Shore Thing
As you navigate from Sag Harbor Bay along the Gardiner’s Bay coastline you pass four low, sandy and narrow peninsulas. The first, bisecting Northwest Harbor and the bay, houses the Cedar Point Light, commissioned by George Washington. The second, Sammy’s Beach, divides Three Mile Harbor from the bay, and then the Cape Gardiner and Louse Point peninsulas protect Accabonac Harbor.
Architecture: This house was built to look outward and the design is a function of the views. It’s a trim, medium sized, nicely proportioned, boxy house with extensive decking.
Site: One acre with frontage on Gardiner’s Bay and Three Mile Harbor, and the kind of spectacular views you would expect.
The inside word: The Sammy’s Beach location is close to water, close to nature and far from conveniences and crowds. Once you are there you won’t want to leave, and this comfortable and stylish house is just the place to stay. The views are clear, and at $2.3 million, clearly what you are paying for.
It’s the Real Thing
Somehow, the recentness of new “Victorians” (as they are called) usually strikes us as overwhelming any historical references. What ought to be reasonable reproduction architecture often turns out to be bad counterfeiting. Perhaps new materials just don’t mix with authentic nineteenth century shapes, or perhaps current designers just don’t get it right. Let’s rejoice that we still have some fine, genuine Victorians in the Hamptons.
Architecture: Tall gable ends, a saucy little dormer and a widow’s walk balustrade all suggest a Gothic reach for heaven. A long horizontal porch anchors that upward thrust for a fine balance.
Site: Two acres with guest cottage behind high privet hedges in the traditional Southampton estate area.
The inside word: This could be an exemplar of a gracious, original cottage, as it was understood in the early summer colony. The style is not striving, not grand, but composed and collected. It’s upright, but not uptight. We see a buyer who is confident and assured, and has $7.5 million to back it up.
Devon-aire
In 1911 some wealthy families would head to Newport or Southampton where they bought or built very grand homes. A family headed to Amagansett, even an exceedingly rich one like the Ohio family who originally built this house, was looking for domestic comfort and summer pleasures rather than opulence.
Architecture: Fine, simple shingle-style design, rhythmically configured, from the period when that style shaped and defined an important American contribution to residential architecture.
Site: Nearly two acres in the Devon Colony, an exclusive enclave in the hills between Amagansett and Gardiner’s Bay.
The inside word: We like the 24 over 24 paned windows as well as all the older details of this house. The 1960s pool, roofed, with removable glass doors to convert it from indoors to semi outdoors does not really satisfy on either count. But the house and property are first rate and correctly priced at $3.5 million.