Imagining the past: East Hampton Histories

Breen, a prof. of American History at Northwestern Univ., was hired by the East Hampton (EH), NY, historical society to write a history of Mulford Farmstead, a weathered saltbox dating from 1680 and located on Main St. in the town. Breen, an outsider, historian, and amateur detective, set off to reconstruct the meaning of this property. In the process he encountered a fascinating cast of local characters, past and present, who have contributed to, invented, and reinterpreted the history of the town, all for their own purposes. He observes that the very forces that threaten the future of EH -- an unbridled quest for profit and a disregard for a fragile environment -- have always been present.Breen, T. H. is the author of 'Imagining the past: East Hampton Histories' with ISBN 9780201067491 and ISBN 0201067498.