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.