Amityville Dominicans

Water Mill, New York

The Sisters of St. Dominic of Amityville, New York, realizing they had to sell their landmark Villa Maria estate in Water Mill, sought to preserve its beautiful waterfront surroundings. The 15-acre beach-front estate at Water Mill, Southampton, was built in the late 1800s. In the 1920s, when the Sisters purchased the property, the Hamptons were remote and ideal for religious orders seeking some seclusion. The estate buildings have remained virtually unchanged. The idyllic grounds, with a labyrinth and landscape artwork, also feature a 1200-foot waterfront along a stream connecting Mecox Bay to Mill Pond.

 

Villa Maria saw much use for a variety of ministries over the ensuing years, lately as the site of the Siena Spirituality Center for retreats, sabbaticals, and most recently to explore the connections between the New Cosmology and the Christian story. But escalating operating and maintenance costs made the site financially unsustainable, and the Dominicans decided they must sell.

 

The Sisters, in keeping with their congregational land ethic, sought a new owner who would keep the property largely as it exists today and care for the surrounding ecology and natural habitat. A high priority was maintaining the viewshed, an expansive vista across the Villa Maria lawns to Mecox Bay seen when entering and leaving Water Mill.

 

In addition, the Sisters were concerned with the desires and wishes of the Water Mill community. "The people of Water Mill have been very good neighbors to us," said Sister Margaret Galiardi, ecological concerns director at Siena. "We owe it to them to ensure that the sale of this property will continue the spirit of our time here." The Sisters had given a two-acre parcel to the town to establish a village green in 1934.

 

• After rejecting numerous offers from buyers who would use the property for commercial purposes, the Sisters chose a buyer whose plans would have the least impact on the property.
• As part of the sale, a 300-foot preservation easement will cover the property's waterfront, prohibiting any future development.
• Although the sale sadly marks the end of the Sisters' ownership of Villa Maria, they have ensured the continuation of their legacy for the community. And proceeds from the sale will be used by the order, which is based not far away in Amityville, to fund numerous social and environmental programs, missions and ministries in the US and around the world.

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