Frank Seipp honored for his impact on RVC community

Frank Seipp has been a driving force behind the Phillips House Museum’s legacy of preserving history while creating his own legacy in Rockville Centre.

Seipp, now 92, was honored Aug. 26 for his dedication to the Phillips House Museum as president of the Rockville Centre Historical Society and Phillips House Museum from 1994 to 2024, now receiving the title “President Emeritus.”

“It was never work for him. It was always just something he loved,” said Debbie Fehringer, who recently took over as the museum’s president alongside Mary Bossart.

Mayor Francis Murray presented Seipp with a proclamation for his achievements to the Rockville Centre community.

“Frank Seipp is one you want to model yourself [after]. Watching him and all he’s done for Rockville Centre and the Phillips House, he cares so much for it and making sure it continues to be successful,” said Murray.

A Navy veteran, Seipp served as a First-Class Hospital Corpsman from 1952 to 1956. He was honored by Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick for his service to his country and community last year.

He has also been an active member of the Church of the Ascension in Rockville Centre for 52 years, serving several roles.

He became an auctioneer, using his expertise to build the Phillips House Museum collection.

“We have the museum, really, because of Frank. I mean, the village rents us the house, but Frank has gotten most of the stuff that’s inside. He knew a lot of people in town because he belonged to a lot of clubs, and so people donated everything to the museum basically because of him,” said Tom Hodge, a member of the Phillips House Board of Trustees with Seipp since 1999.

One of these antiques was the “Mary Had a Little Lamb” motif settee donated by the Brooklyn Museum. Other items Seipp worked to get restored include an early 1800s dining room server and a vintage dollhouse, enlisting the help of local community members.

The Phillips House Museum became a chartered not-for-profit museum in 2009, serving as a “snapshot in time” of the 19th and 20th centuries. It’s one of the last Victorian homes to exist in the area. The museum’s philosophy is to serve both past and present, acting as a community space for all to enjoy.

“Over the years, under his tenure, there were all kinds of exhibits and functions, and he was just really a steady guiding hand,” said Fehringer. The museum has hosted concert recitals, art exhibitions, high tea parties, plays and pageants.

Seipp worked with Eagle Scouts at the museum, completing projects around the house, such as building a gazebo, planting a garden, and categorizing a collection of over 200 Victorian kitchen utensils, the largest collection in New York State.

He founded the museum’s annual “Antiques Appraisal Day,” where all the money raised is donated back to the museum.

For Frank, the Phillips House was a family effort, with his wife Toni Seipp and his daughter Carolyn Brancato also volunteering. Toni “still even takes phone calls this week for the museum” according to Fehringer.

He encouraged bringing friends to volunteer, and making a friend or two in the process.

“It’s important to know where we come from, the formation of us,” said Seipp.

In honor of Seipp, the museum will be naming its dining room, “The Frank Seipp Dining Room,” the part of the house where he conducted monthly board meetings.

“Everybody respects Frank. He’s a hard worker. He spent a lot of time being the president,” Hodge said. “When he had to go and do things for the museum, he was always open. He would listen to anybody, anyone’s suggestions, and try them.”

“We’ll keep doing the work that he started,” said Fehringer.

For information on volunteering, call them at (516)-670-5737.