Let's just get this out of the way: This two-bedroom cottage is in dire need of a complete renovation/restoration. The photos of the $845K listing give off a very "hasn't been lived in for a decade" vibe. And while the brokerbabble claims that, "Years of landscape love have gone into the the outdoor yard and surroundings"?so much so that it's been featured in Sag Harbor's annual garden tour?the .16 acre property has definitely see better days.
With that said, what you might find interesting about the 1500 sq. ft. "charmer" is its prior occupants. The home was once the Sag Harbor escape of artist Susan Rowland and her husband, the late Charles P. Sifton, a longtime judge of United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (and noted art lover). His name might not ring a bell, but you're most likely familiar with a few of his more publicized cases:
· In 1982, his opinion that the New York City firefighter eligibility test discriminated against female applicants led to the first female firefighter joining the NYPD. · He determined that the United States' seizure of RU-486 abortion pills that a pregnant woman had bought in France was illegal (a decision later overturned by the Supreme Court).
· He rejected an attempt to overturn the legislation that allowed Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and most other city elected officials to seek a third term in office.
As if that bit of backstory isn't already impressive enough, howsabout this? His son is none other than Sam Sifton?former restaurant critic and current national news editor of The New York Times. Just imagine what dinnertime around that table must have been like. · Listing: Village Antique [Sotheby's]