Historic beachfront Shelter Island estate listed for $11.95 million
The 8,000-square foot home started life as a clubhouse for a nearby golf club. The owner describes it as "a quirky mix" of architectural styles. Credit: Brian Bailey
A 2.6-acre historic estate overlooking Peconic Bay in Dering Harbor on Shelter Island is on the market for $11.95 million.
The 8,000-square-foot home on Manhanset Road started life as a clubhouse built in 1913 for the golf club of what eventually became Gardiner’s Bay Country Club. It went up on the site of the 350-room Manhanset House hotel that was built in 1884 and burned down in 1910.
The current house, which has eight bedrooms and 6½ bathrooms, is a "quirky mix of Spanish-style stucco and red shingles but no clear architectural style," says its owner, James Goldman, who is selling after 20 years in the home.
The great room has vaulted, wood-beamed ceilings. Credit: Brian Bailey
Dering Harbor, considered the smallest village in New York State, consists of 200 acres within the Town of Shelter Island.
Located in the Shelter Island School District, the property has 300 feet of private beach, concrete bulkheads, a 150-foot dock with two hydraulic boat lifts, and a boathouse. Annual taxes are $49,969.
The rear of the property gets sunset views. "It’s a nature lover’s life," Goldman says. "The boathouse is on the beach and the water goes underneath us at times, and that’s magical."
The sitting room looks out over the water. Credit: Brian Bailey
Because the home wasn’t designed to be a house, the kitchen is on the lower level, says Gary DePersia of The Corcoran Group, who is handling the sale. There’s a great room with vaulted ceilings and a fireplace as well as a smaller living room with its own fireplace. The house also features a breakfast area, library, media room, office and private guest quarters.
Additional amenities include a barroom with an original soda fountain, billiard and game rooms, gym, and bluff-top hot tub. A separate cottage on the property could be repurposed as a studio. There’s also swimming pool overlooking the bay, but DePersia says it will need to be replaced.
"It’s a fantastic property," DePersia says. "Someone just needs to figure out how to bring it into the 21st century and make it spectacular and commensurate with the site."
Goldman agrees: "It’s a palette to renovate or finish off in your own style."
The swimming pool will need replacement, the listing agent says. Credit: Brian Bailey
