Yesterday, a massive fire destroyed a historic oceanfront mansion on West End Road in East Hampton. The winds were so strong yesterday that the house was leveled within a few hours. (Video of the fire can be seen after the jump.)
The house, known as Heather Dune, was built in 1926 for Ellery Sedgwick James by Roger Bullard, the architect of the nearby Maidstone Club. The floor plan of the house was designed to make the most of the views of the ocean and Georgica Pond. Unfortunately Mr. James did not get to enjoy his home for long, dying in 1932 at the age of 37. The house stayed in his family for years, and then was eventually sold.
In 1998, Hard Rock Cafe mogul Peter Morton bought the house for ten million dollars, but the sale was dogged by lawsuits for years. Real estate tycoon Sheldon Solow said that he had arranged to buy the house too, and was accused of harassing Peter Morton. Eventually the deed was awarded to Morton. He sold the property to an LLC in 2008, but was recently listed as a resident in an application to the East Hampton zoning board regarding air conditioning.
· East Hampton Mansion Burns, 57 East End Road totally destroyed by huge fire [Mansions of the Gilded Age]
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