Preserving Black Heritage on Long Island: The Pyrrhus Concer Action Committee as Case Study

The effort to save the Pyrrhus Concer Homestead demonstrates how interdisciplinary coalition-building can support historic preservation efforts, centered around issues of equity and social justice.

In this Zoom webinar, we heard from the people behind the Pyrrhus Concer Action Committee (PCAC) design team as they discussed their journey to memorialize and reclaim the Pyrrhus Concer Homestead on Long Island. Demolished in 2014, the Pyrrhus Concer Homestead was finally recognized as a Historic Landmark by Southampton Village in January 2021. Pieces were salvaged before the house was torn down and preservationists have been working to bring it back to life and properly interpret it ever since. This conversation was led by Dr. Georgette Grier-Kay, PCAC’s principal investigator. She was joined by PCAC Founder Brenda Simmons, Southampton Village Mayor Jesse Warren, Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr., Environmental Planner Charles J. Voorhis, CEP. AICP, grant writer and fundraising consultant Nicole Jean Christian, Engineer Christopher C. Voorhis, PE, and Land Use Attorney Keith Brown.

According to the Southampton African American Museum (SAAM), “While a modest dwelling, it was a rare surviving example of Long Island vernacular architecture, similar to the few documented (mostly no longer extant) 19th century African American homes. Moreover, its provenance as the homestead of a prominent African American community member made it meaningful and significant to many residents of Southampton.” Though born into slavery, over the course of his life he would become one of the most well respected members of the Southampton community. After being freed as an adult, Concer went on to have a long and storied career as a whaler and boatsteerer. He is believed to be the first African American to enter Japan. And thanks to well-kept records including whaling logs and documents related to his local philanthropy, Pyrrhus Concer’s life is one of the most complete histories of a formerly enslaved person in America. As mentioned by SAAM Executive Director Brenda Simmons during the webinar, upon his death, Concer made gifts to the Presbyterian Church establishing a fund for windows and an educational fund — the latter of which was still active until at least 2015.

The fight to save, landmark, and resurrect the Pyrrhus Concer Homestead is a story worth exploring, with lessons to be learned for any preservationist interested telling a more complete story of our history.

For further reading on the efforts surrounding the Pyrrhus Concer Homestead:

Dr. Georgette Grier-Key is the Executive Director and Curator of Eastville Community Historical Society of Sag Harbor. She serves as the President of the Long Island Historical Societies and is on the board of the NAACP Brookhaven Town Branch. She is a valued member of the Preservation League of NYS Board of Trustees, serving on our Excellence in Historic Preservation Awards jury and chairing the Technical Services Committee. She was recently named Vice President of the board of the Museum Association of New York, a post she will take up this April. Dr. Key is an adjunct professor at CUNY Medgar Evers College and director of the Long Island History Institute at SUNY Nassau Community College. Georgette is one of the most outspoken advocates for the preservation and celebration of Long Island history with an emphasis on African American and Indigenous history. As a founding member and lead organizer of the Pyrrhus Concer Action Committee her continued work is leading to the rebuilding of the formerly enslaved Pyrrhus Concer’s homestead in the heart of Southampton’s Village.

This event was part of the League's Future of Preservation webinar series. Thank you to our sponsor, the Peggy N. & Roger G. Gerry Charitable Trust.

Future of Preservation, Preservation in Action, People Saving PlacesKaty PeaceBIPOC, Long Island