Our Hamptons

Join Esperanza and Irwin for a journey into the rich, 300-year history of North Haven, with gratitude to the book by Don Taylor for providing much of the content. We'll explore the peninsula's transformation—from early 17th-century native lands to a vibrant retreat for whaling captains, the dramatic Fahys estate colony, the theatrical Actor's Colony, and present-day, including its inco...

Esperanza and Irwin welcome four members of the Ladies Village Improvement Society: LVIS President Joyce Tuttle, and members Leslie Clarke, Cass Lovett and Ann Gegelys. Together, we discuss how this historic, volunteer driven organization- it dates back to 1895, continues to shape the character of East Hampton and remains so relevant to who we are as a community. Listening is Believing.

Esperanza and Irwin look back on the days when Sag Harbor was the East End’s gritty blue-collar heart. This episode touches on whaling history, but delves deeper into the village’s industrial past, when bustling factories—Alvin Silver, Grumman, Rowe's and most notably the massive Fahys and Bulova Watchcase factories—drew throngs of immigrant workers and anchored the local economy. Listening is...

Esperanza and Irwin welcome Mark Parash, the owner of Southampton’s beloved Sip N Soda. Mark shares what it takes to keep the rich tradition alive in an ever changing eastern Long Island. Mark shares the family's history, going back a few generations, to the stories behind its loyal following, and how essential Sip N Soda is to the Southampton community. Listening is Believing.

Esperanza and Irwin explore the intertwined histories of Speonk and Remsenburg—two neighboring hamlets whose stories reveal a deeper, often overlooked side of the East End. From Speonk’s roots as a railroad hub and working-class community to Remsenburg’s evolution into a quiet waterfront enclave, we trace how geography, class, and development shaped their distinct identities. Along the way, we unc...

Esperanza and Irwin welcome Jeremy Dennis for a powerful and deeply personal conversation about art, identity, and reclaiming space. A Shinnecock Indian Nation artist and the founder of Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio, Dennis shares how his work challenges long-held narratives about the Hamptons while centering Indigenous presence, history, and creativity. In this episode, we explore Dennis’s ph...

Esperanza and Irwin look back on the summer of 2003. That year, Georgica Pond stunned locals when it seemed to “disappear” almost overnight. After a sudden breach of the ocean barrier, the pond rapidly drained into the Atlantic, exposing vast stretches of muddy bottom that hadn’t been seen in decades. While officials pointed to water management and environmental concerns, the speed and timing of t...

Esperanza and Irwin never heard of Great Gull Island before stumbling on a 2025 NY Times article about it. Located within 2.5 miles of Plum Island within the Town of Southold, the island's early history is as Fort Michie, a military outpost, dating back to 1886. But our focus is more on its role as a massive wildlife sanctuary, home to the Western Hemisphere’s largest Tern colony. It's also the st...

Esperanza and Irwin welcome Mia Certic, the Executive Director of the Montauk Historical Society. Carl Fisher's influence in Montauk's history goes beyond his physical legacy of the Montauk Manor, the Carl Fisher House, Star Island, but also his vision. Fisher saw Montauk as the Miami Beach of the north, a blank palette that Fisher could take as far as his imagination and money would go. M...

Esperanza and Irwin have discussed horticulture on the east end before. Tree collecting, while related, is a bit different. In the early 70's Alfonso A. Ossorio, the artist and sugar magnate, began amassing thousands of rare specimens of evergreens on his 60-acre estate, the Creeks. Horticulturists and tourists have come from all over the world to visit his arboretum. Ben Heller, the real-esta...

Our 100th podcast! Esperanza and Irwin welcome Glenn Purcell and Charles Keller. Glenn and Charles have done extensive research on the Dominys, an early American family of clock and furniture makers from East Hampton. Their partnerships over the past twenty years they've devoted to the subject include Charles Hummel, the Thomas Moran Trust, Preservation Long Island and the East Hampton Histori...

Esperanza and Irwin delve deep into one of the most unknown of East End stories. The Lindisfarne Association (1972 -2012) was a nonprofit foundation and diverse group of intellectuals organized by cultural historian William Irwin Thompson for the "study and realization of a new planetary culture". With a cast of characters from the worlds of art, science, religion, poetry and medicine (i...

