For Sale: A Stunningly Restored Ship Captain’s Cottage in the Heart of the Hamptons
When you visit the tony Hamptons enclave of Sag Harbor today, you’ll find all the makings of an upscale resort town—a harbor filled with leisure vessels, a charming Main Street lined with art galleries and high-end restaurants, and well-to-do homeowners that include a handful of celebrities. But the Sag Harbor of yesteryear (nearly two centuries ago, to be exact) sung a very different tune.
A former 1800s whaling capital, the two-square-mile village was once a busy port town, with the very best real estate reserved for whaling ship captains and merchants. One of them was Captain David Cartwright, who in 1835, commissioned a handsome Federal-Greek Revival estate in the heart of town.
That house, along with several others in the Sag Harbor Historic District, is just one of the few relics that remain of the once-thriving whaling industry. And if you’ve got a thing for stunning period homes with stories to tell, you’re in luck—because this beauty is for sale, and it’s 100 percent move-in ready.
Following an extensive renovation and restoration that took 10 years to complete, Captain Cartwright’s house is back on the market for a grand total of $6.8 million. While that might sound like a whale of a price tag, the investment comes with some equally grandiose features.
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From the outside, the 5,000-square-foot home makes a commanding statement with twin dormers and a pillar-flanked entry framing the original captain’s front door (now painted a deep ocean blue). The “wow” feeling translates to the interiors, too, where period details pair with contemporary upgrades and custom craftsmanship to create a space that feels truly one-of-a-kind.
On the ground floor, a pair of original parlors sport restored windows with original wavy glass and wood-burning fireplaces with antique mantles. Next door, an expansive chef’s kitchen wrapped in beadboard is a good example of the home’s spare-no-expense upgrades, with modern luxuries like top-of-the-line double ovens and a farmhouse sink offering contemporary conveniences for the new owner. (A charming Dutch door, coffered ceilings, and a rustic wood-planked island keep the space firmly connected to its past.)
Upstairs, the home’s four bedrooms feature charming details like paneled walls and gabled rooflines. A compact office, meanwhile, harkens back to the home’s seafaring past with a built-in officer’s bunk salvaged from a WWII ship and a custom “wallpaper” crafted from a collection of antique nautical maps.
Interested in captaining this stunning piece of real estate? The Sag Harbor escape is listed with the Breitenbach Advisory Team of Compass for $6.8 million. See more photos of the home below:
