In addition to consuming mass quantities of food and getting together with friends and family, folks have another reason to look forward to Thanksgiving. The East Hampton Historial Society will be holding their annual House & Garden Tour the Saturday after the holiday. Comprised of five homes, the tour highlights "some of the finest examples of historic and modern architecture in the Hamptons."
Tickets for the tour are $65 in advance and $75 day of. There's also an opening night cocktail party the night before at the William E. Wheelock House on Georgica Road (pictured above), one of the first "grand shingle-style cottages" built in the village. Tickets for that little soiree are $200 and include entry to the tour on the following day.
Those interested can purchase tickets through the Historical Society's website or by calling 631-324-6850.
East Hampton Cottage
Located near the village, this is probably the most modest of the homes featured on this year's tour. With interiors by a "prominent East End interior designer," the house is described as "East Hampton meets Nantucket via Harbour Island (Bahamas)."
Stafford Hedges House
You would expect a home that's been around for more than 230 years would have a little history associated with it?and this 18th century "half house" certainly does. Once owned by a close friend of Governor Nelson Rockefeller, it was rumored Mr. Rockefeller used the place for the occasional romantic rendezvous. In the mid 80s, its then owner forfeited the house to the government to settle Ponzi scheme-related charges. The home remained untouched, though in excellent shape, until its current owners' growing family led them to more than triple the size around 2006.
1894 Farm House
Originally built in 1894 by Capt. Samuel Loper, this Amagansett home recently underwent a painstaking two-year renovation that brought modern updates without compromising the integrity of the original design. In a little bit of cosmic coincidence, the current owner happens to be on the committee to restore the Amagansett Life-Saving Station?the very same building Capt. Loper worked from 1910 until his retirement.
Sayers Path
The most modern house on this year's tour is found in Wainscott. Designed by East End architect Maziar Behrooz (probably best recognized for the Arc House), the "home ingeniously incorporates hanging gardens and showcases a museum-quality art collection."
Tuscan Casetta
The fifth and final house on this year's tour is a newly built "Tuscan Casetta" (Italian for "cottage"). Located in East Hampton's Northwest Woods, the home combines modern building techniques and old-world aesthetics to create a residence reminiscent of something you might find in the Tuscan countryside.