Dan's Papers - August 8, 2008 - Can You Say "Big Duck" In Turkish?

Barbara "Babs" Bixby, the self-proclaimed "simple little duck lady" who's been greeting visitors to one of Long Island's most famous landmarks for 14 years, can say "Big Duck" in Chinese, German and even Turkish.

"Buyuk Ordek," she said with a shrug. "Who knew?"

For locals, those who have passed The Big Duck on Route 24 - first in Flanders, then at Sears Bellows Park in Hampton Bays, and now back in Flanders - this unsolicited international education in a fowl-shaped classroom might come as a surprise. But for Babs, it's just an ordinary day on the job. "People come from all over," she said. "From China, the Philippines, India, Ireland, Germany - everywhere. Visitors from near and far make The Big Duck their destination."

According to Babs, on any sunny summer weekend day hundreds of people will pass under The Big Duck's big yellow beak. On slower days, which usually occur only when gray skies and rain keep travelers at bay, a few dozen people will still stop in for a taste of local history, and to perhaps pick up a t-shirt, mug, Christmas ornament or other piece of "duck-a-bilia." And soon enough, if all goes according to the plan of the Suffolk County Parks Department, the newly formed Friends of the Big Duck and other Big Duck devotees everywhere, those numbers will multiply.

That plan, which involves transforming The Big Duck into a major community focal point complete with concerts, carnivals and other family-friendly events, has recently been bolstered by the addition of the Big Duck Ranch to the New York State Register of Historic Places. While The Big Duck structure, built in 1931 by Riverhead duck farmer Martin Maurer as a 3-D advertisement for the Peking ducks he sold, was already listed on the State and National Registers, the surrounding 13-acre former duck farm site wasn't. Zachary Studenroth, director of the Sag Harbor Whaling and Historical Museum, was hired as an historic preservation consultant by Southampton Town, and submitted an application to the State Office of Historic Preservation. The application was approved in June, and inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places will follow, meaning more state funding for the restoration, preservation and possible expansion of The Big Duck site.

Many residents find the development of crucial importance to the East End. Said Chris Sheldon, president of the Friends of The Big Duck, a year-old non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the landmark's image, location and structure, "The Big Duck is a beloved symbol of all of Long Island, but it is also the focal point of the heart of the northwest quarter of Southampton Township, represented by the hamlets of Flanders, Riverside and Northampton. It really helps the image of the local communities." The group operates by the belief that the better the image of The Big Duck, the better the communities will be around it. Added Sheldon, "Look at what Sag Harbor was a few years ago, and what it is today. The same thing is possible for Flanders."

The Big Duck already has a lot going for it - more than other, perhaps slightly less quirky historic sites. It's spawned an entire category of architecture called "duck architecture," a term that was coined in 1968 by architects Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown, and refers to any building that's shaped like whatever it sells. "If you're in Florida and you go to a store in the shape of an orange, that's duck architecture," said Sheldon. Other examples of duck architecture can be found across the country, in the form of oversized hot dogs, mice, cows and more. Such offbeat attractions are the stuff of great road trips and photo ops, which makes it especially impressive that, according to Sheldon, "The Big Duck is the grand-daddy of it all." Also, in 2004, The Big Duck featured prominently in PBS's "wacky travelogue," A Program About Unusual Buildings & Other Roadside Stuff. On the DVD version of this documentary, The Big Duck even snags the main cover shot. Not bad for a former poultry shop at the end of Long Island.

For now, the first order of business for the site is to save its three other original buildings - a brooding facility, hatchery and equipment barn - from collapse. And then, more beautification measures (including outdoor base lighting), and, eventually, a possible merger with the rest of the property that runs from the Big Duck Ranch to Reeves Bay. This would bring the site up to 37 acres, which could become Big Duck Heritage Park, a $5-7 million project currently in the planning stages with Southampton landscape architect Tim Rumph.

Babs, for one, is quite excited about the recent and future development, and grateful to the many people who have worked to make it possible. "It's all thanks to the efforts of the public, the Department of Historic Services, the county, the town and everyone responsible for saving our little museum."

And who wouldn't want to fight for The Big Duck, which seems to speak to everyone - wherever they're from? Said Sheldon, "Anybody who drives by The Big Duck smiles. It just brings out the kid in you."

The Friends of The Big Duck meet on the first Tuesday of every month at the Phillips Avenue School in Riverside. For more information, contact Treasurer Fran Cobb at 631-727-5342.