A historic house that was once a working windmill is up for sale for a hefty $11.5 million.
Known as the “Windmill House” of New York’s Hamptons, the rural property has a long and storied history. Built in 1830, it was turned into a residence by perfume company Fabergé founder Samuel Rubin in 1950. Celebrities from that time would flock to rent it out during the summer and, in 1957, it became a secret summer getaway for actress Marilyn Monroe and playwright Arthur Miller.
“They used to sneak away from the other property they were renting and sneak off to the windmill and use it as their love nest,” Douglas Elliman listing agent Bobby Rosenbaum told realtor.com. “They would shake the paparazzi off, because the paparazzi couldn’t see the windmill from the road and didn’t know they were there.”
Located 64 Deep Lane in the hamlet of Amagansett, the windmill house sits on 5.45 acres and overlooks the nearby Quail Hill Farm. Along with the windmill itself, the buyer will get a studio, a two-car garage and the sprawling forest grounds. Writer Kurt Vonnegut and actor Terrance Stamp were also one-time guests.
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The windmill was an actual working windmill until the 1950s when Rubin added a kitchen, a bathroom and a bedroom. While the third floor retains the windmill mechanics and a viewing area, the bottom two floors have been built for modern-day living.
Along with rolling hills, the outside has a patio, dining area, dog run and outdoor shower. Local zoning laws would allow the new owner to add up to 20,000 square feet of living space.
“This is a trophy asset,” Rosenbaum told realtor.com. “This is a property for somebody that has everything, but doesn’t have a windmill home. And you do have the ability to develop it, so it’s kind of like a hybrid of trophy, yet developable.”
The property has switched hands many times over the years but was last on the market in 2016 for $8.5 million. The owners have now listed it for $11.5 million in the hopes of attracting a buyer both smitten by its architecture and interested in waiting out COVID-19 in a historic place.
“We raised the price, and we feel that it has value,” Rosenbaum said. “That’s what he’s looking to get. There are other properties in the area that don’t match the magic this property seems to have.”