This impressive stone pile, completed in the 1930s for local luminary Robert Lion Gardiner, covers 10,000 square feet and sits on 5.5 acres in East Hampton Village, making it one of the finest "in-town" estates in the Hamptons. It pales in comparison to the late Gardiner's other Long Island property, the 3,350-acre Gardiners Island, situated in the bay of the same name, between the two "forks" of Long Island. That island is the sole intact royal land grant and, at the time of Gardiner's death in 2004, had been in the family for more than four centuries. The island, however, was occasionally inconvenient for the socially prominent Gardiner, so this stone redoubt, designed by architects Wyeth and King, became a welcome second home for the man who referred to himself as the "the 16th Lord of the Manor" and once said, "The Fords, the du Ponts, the Rockefellers, they are nouveaux riches." Sheesh! Well, following his death, this house was sold to a developer for $8.55M and he set about transforming it into something that might appeal to the nouveaux riche, with neon pool lighting, funky modern art, and the much inflated asking price of $26.5M. Despite the updates, the manor has spent almost two and a half years on the market without attracting a buyer.
· 127 Main Street [Zillow]
· Robert D.L. Gardiner, 93, Lord of His Own Island, Dies [NYT]
· Former Gardiner Estate Hits Market for $29M [Curbed Hamptons]
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