Veterans Memorial Hall

The history of Veterans Memorial Hall is hard to pin down. Researchers have found confirmation of the existence of a 1911 building permit for the site, but no trace of this stately Temple-style building on the property before 1930. A close examination of the building itself led to the discovery of a cornerstone that bears the date 1929. The generally accepted date of 1911 refers to the building as a new fireproof “opera house.” In a 1976 story in The Southampton Press, under the heading “65 years ago,” there is a note about a dinner for the village president and trustees where “the building of a new opera house to replace Agawam Hall” was discussed. Until it was demolished in about 1915, Agawam Hall had been the community’s meeting and entertainment center, offering everything from opera to acrobatics, high-culture oratory, and an appearance by Mrs. Tom Thumb. Could the report of the dinner discussion have led to a mistaken assumption that officialdom’s vision of an “opera house” had become a reality? Did the lapse between 1911 and 1929, and the empty space on the maps reflect endless discussions before the opera house idea was dropped? We know that by1932, the building was headquarters for American Legion Post 433, named in honor of Malcolm Ross White, a Southampton resident who served in World War I. We know, too, that at one point the building fell into private hands and the community, unhappy that it was no longer serving veterans as intended, launched a successful campaign to buy it back for the village. In1985, the building was formally dedicated as Veterans Memorial Hall, with a Vietnam Memorial added that same year. Today the building houses military artifacts, photographs and stories of local service members. It is also home to the Village Commission on Veterans Patriotic Events.