Whaling Museum in Cold Spring Harbor gets $50G grant to replace chimney, roof

A state grant will help The Whaling Museum and Education Center in Cold Spring Harbor make repairs aimed at stopping water damage at two of its facilities.

The center has been awarded a $50,000 grant through the New York State Council on the Arts. 

Nomi Dayan, executive director of the center, said the money will go toward replacing the original chimney at the Queen Anne-style Wright House built in 1894 and for a new roof for the center’s museum gallery building.

“We’re very grateful,” Dayan said. “This is a nice chunk of change to help maintain the museum.”

The center is one of 144 arts and cultural organizations across the state that was awarded a portion of $42.3 million being handed out. Long Island organizations were awarded over $1 million earmarked for small and mid-sized projects, according to a news release announcing the grant awards.

"These projects affirm the pivotal role arts and culture play in our state's economic prosperity," New York State Council on the Arts executive director Mara McManus said in the release.

Dayan said that in 2018 the center’s buildings were evaluated to assess conditions for a remediation plan. The museum opened in 1942 and is dedicated to exploring Long Island’s whaling and maritime history. It’s in the Cold Spring Harbor Historic District.

The chimney on the Wright House was identified as a priority to be fixed.

“We’ve notice water infiltration, cracks, shadows, and water eroding the mortar,” Dayan said. “The money will go toward addressing structural concerns with the chimney, and that’s important for the safety of people and the collection.”

The house was built for Town of Huntington Constable Captain James Wright and is used for staff office and work spaces as well as storage for the center’s collections, she said.

The assessment also found the museum’s gallery building roof needed to be replaced. Dayan said that over the years the 1936 gabled roof with golden cupola has been fixed but it is time for it to be replaced. She said roof leaks, an increase in moisture levels and water stains on the ceiling have caused concern.

“The repairs will help protect our 19th-century whaleboat, which is right beneath the roof that’s going to be replaced,” she said.

She said she is not sure when the repairs will begin.