For as small as it is, Shelter Island is full of surprises and this house occupying a privileged point on a peninsula is one of them.
Sited on 2.1 acres, “Congdon’s Point,” as both the house and the point of land are known, is a five-bedroom, five bathroom home of 4,490 square feet at the end of a .6-mile-long driveway. It offers expansive water views on three sides, and with complete seclusion, a sprawling home in which to get away from it all.
“The current owner loves the idea of being off the grid and the long driveway to a home at the end of a peninsula and no neighbors appealed to them right away when they originally viewed the property,” says Penelope Moore, the Saunders & Associates agent representing the listing.
“It’s a sanctuary where every element is a testament to elegance, and every view a masterpiece of nature,” she adds.
Construction on the house was completed in 2017 on a grandfathered site that allowed building the main house, guest house and pool. The house features cathedral and exposed beamed ceilings, wide-plank vintage oak floors and updated wide-width wood paneling throughout — much made of reclaimed New England hardwood.
“The idea was to build a nuanced home that embodies the best feeling of a country lodge, with the finest quality,” Moore says.
And that’s embodied in the 715-square-foot show-stopper living room with 24-foot ceilings and 10-foot-high windows, an oversize stone fireplace and built-in book shelves. The great room, which despite its size, manages to be uber-cozy, is large enough to accommodate a dining area that overlooks the yard.
At 232 square feet, the kitchen is designed and fully equipped for entertaining with commercial-grade Thermador appliances, including two dishwashers. The center island encompasses a prep sink and space for counter dining, with stools cleverly tucked away into a recession when not in use and that swing out to accommodate two people.
The custom upper wood cabinets are glass paned and the lowers are topped with polished-cement counters. A wall with open shelving separates the kitchen from a 155-square-foot eat-in area with a built-in corner bench that offers access to the porch. Completing the kitchen/dining wing are a separate bar and butler’s pantry.
Also on the first floor are an office, a half bath and the 268-square-foot primary bedroom suite and 217-square-foot bathroom with a soaking tub set in a bay window with a water view. This, and the other bathrooms, has a radiant heat floor and steam shower.
The second level of the house is in two wings, split by the living room’s cathedral ceiling. The east wing has a 350-square-foot ensuite bedroom with its own balcony, a sitting room of nearly 250 square feet with a built-in media wall and, down the hall, a full bathroom and an old-fashioned-style but updated bunk room. The two bedrooms in the west wing share a hallway bathroom. Both wings have ample closets. The basement is unfinished but contains storage spaces and a laundry room.
The exterior of the house was created for relaxation and entertaining, with expansive flagstone terraces offering ample lounging and dining options. The long covered porch overlooking the water has an outdoor living room and BBQ. On the other section of the house is a porch with retractable screen panels, which overlooks the 30 x 18 gunite pool with oversize flagstone paving.
Moore says the owners wanted the setting to “look as untouched as possible,” and kept the landscaping naturalistic with leafy mature trees, flowering bushes and hedges.
Next to the main house, but still with its own privacy, is a 957-square-foot (excluding basement), two-story guest house with a kitchen, game room, bedroom and bath, and a living room. The house attaches to a two car garage with an elevator-operated, heated underground spot for one car — perfect for storing a classic.
The area around Congdon’s Point is locally known as “Eel Town” for the eel and bunker fisherman who caught and processed their fish there (see Southforker’s story here). Moore cited other local geography within sight of Congdon’s Point: Reel Point, Mashomack Preserve, Little Ram Island and Taylor’s Island, the latter once called Little Cedar Island, was the summer home to the owner of the grand St. Moritz Hotel in Manhattan.
“It’s an extraordinary spot — a place that is hard to describe … a magical combination of nature, the saltwater and the woods,” Moore says.
Congdon’s Point is on the east side of Shelter Island, its penninula surrouned by Congdon’s Creek and Coecles Harbor. Nearby attractions include the Shelter Island Historical Society and the Sylvester Manor Educational Farm. Local nature sites include Mashomack Preserve, the Tidal Wetlands Area and Taylor’s Island.
The house at Congdon’s Point lists for $19,975,000 and the details can be seen here.
