Amagansett  


First Amagansett Depot -  Amagansett depot, with Ira Baker (in suit)
along with assistants. c. 1909-1910. Archive: Art Huneke
 

Station Agent / Block Operator Ira Baker and Family c.1912-13. 
Photo courtesy of Arlene Girvin, Dave Keller archive

Ira Baker LIRR Station Agent:  A Railroad Biography

AMAGANSETT: BUILT: 1895, BURNED: 8/15/10 2ND DEPOT BUILT: 1910, AGENT AND FAMILY LIVED UPSTAIRS. ALTHOUGH BRANCH WAS OPENED TO MONTAUK, AMAGANSETT WAS A TERMINAL UNTIL 6/1/27 WHEN THE NEW YARD WAS OPENED AT MONTAUK. AGENCY CLOSED: 1958. DEPOT BUILDING RAZED OVER SEVERAL WEEKS DURING THE MONTH OF AUGUST, 1964 (The East Hampton Star: 08/20/64). REPLACED WITH WOODEN SHELTER SHED: AUGUST/ SEPTEMBER, 1964. HI-LEVEL PLATFORMS AND SHELTER INSTALLED: 1999 TO ACCOMMODATE NEWLY-ARRIVED C3 BI-LEVEL CARS WHICH WERE PLACED IN SERVICE JULY, 1999. (Robert L. Myers 1999 data) **FREIGHT STATION BUILT: 1895 STILL STANDING: 2003  Research: Dave Keller

Amagansett was a terminal. until 6/01/1927. Hence the engine house along with additional layup tracks south of the main., the numerous boarding houses, a bunk house and a coaling trestle. I was told years back by a veteran who stayed
at a boarding house, in Amagansett, that one woman owner used to provide bag lunches for her resident crew members to take for their runs!

It was a close community that kind of vanished after the Montauk yard was rebuilt in 1927. Some older railroad families still reside(d) there, such as the family of Leo Hantz, a LIRR conductor and brother of my late Aunt Catherine's husband Gene Hantz.  Leo and his family lived in Amagansett.  Uncle Gene wasn't a LIRR guy and he and his family lived in East Hampton.

A lot of LIRR train crews and engine crews that worked and/or "owned" the Montauk runs, owned houses or lived in boarding houses in Amagansett, the reason being that although the branch extended to Montauk, very few trains went the whole way out there and Amagansett acted as a terminal from the 1895 opening of the branch extension until 6/1/1927 when the new yard was built at Montauk.   Dave Keller

Amagansett Station 9/19 1911 Photo: Joseph Burt, Sr. Archive: Queens Public Library

Note: Although the LIRR opened to Montauk in 1895 with some trains going the full distance, most trains only went as far as Amagansett until the terminal facilities at Montauk were upgraded in 1927. Amagansett was a terminal for over 30 years!
Research: Dave Keller

Amagansett G54sa Camelback - Clement Eichhorn, James Eichhorn, Sr. 2nd from
left c.1902+  - Amagansett Historical Association - East Hampton Library

  Amagansett Station colorized post card - c. 1909

A postcard rear view of Amagansett Station when new (1911). While this postcard view was of the station when new, it wasn’t mailed until a year or two later as is evidenced by the cancellation on the back (see next image) George G. Ayling collection, Dave Keller archive

Back of same postcard, sent by Amagansett LIRR agent Ira Baker to LIRR block operator George Ayling at Central Islip and postmarked with an RPO cancellation in what looks perhaps like 1912 (cancellation is poor and hard to read). George Ayling spent some time working at Quogue and also under Ira Baker at Amagansett in 1910 and remained friends for many, many years. Ira Baker was a well-liked man and was the agent in charge in 1942 when the Nazi’s landed on the beach at Amagansett and attempted to take the train into New York City. George G. Ayling collection, Dave Keller archive

When the LIRR opened out to Montauk in 1895, very few trains terminated there. Most of them terminated at Amagansett, hence the terminal facilities. Many LIRR men boarded out there at a very popular boarding house within walking distance of the terminal. The woman who ran the house took good care of the men who stayed there, even providing them lunches to bring with them to work.

Some old timers upon marrying bought houses in Amagansett and East Hampton because their runs originated and terminated at Amagansett.

Amagansett School house, station in background postcard c.1905+

A valuation photo for the Public Service Commission by LIRR trainman Irving Solomon shot in September, 1958 when the idea of closing the agency and removing the building was proposed. This station was built in 1911 to replace the original one-storey structure that was destroyed by fire. The only photo I’ve ever seen of the original depot was a color postcard view shot from the rear. The 1911 Dutch Colonial structure with gambrel roof was demolished in 1964. Irving Solomon photo, Dave Keller archive

Amagansett color postcard c. 1930

This postcard view shows the 1905 four-room addition ("two up, two down") that was built on the front of the 1881 building. The slightly narrower original 1881 structure is just visible to the rear in this view. 

The 1881 structure, which as you can see had a simple gable roof. The site is now occupied by tennis courts owned by the Amagansett Village Improvement Society.

The school (it was the second school here -- the first was a one-room structure that stood in the middle of Main Street) was built in 1881 by George Eldredge of East Hampton, from plans drawn by P. Bergen Maryotte. It cost $$1,986 to build. The lot on which it stood was purchased for $500 from Captain Joshua B. Edwards.

That building soon became overcrowded (larger families then!) and a 4-room addition was built onto the front of the structure in 1905 by Everett W. Babcock at a cost of $4,900.

It was demolished after the third school was built in 1936-37 (nine classrooms and an auditorium) on the south side of Main Street. That structure cost $155,000. Research compliments: Peter Garnham, Amagansett Historical Association

  03/21/08 View NE 
Photo/Archive: Mike McDermet

Cranberry Hole Road - Amagansett
View SE 6/2019