Big Duck Ranch
Also known as: Maurer Duck Farm
Why it's listed
Big Duck Ranch is an 11.3-acre former duck farm in Flanders, Long Island, where Martin Maurer ran a duck-raising and retail business from 1936 until 1984. The district centers on the Big Duck, a concrete-over-wire-mesh building shaped like a duck and used as a roadside store. It was moved away in 1987-88 and returned to its original foundation in 2007. Three farm buildings survive with it: a long wooden brooder barn, the last of six, where ducklings were hatched; a one-and-a-half-story storage barn with late-Victorian detailing; and a small stucco retail store. A non-contributing wishing well dates from 1976. The property is important because these buildings show how a Long Island duck farm operated, from propagation to storage to sale. The surrounding meadow, woodland and tidal wetlands along Birch Creek add to the setting. The Town of Southampton plans to restore the buildings as a visitors' center.
Significance in brief: The ranch is significant as the working farm setting of the Big Duck, a rare example of mimetic roadside architecture, and as a surviving record of Long Island's duck industry. Its brooder barn, storage barn and retail store each represent a stage of duck raising, storage or sale of products. It was recognized under agriculture and architecture.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 08000866, listed September 12, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1012 NY 24, Flanders |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | September 12, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08000866 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1936-1952 |
| Architect / builder | Martin Maurer |
| Architectural style | no style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Town of Southampton acquired the property in 2001; the Big Duck was returned in 2007 and remains a store and visitor information center owned by Suffolk County. The outbuildings range from good to poor condition and are slated for restoration as a Visitors' Welcome Center. |
| Acreage | 11.3 |
| Coordinates | 40.90921, -72.62063 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 08000866.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4905605
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.