Esperanza and Irwin welcome Season 8 and 2026 with Steve Long, the East Hampton Historical Society's Executive Director, and Hugh King, East Hampton Village and Town Historian. With our celebration of America's 250th birthday, Steve and Hugh take a look back at American history through a local lens. We'll also hear all the Society's plans for celebration throughout the year.

Esperanza and Irwin have had Robin's Island on their radar for quite a while. But it took a request from Colin, one of our listeners, to make it happen. (Thanks Colin!). Located in the Town of Southold, between Little and Great Peconic Bays, the island can only be reached by private vessel. The history is fascinating, and there have been numerous owners over the years. We'll transport you...

Esperanza and Irwin have discussed Freetown, East Hampton previously. It has been a stand alone episode, and has come up often organically. This episode presents Freetown through the eyes of Freetown resident Kevin Scott. Kevin cares deeply about Freetown's past, and is outspoken in his concern for its future. At its core, Freetown is an American story, and as often is the case, it's abund...

Esperanza and Irwin return to their sweet spot: the 1970's. 50 years ago, in the Spring of 1975, the Rolling Stones were arguably the biggest rock band in the world; some would say they still are. But facing a variety of tax problems in the UK, the Stones recorded throughout Europe, in addition to LA. But there was a special lure to Montauk in 1975, where the locals gave them their space. The hear...

Esperanza and Irwin are joined by journalist, community organizer and Springs resident Biddle Duke. We learned a bit of Biddle's early life growing up as the son of a diplomat, living abroad, but always returning to Wyndecote, the family's summer home in Southampton. Wyndecote was also where Biddle's uncle, Tony Duke began developing the camp by loading a bunch of NYC kids he met on the streets to...

The Long Island Railroad's “Cannon Ball” made its first trip to Montauk from Jamaica, NY in 1890, and operated until the 1970s. The continuous service was provided on weekday afternoons from Long Island City until 1951 when service was then provided from Penn Station. Originally, the Cannon Ball was a train composed entirely of parlor cars – the epitome of luxury – and many regarded the Cannon Bal...

Esperanza and Irwin welcome Sarah Kautz, the Executive Director of the Southampton History Museum. The question is an intriguing one: Did the Mayflower Pilgrims land at Conscience Point, Southampton as well as Plymouth Rock? Through a fun and free wheeling conversation, Sarah shares some thoughts and theories illuminating a fascinating part of American history, within the boundaries of eastern Lon...

While Esperanza and Irwin both share their personal connections to the Art Barge, this extraordinary story speaks for itself. While Victor and Mabel's lives were devoted to Art, they couldn't have been more different. Victor was one of 11 children of Italian immigrants, Mabel an only child descending from the original settlers of our country. Victor created the education department at MOMA, while...

Esperanza and Irwin go back to a far quieter Springs, September 1970. George Sid Miller's farm field became the launch site for a dream — and the scene of a tragedy. Three young adventurers set off in the Free Life , a hot air balloon bound for Europe, in a daring attempt to cross the Atlantic. But the balloon and its passengers vanished without a trace, leaving behind a mystery that still hau...

In this special episode, we sit down with Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic Paul Goldberger to revisit his seminal 1983 New York Times article, "The Strangling of a Resort." Over four decades later, we explore how his observations about overdevelopment, zoning failures, and the clash between preservation and profit still echo through the East End today. What has changed? What ha...

Esperanza and Irwin discuss all things Yard Sale with Sheril Antonio. Sheril's professional career as Senior Associate Dean and Professor at Tisch School of Arts at NYU speaks volumes, but on a different platform. In the early 2000's, Sheril and Irwin were a yard sale couple, spending countless Saturday mornings traveling the back roads from Southampton to Montauk. The journeys may have started as...

Esperanza and Irwin, spoke of Ben Heller during episode 81, Saving Barcelona Neck and the Grace Estate, East Hampton. Mr. Heller was part of the ownership of those properties, now in the public domain. But it's Ben Heller the Art Collector, that we speak of today. When he began seriously collecting Abstract Expressionism during the ’50s, museums like MoMA largely ignored the movement. Heller rushe...

Esperanza and Irwin welcome author Mark Torres, author of Long Island Migrant Camps: Dust for Blood. Mark's background as a labor lawyer helps us dig deep into a shameful, and not well known recent history. There were numerous labor camps on eastern Long Island to house workers for the numerous farms of eastern Long Island, on both the North and South Forks. The 29 camps in 1951 grew to 134 by 195...