History of The Hamptons: “Old Money” To Ultra Rich
The Hamptons, a succession of coastal hamlets and villages on Long Island’s South Fork, embodies a dual-sided historical significance.
In its early days, the region bore witness to the growing spirit of American democracy through the 1640 settlement of Southampton, which established a self-governing community.
As time progressed, it evolved into an exclusive retreat for the nation’s elite, thus epitomizing the stratification of wealth and power.
This duality underscores the intricate evolution of American society, making the Hamptons an emblematic example of the country’s struggle between egalitarianism and entrepreneurial success.
In today’s video, we shall explore the evolution and history of the Hamptons “old money” elite through the centuries.
1. The Hamptons Before ‘The Money’ Came
Centuries ago, on the eastern shores of Long Island, a series of picturesque settlements collectively called The Hamptons emerged.
These towns withstood the American Revolution, blossoming in splendid isolation for over a century.
In the early days, Anglo settlers and native tribes coexisted uneasily, with figures like Lion Gardiner claiming dominion over the landscape, forming diverse communities that shaped the region’s identity.
From Sag Harbor’s lively wharves to East Hampton’s tranquil pastures, each hamlet hosted history’s unfolding theatrics.
The American Revolution transformed the once-placid sanctuary into a refuge for those fleeing the chaos of war.
The Montauk Lighthouse’s erection in 1796 marked a fresh chapter, with the area maintaining its pastoral charm despite the shifting times. The whaling industry’s decline in Sag Harbor in 1871 signaled the end of an epoch.
The Maidstone Club’s foundation in 1891 and the Long Island Rail Road’s advent in 1895 marked a new era. Yet, intrigue simmered; the Spanish-American War of 1898 transformed Montauk’s shores into a quarantine zone for soldiers, hosting figures like Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders.
Developers like Herbert A. Weeks and Carl Fisher eyed the bucolic terrain. Fisher’s vision of Montauk as “The Miami Beach of the North” sparked development, ultimately undone by the Great Depression. Nature’s wrath manifested in the catastrophic hurricane of 1938, which left a path of destruction. In 1942, German spies landed off the Amagansett coast, only to be apprehended by a Coast Guardsman.
2. The Hamptons In The 1950’s and 1960’s
Amid these triumphs and adversities, a vibrant tapestry of artistic expression started to blossom.
The 1949 Guild Hall Exhibition, organized by its then art committee chairman, featured works by Pollock, Krasner, and Balcomb Greene, despite initial hesitations. Some community members protested the “bohemian” activity associated with Guild Hall’s John Drew Theater, however the creative tide, much like the waters beside them, could not be stopped.
As early as the 1890s, artists had sought respite in this temperate landscape to ignite their creativity, but the 1950s and 1960s marked The Hamptons’ emergence as a true home base for like-minded artists, who expanded their avant-garde pursuits beyond their urban dwellings.
For these New York creative masterminds, The Hamptons offered sanctuary from the city’s relentless demands. Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, Miriam Schapiro, and Paul Brach were among the artistic vanguard migrating to The Hamptons in the mid-20th century.
Constantino Nivola and his wife Ruth’s estate in the Springs became a hub for social gatherings, attracting luminaries like Le Corbusier. Al Held and Sylvia Stone spent two summers near Sag Harbor, with Held’s landscape connection evident in his artworks.
Willem and Elaine de Kooning eventually settled in the Springs, with de Kooning’s Women series and later works influenced by the surrounding landscape.
Thus, in the 1950s and 60s, amid the area’s idyllic landscape, a flourishing creative community took root in The Hamptons, cementing its status as a haven for avant-garde pursuits.
As the artistic vibrancy of The Hamptons grew, so too did its cultural impact, transforming it into a nexus where history, wealth, and creativity would start to converge, thereby further enriching its significance in the American narrative.
2. The Hamptons In The 1970’s
Now, the 1970s saw the Hamptons transition from a bohemian haven to the ascent of its luxury era that many of us are familiar with.
The decline of the bohemian ethos of the mid-century Hamptons is perhaps best typified by the Bouvier Beale family’s story in the documentary Grey Gardens. The Bouvier Beale family was an integral part of The Hamptons’ social elite, boasting connections to high society and a lineage of wealth and privilege, but through their eccentric behavior and other-worldly antics, simultaneously became an archetype of the bohemian beach characters of a past era.
The documentary Grey Gardens centers on Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale and her daughter Edith, living in a decaying mansion in The Hamptons amid squalor and isolation. The duo, both in the film and in the area, was renowned for their idiosyncrasies and peculiar behavior. The Bouvier Beale pair most notably occupied Grey Gardens during the 1950s and 1960s when The Hamptons was esteemed as an artist colony and bohemian sanctuary.
The documentary achieved cult status and garnered acclaim as a cinema verite exemplar, presenting a poignant portrayal of two women embodying the duality of The Hamptons’ bohemian origins and the excesses of the ensuing luxury era, offering a captivating glimpse into the cultural and social transformations that elevated The Hamptons from a modest artist colony to a stomping ground for the rich and famous.
The unfolding of the late 1970s additionally witnessed the advent of disco, the emergence of the “me decade,” and a penchant for conspicuous consumption.
These trends molded the social milieu of The Hamptons, accentuating exclusivity, luxury, and hedonism.
As the decade progressed, The Hamptons began to morph into a refuge for New York’s aristocracy.
3. The Hamptons In The 1980’s
The Hamptons witnessed an escalation in affluence and extravagance during this decade, emerging as the preeminent summer refuge for New York City’s prosperous elite.
The association of the Hamptons with unbridled hedonism was solidified in the 1980s, fueled primarily by two factors.
