Cile Downs — Co-Founder
Cile Downs was a founding member of APC. She was born in Waco, Texas in 1927 and moved to East Hampton in 1954 where she lived and worked for over five decades. A renowned painter whose many works convey a deep connection to the landscape surrounding Accabonac Harbor, Ms. Downs defined and shaped the organization. Her zeal and tenacity were perhaps best exemplified by her 15 year battle to save 17 acres of Accabonac meadow from development, a victory which resulted in a land preserve now known at the Barbara Hale Refuge.
Betty Franey — Co-Founder
Elizabeth “Betty” Franey (1922–2008) resided in Springs for more than 50 years and was a founding member of the Accabonac Protection Committee.
A dedicated community volunteer, she served as chairperson of the annual Fisherman’s Fair and president of the Springs Improvement Society, and participated in the publication of Springs, A Celebration, a history of the hamlet.
She was a founding member of the Cape Gardiner Civic Association in 1964 — the predecessor to APC — and was elected as an East Hampton Town Trustee, serving in 1984 and 1985. She also served as a member of the Springs Citizens Advisory Committee and as a trustee of the Nature Conservancy’s East End chapter.
Perdita Schaffner — Co-Founder
Perdita Schaffner (1919–2001) moved to Springs full-time in 1983 and became an active founding member of APC. A writer and literary figure, she published essays in The East Hampton Star and in journals including Grand Street and American Scholar, and contributed prefaces and afterwords to editions of her mother’s books — one of which was included in the Pushcart Book of Essays. She was a regular participant in literary and civic life in Springs, and became active on behalf of Bay Street Theater and other local causes alongside her environmental advocacy.
Sarah Lewis — Co-Founder
Sarah was a founding member of the Accabonac Protection Committee, but the APC was just one of several community organizations that felt her influence. With her husband Bill, she was active in the Springs Improvement Society and helped organize the beloved Fisherman’s Fair, held every summer at Ashawagh Hall. The couple lived in the “Barge House” on Louse Point Road, bordering the harbor—so named because it was built atop a World War I torpedo barge.
Sophia Duckworth-Schachter — Co-Founder
Sophia was born in London, England in 1935 and moved to New York City as a child. She would make it her life-long home. She graduated from Radcliffe College and received an MA from Columbia University’s School of Historic Preservation. Her passion for New York City architectural history was perhaps only surpassed by her devotion to conservation. After purchasing “the Hummock” on Accobonac Harbor, with her husband, she became devoted to conservation on the East End. She served as a board member of the South Fork and New York State chapter of the Nature Conservancy and as a patron of the Peconic Land Trust. Her son and his family still enjoy watching the ospreys and bald eagles from the property.
Founders Photo Gallery
