Iconic Hamptons Mansion in Exclusive Gated Community Lists for $55 Million

A family home in the Hamptons on Long Island is on the market for $55 million. The property, in Wainscott, was built in 1877 and has only been on the market twice, according to Frank Newbold, of Sotheby’s International Realty, one of the listing agents for the property.

The name of the property, Kilkare, is a mythical Irish town, "where all of your cares fade away," Mr. Newbold explained. When naming the house the current owners wanted to draw from their Irish ancestry.

Kilkare is part of the exclusive Georgica Association, one of the few gated communities in the Hamptons with sailboat regattas for children and four communal tennis courts.

The owner is Eleanora Kennedy, who purchased the home with her late-husband Michael Kennedy in 1975.

Michael Kennedy,  a prominent New York attorney, best known for representing Ivana Trump in her divorce from Donald Trump, passed away last year from complications while being treated for cancer.

The couple restored and modernized the property, Mr. Newbold said.

Mrs. Kennedy was not immediately available for a comment but told The New York Times, which first reportedthelisting, that when they acquired it, the home was "perfect, but it was in a state of disrepair."

Now, Mrs. Kennedy wants to pass the home onto a new owner so that other families can create great memories at the three-storey Victorian beachfront "cottage," according to Mr. Newbold.

The property is a "quintessential Hamptons summer house," Mr. Newbold said, due to its classic New England shingle design and close proximity to the ocean.

The property was built in 1877 by ship carpenters and has one-of-a-kind carvings in every room with unique custom patterns on the ceilings. It is because of the ship carpenter’s construction skills that the home has been able to withstand hurricanes, Mr. Newbold said. The property is protected behind a rock revetment, and a bridge leads from the front porch to the water.  

More:Read About Hampton's Largest Home on the Market

"One of the most recognized houses on the beach in the Hamptons," according to Mr. Newbold, Kilkare has been featured in multiple magazines for its unique design and has also appeared in movies like 2004’s "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and 2007’s "The Nanny Diaries," stated The New York Times.

Highlights of the exterior include a wildflower meadow, a meditation garden, a 60-foot heated pool and a private walkway to the beach with 330 feet of direct oceanfront. The interior has been carefully restored with authentic details, pumpkin pine floors, nine fireplaces and ocean views from every room, according to the listing.

One of the most modern features of the 5,000-square-foot, seven-bedroom, seven bathroom cottage is the chef’s kitchen with state-of-the-art appliances, which used to be the butler’s apartment, according to Mr. Newbold.  

"It’s really an endless summer in this house," he said.

Frank Newbold and Beate Moore, of Sotheby’s International Realty share the listing with Ed Petrie from Compass.