Landmark Montauk “Shingle Style” house hits the market for $18.5M

Here’s a quick history lesson: When developer Arthur Benson bought pretty much all of Montauk back in 1879, he created a private club for himself and six of his friends. The resulting seven houses — dubbed the Seven Sisters — along with a central clubhouse now hold historical and architectural importance. (For those who appreciate some good architectural name dropping, they were designed by the esteemed firm McKim, Mead & White and “sited” by Central Park design master Frederick Law Olmsted.) Now one of those “sisters” has hit the market for $18.5 million. The home was originally owned by William Andrews, the founder of Grolier Club, a private bibliophile-lover Club On East 60th Street. The 3,800-square-foot home was rebuilt in the 1990s and is being marketed by Douglas Elliman. Meanwhile, in June, the East Hampton Star reported that hotelier Sean MacPherson — whose portfolio of hotels includes the trendy Crow’s Nest in Montauk — had a plan before the local zoning board to reconstruct the clubhouse, which burned down in the 1930s, as a private home. [Curbed] [EHS] — Cathaleen Chen