First, the economic surge of the so-called Reagan era, after President Ronald Reagan, spawned a legion of nouveaux riches, and the Hamptons — endowed with breathtaking natural beauty and conveniently situated near Manhattan — swiftly became inundated by these influential denizens and their families.
Second, the arrival of illustrious celebrities such as director Steven Spielberg, Time-Warner chairman Steve Ross, actors Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin, and comedian Jerry Seinfeld, and designer Calvin Klein, who erected opulent homes in the area, garnered the Hamptons the moniker “Hollywood East.” Prominent socialites and style icons like Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis also maintained residences in the Hamptons during the 1980s.
This period witnessed a surge in lavish soirées, designer apparel, and conspicuous displays of wealth, establishing the Hamptons as a haven for those who sought the spotlight.
Prestigious venues such as the Maidstone Club in East Hampton served as congregation points for the affluent and influential, hosting high-profile events and parties.
Other notable clubs included the Southampton Bath and Tennis Club and the Southampton Beach Club, both of which offered exclusive amenities to their members.
Philanthropic events, such as the annual Super Saturday Charity Event founded in 1986 by fashion designer Donna Karan, attracted a glamorous guest list of celebrities, models, and socialites, raising funds for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund through high-end garage sales and silent auctions.
The 1980s also marked a significant shift in the Hamptons’ landscape, as a profusion of new homes sprouted on erstwhile potato fields. This construction boom transformed the rural character of the region and spurred an exodus of less affluent locals faced with soaring property values and taxes.
The Hamptons’ main streets underwent a metamorphosis as well, with gourmet food shops and upscale retailers supplanting traditional stores.
With each passing year, the Hamptons’ popularity and population swelled, resulting in congested roads and packed beaches that necessitated police intervention to manage parking lots. The Hamptons’ allure remained undiminished, however, as the region continued to draw the rich and famous to its shores.
4. The Hamptons In The 1990’s
During the 1990s, the Hamptons experienced a resurgence of nostalgic yearning for its simpler origins, prompting a return to the area’s inherent beauty and rustic charm.
This renewed appreciation attracted a diverse array of artists, writers, and actors, all seeking to recapture the essence of the Hamptons’ humble beginnings.
Notable figures such as playwright Edward Albee, artist Ross Bleckner, and actors Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward found solace in the picturesque region, inspired by the unpretentious lifestyle it offered.
The 1990s also saw the rise of farm-to-table cuisine in the Hamptons, as a response to the growing desire for locally sourced, sustainable dining options. Restaurants like Nick & Toni’s and The Living Room, both in East Hampton, gained prominence for their commitment to using fresh ingredients from local farms and fisheries.
In addition to the growth of farm-to-table dining, the 1990s witnessed the restoration of numerous historic structures throughout the Hamptons. Two such examples include the revitalization of the Sag Harbor Whaling & Historical Museum, which allowed visitors to immerse themselves in the region’s rich maritime past, and the the renovation of Guild Hall in East Hampton, which provided a venue for artists, writers, and performers to engage with the community and celebrate the creative spirit that had defined the Hamptons since its inception.
5. The Hamptons In The 21st Century
As the new millennium progressed, the 2010s witnessed the arrival of an unprecedented wave of ultra-affluent denizens, seduced by the allure of luxury and excess that the Hamptons had come to embody.
The chasm between the wealthy and the rest widened considerably as tech entrepreneurs like Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, hedge fund tycoons such as Bill Ackman, and international oligarchs like Roman Abramovich flocked to the coastal haven, seeking the prestige and status that had become synonymous with the Hamptons.
This influx of opulence manifested in the construction of increasingly extravagant homes and estates that dotted the Hamptons’ landscape.
The 2010s also saw the rise of exclusive gatherings and galas, such as the annual Watermill Center Benefit and the Parrish Art Museum’s Midsummer Party, which drew high-profile attendees from the worlds of art, fashion, and entertainment.
These events not only solidified the Hamptons’ status as a playground for the rich and famous, but also served to further cement the divide between the ultra-wealthy and the local community.
Complementing the lavish lifestyles of the new elite, high-end art galleries and boutiques began to proliferate throughout the Hamptons during the 2010s. Galleries like the Halsey McKay Gallery in East Hampton and the Tripoli Gallery in Southampton catered to the refined tastes of the ultra-affluent, featuring works by renowned artists and emerging talents alike.
Luxury retailers, such as Hermès and Ralph Lauren, further transformed the region’s once-quaint main streets into a high-end shopping mecca for the well-heeled denizens of the Hamptons.
In this manner, the 2010s brought about a significant shift in the cultural fabric of the Hamptons, with an influx of ultra-affluent residents and the ostentatious displays of wealth that accompanied them, leaving an indelible mark on the region’s identity.
With the onset of the 2020s, the specter of the COVID-19 pandemic cast its long shadow across the Hamptons. Affluent New Yorkers, in search of refuge from the chaos of the city, retreated to their summer homes, sparking an unprecedented demand for high-end real estate and placing a significant strain on local businesses and resources.
This tumultuous period witnessed the shuttering of mom-and-pop shops, the overcrowding of once-secluded beaches, and the overwhelming of healthcare facilities, as the influx of wealthy residents strained the region’s infrastructure.
Throughout the decades, the Hamptons has undergone a remarkable metamorphosis, transforming from a secluded sanctuary for artists and bohemians to a vibrant tapestry of culture, wealth, and luxury.
As the region has adapted to the changing tides of society, it has borne witness to triumphs and tribulations, ultimately seeking to strike a balance between the allure of extravagance and a return to its humble roots. The story of the Hamptons is a testament to the ever-shifting nature of human society, a complex mosaic of aspirations, challenges, and the enduring quest for harmony between the old and the new.
