Bulova

Dating from the 1880’s, the historic Watchcase Factory building has stood empty for more than 25 years. Integral to the historic development of Sag Harbor, it looms large in the community and its collective memories. At its peak in the 1940’s, more than 500 people worked at the factory and hundreds of houses were built in the surrounding village neighborhoods to house its workers during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Though changes and neglect have left the factory in a stripped-down, decrepit state, it retains much of its historic character and integrity, including its decorative corbelled brickwork and segmental-arched window openings.

The rehabilitation and restoration of the long-empty building will contribute a significant asset to the Sag Harbor’s trove of important historic buildings, signs of which now compete with those of abandonment and summer growth; beckoning the promise of change. Boarded windows and dark nylon veils add complexity to the site’s silhouette; poignantly contrasting the stages of decay and abandonment. This is a time when visual transformations proliferate.