Town approves plan to save Steinbeck home in Sag Harbor

The historic home where renowned American author John Steinbeck wrote two iconic novels now will be preserved for future generations in Sag Harbor.

The Southampton Town Board unanimously approved a resolution this week to put $11.2 million in community preservation funds — property transfer tax revenue the town uses for land acquisition — toward preserving the property.

The nonprofit Sag Harbor Partnership will contribute the rest of the money for the $13.5 million purchase of the Bluff Point Lane property from a trust named for the author’s widow, Elaine Steinbeck.

“Every once in a while we get to do something that is historic. I believe this is historic,” Supervisor Jay Schneiderman said. “John Steinbeck was really a gift to this community, a gift to our nation and really a gift to the world.”

The cottage Steinbeck purchased in 1955 and where he wrote “Travels with Charley” and his last novel “The Winter of Our Discontent” will be open on a limited basis to the public in addition to hosting a writer’s residency program operated by Elaine's alma mater, the University of Texas in Austin. 

Before voting Tuesday, the town board continued a public hearing from three weeks earlier to discuss details of the public access plan.

The plan mostly restricts visitation to one day per week, on Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. During the summer, access would be limited to two Saturdays per month. Expanded holiday open houses would be available on the weekends of Memorial Day, Labor Day and Columbus Day.

A maximum of 20 people per hour would be permitted, 10 by land and 10 via a proposed boat access plan. Besides the main cottage, the public also would have access to the hexagonal writing hut that looks out on Morris Cove.

The plan also would include a writing class that would be held one day a year for local high school students.

The Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas has committed to starting a $10 million endowment to run the writer’s residency program, according to Susan Mead, the co-president of the Sag Harbor Partnership. Those funds will be used to maintain the property and provide a stipend to writers.

Mead said the partnership is about $200,000 short of its fundraising goal for the $2.3 million it will contribute. The partnership recently started a GoFundMe page to try to help close the gap.  Mead said partnership officials are confident they can raise the remaining funds.

“We would not be here today if we were not confident,” Mead added.  

By Joe Werkmeister

joe.werkmeister@newsday.com

Joe Werkmeister covers the towns of Southampton, East Hampton and Shelter Island. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.

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