The pending restoration of Bridgehampton's Bull's Head Inn is explored by the Press this week, as plans continue to be reviewed for its conversion into a 22-room inn and spa. The property is currently owned by Bill Campbell, the former CEO of Philip Morris, who hopes to soon see his proposed hotel get underway after five years of delays. The Inn, which is functioning as a sample sale venue this summer, has a storied, varied history from the American Revolution to a more recent incarnation as a Target. If all goes according to plan, its turn as The Orchard at the Bull's Head Inn will add an elevator, 'a spa, a conference room, a pool, a parking lot and four cottages' sometime in the near future.
The roster of residents of the Bull's Head Inn include owners John Hulbert, Abraham Topping, Samuel Wilkeson, William Gardiner and Henry Corwith, all names that often appear in East End lore. As with most historical sites, preservationists have debated its true significance. The Inn is reportedly the 'the birthplace of the controversial Hulbert Flag, thought to be America’s first stars and stripes created in 1775 for a militia company led by Mr. Hulbert, though some claim the flag was actually created in 1840'. Stories like that make the property's conversion all the more complex, as protests have been loud and clear, despite cries that the structure is in disrepair. As it stands, the plans are being reviewed with State Environmental Quality Review Act, and Campbell hopes to have a start date in 2010.
· Bull's Head Inn has Long History [SH Press]