THE HISTORY OF MANHANSET CHAPEL


Manhanset Chapel was built in 1890 on the grounds of the Manhanset House Hotel. At the turn of the century, the hotel and the chapel served the posh New Yorkers who came east during the summer. The chapel was moved to its current location on North Ferry Road in 1924.

For the next fifty years, the chapel played an important role in Shelter Island life, most notably as the headquarters of the Junior Order of American Mechanics (lending it its other name, Mechanics Hall).

In the 1970s, Shelter Island artist Randy Osofsky lived in the Chapel and ran a gallery, Altervisions, in the main hall. The Osofsky family donated the Chapel to the Shelter Island Historical Society in 1986. For the next twenty-five years, it housed Historical
Society events, exhibits, and various tenants — most
recently the Mosquito Hawk Gallery.

Randy Osofsky and Stephen Kessler purchased
Manhanset Chapel in 2011 to restore the
Chapel to its place as an arts and
performance center for the island.

If you'd like to participate in this
revitalization, check out the kind
of events we host or contact us with
general thoughts and inquiries.

Website © Manhanset Hall LLC 2011 | 24 North Ferry Road, Shelter Island, NY 11964 | Image Courtesy of Mosquito Hawk Gallery | Website by Ryder Kessler