Town Stamps Landmark Status on Lyzon Hat Shop

The  officially named the 97-year-old  in Hampton Bays a historic landmark. The designation comes after the , which owns the building, submitted an application in January under the town's .

Built in 1915, the hat shop, which closed in 1968, according to town officials, met the town's Landmarks & Historic Districts Board's criteria as a historic structure and now joins it's neighbor, the and other buildings, such as the and 10 other structures as official town landmarks. 

“Protection of the hat shop, once an icon in the Hampton Bays community, is crucial to maintaining the character of downtown Hampton Bays, and underscores the Town Board’s commitment to preserving our invaluable historic resources,” said Councilwoman Bridget Fleming, who sponsored the resolution. 

Brenda Berntson, president of the said, "Hats off to the town for moving this project forward."

According to Berntson, the historical society has plans to renovate the hat shop, which was owned and operated by Walter H. King, who studied art at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, and his wife, Helen, a talented milliner, during the first half of the 20th century.  

The renovation, which will include a roof restoration, is being funded by a Suffolk County Downtown Revitalization grant.

The project comes after the historical society competed a renovation of the , which sits on the same property as the Lyzon Hat Shop. The historical society has plans to make the King House their permanent headquarters.

What other landmarks would you like to see preserved in perpetuity? Let us know in the comment section below.

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