Members of the Havens family lived in this house until 1913. For a few years, it passed through a succession of owners, and in 1925 was sold to a local couple, Mr. and Mrs. Frank B. Sherman, and they used it as a boarding house as well as their family home. In 1966, Mrs. Alice Sherman, by then widowed, agreed to sell the house to the Shelter Island Historical Society for a very reasonable price in order to preserve its history. The sale agreement included life tenancy for Mrs. Sherman, and when she died in 1971, the Historical Society took it over, making critical repairs in order to keep the house from deteriorating. In 2019, the Shelter Island History Center project was completed to shore up the aging Havens House Museum and protect the thousands of irreplaceable documents and artifacts we have collected over the years. The History Center houses the Historical Society’s collections and has spaces for exhibits, offices, meetings, and educational programs.
(End of tour. Return downstairs.)
Be sure to visit the Havens Store, which features items created by
local Shelter Island artisans. You may also visit our store online.
Anyone interested in learning about a specific topic can make an appointment with our Archivist through our website.
The Historical Society is a 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit organization. Donations can be made online at shelterislandhistorical.org or by mailing a check to PO Box 847, Shelter Island, NY 11964.
local Shelter Island artisans. You may also visit our store online.
Anyone interested in learning about a specific topic can make an appointment with our Archivist through our website.
The Historical Society is a 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit organization. Donations can be made online at shelterislandhistorical.org or by mailing a check to PO Box 847, Shelter Island, NY 11964.