Former Ditch Plains Coast Guard Station Is On The Market

How cool would it be to live in an authentic lifesaving station? That opportunity exists because the 5.2-acre property—which once housed the Ditch Plains Coast Guard Station—is now on the market for $4.25 million, represented by Town & Country Real Estate.

The three-story home was constructed in 1930 as a Coast Guard facility, before it was decommissioned in 1954. Two years later, it was moved to its present location at 136 Benson Drive in Montauk. After a renovation, the colonial revival structure has been a private home. The gable roof, scale and shingle exterior make it comparable with other homes in the Montauk Association Historic District. Many original features add to the charm of the home—the roof line, dormers on the front roof, and the front porch, which retains the original posts, lintel, cornice and roof. “One can’t help but be captivated by the Old World charm of rich, sprawling wood floors, impressive crown moldings, and beautiful staircase,” explained Town & Country Real Estate.

The main floor of the 4,000-square-foot home features a large living room with wood-burning fireplace and formal dining room, which leads to an eat-in kitchen, den, guest bath, and laundry room. Views of Lake Montauk can be seen from the second-floor balcony off the front of the home. The master suite includes a private bath with clawfoot soaking tub. Two additional guest bedrooms and bathroom each have their own view of the lake and nearby reserve. The third floor, which included an office, two bedrooms and a bathroom, provides distant ocean views of Ditch Plains.

If you can’t live in an actual lifesaving station, second best is to live next to one. That is apparently what a limited liability company figured out when it paid $7.95 million for 1259 Atlantic Avenue in Amagansett. The 3,000-square-foot home features incredible indoor and outdoor living spaces, multiple decks, and elevated landscaping “that capture the myriad of panoramic views encompassing the sweeping dunes, natural reserve, ocean and surrounding historical architecture,” wrote The Corcoran Group, who represented the sale. Adjacent to this property is the Amagansett Life-Saving Station, a local landmark for over a century.

The two-level main house features a master suite, two guest suites with a central family room, and powder room on the ground level. Entertaining and living spaces with 360-degree views and “breathtaking” architectural details are on the second level. Strongly influenced by the Life-Saving Station, the principal strategy for the home stems from the utilitarian practice of hanging boats and other items from the station’s wooden post and beam structure. In a modern reinterpretation, the residence features an exposed steel structure that defines the main living spaces and forms a framework onto which other functions can be hung. Outside, a system of bronze bars was developed to hang the thick cedar siding boards in place without fastening through the wood, allowing the boards to expand and contract naturally with changes of temperature and humidity.

Amagansett also saw the sale of 120 Hand Lane—also to an LLC—for $5.88 million. The one-acre property has a 2,600-square-foot house originally built in 1920, which now contains four bedrooms and three baths, including master suites on both the first and second floors. Atlantic Avenue Beach and the Amagansett National Wildlife Refuge are nearby.

Near the former Ditch Plains Coast Guard Station, 145 Atlantic Avenue was sold to Max and Richard Dahlem for $3.4 million. Constructed in 1902, the beach house has four bedrooms and three baths. The glass-walled living room opens to a free-form pool, large decks, and lovely gardens. The beauty of this site can be appreciated from the roof-top deck overlooking acres of protected reserve.