The William Steeple Davis Trust
P.O. Box 371
Orient, NY
11957
The Trust was established in 1976 under the will
of Mr. Davis to"...provide a temporary place of abode for persons of good
character who are or have been actively engaged in cultural professions,
particularly in the arts, and who are without adequate funds to provide for
such accommodations." The 'abode' referred to in the will is Mr. Davis'
former home in the village of Orient, located at the eastern end (North Fork)
of Long Island, New York. The village is approximately 100 miles from New York
City and has a population, partly seasonal, of some 850. The surrounding region
is still semi-rural in character although a gradual conversion of farmland to
single ¬family housing has been underway for some years and seems likely to
continue. The Davis house is in a quiet location within sight of Orient Harbor,
within walking distance of public beaches, open fields and marshes, the post
office, churches and a small country store. Residence in the house would be
possible without a car but quite inconvenient. There is a limited bus service
to the nearest shopping center, Greenport, some six miles west. Limited bus
service from Orient and rail service from Greenport extends westward to the
more populated parts of the Island and New York City. A ferry transports
passengers and cars to New London, Connecticut, from Orient Point, which is
three miles east from the Davis house. The provisions of Mr. Davis will, as
cited above, obviously give the trustees considerable latitude in the selection
of "persons of good character" for residence in the house. In the
recent past the residents have been both single individuals and married couples
that are active in some artistic endeavor, usually painting, photography or
writing. These are not, however, seen as being limitations on the selection of
future residents. A resident's immediate (small!) family could be included if
willing to tolerate some crowding, especially in winter when only one bedroom
is efficiently heated. In summer two small, second floor bedrooms can be
utilized by family or guests. There must be clear understanding that unusual
care must be exercised at all times to insure that the house and its contents
are not abused. Because of the attendant risk of damage to an irreplaceable and
historically important resource, small children and animals must be excluded.
The range of professional activities definable as "cultural" for the
purpose of selecting residents can be fairly broad and could certainly include
artists in a variety of fields. The final provision of the will, that residents
be "without adequate funds to provide for such accommodations," has
been difficult to apply in any formal way but is a consideration in selection.
The most important selection criterion is that the person selected be "of
good character." The Davis house is, in effect, a museum of Mr. Davis life
and work and the primary concern of the trustees is that it be treated with
appropriate care and respect. Second only to the above in importance, is the
trustees' responsibility to ensure that residents' life style is in no way
disruptive of a quiet, conservative small town community which willingly
nurtures artists but does expect them to adhere to local standards. Loud
parties are, of course, precluded.
It should be understood that living in the Davis house
is quite different from life in a city apartment or modern house. Furnishings
and facilities are more reminiscent of the early twentieth century than of
current urban standards. There is a single, old-fashioned bathroom, small gas
stove for cooking, and refrigerator - no television (a resident could bring
their own set if desired). The property consists of a small two-story (6 room)
house, a separate good-sized studio building, and several nondescript
outbuildings used for storage. Central heating is limited to the lower floor of
the house and the studio is equipped with a gas heater. There is no air
conditioning. A certain level of ability and willingness to 'rough it' is
necessary. All gas, telephone and electric bills are the responsibility of the
resident, as are other costs, such as food, garbage disposal and
transportation. Essential maintenance costs for the buildings and lawn mowing
are covered by the Trust (maintenance has necessarily been somewhat restricted
by the limited scale of Trust resources). Smoking within the house or studio is
NOT permitted. The residence period will be fifty weeks, starting on October
15th in the current year and ending on October 1st in the following year. The
general expectation is that the resident will be in financial position to spend
their full time in residence involved in his/her artistic (or other
"cultural") work, since the main purpose of the Trust is seen to be
the support of such work. Full time residence is not intended to be simply
inexpensive housing for a person engaged in outside work apart from the
'cultural' profession that formed the basis for their selection. Compromises
may become necessary in the case of part-time employment or other gainful
activity that can be regarded as not interfering significantly with the main
creative purpose of the Trust. These should always be discussed in advance with
one of the trustees. The trustees are responsible for all Trust functions and
general supervision of the Trust property. A formal agreement between each resident
and the Trust will be signed, listing the responsibilities and rights of each
party (generally, those outlined above). Inquiries from persons wishing to
apply for the “year round residence” in the Davis house should be mailed to:
William Steeple Davis Trust, P. O. Box 371, Orient, NY 11957. No particular
format is required but the application should briefly address the following:
1)
Understanding of the general character requirements outlined above and
willingness of the applicant to meet them in full.
2) General
financial status of the applicant and plans for gainful activity, if any,
during the residence year. No actual numbers are required; however, an
expression of the applicant's ability to undertake the cost of utilities and
other attendant expenses associated with the residence would be helpful.
3)
Statement of the "cultural activity" to be pursued during the
residence.
4) If
appropriate, any evidence of achievement in the cultural field proposed such as
slides, brochures, affiliations, etc. No intrinsically or personally valuable
materials should be submitted.
Application should be received at the above
address by June 30, 2012.
The term for full time occupancy for the Trust
year shall be from October 15th, 2012 to October 1st, 2013. All material
submitted with applications will be returned following the selection process.
Any questions relative to this overview may be
directed to:
William Steeple Davis Trust
P.O. Box 371
Orient, NY 11957