Historic ‘Bridge House’ Just off Sag Harbor Village Hits the Market for $14 Million

Bridge House, the first home north of Sag Harbor Village after going over the LCpl Jordan C. Haerter Veterans’ Memorial Bridge, is now on the market, seeking $14 million.

At 10 Ferry Road in the Village of North Haven, the 2,322-square-foot home on 2.5 acres with 525 feet of waterfront is made up of an assemblage of historic structures, the oldest dating back to around 1850.

The seller is the estate of the late Jeanette Wagner, vice president emerita of the Estée Lauder Companies, who led the cosmetic company’s international division and, before that, worked in editorial and management roles for The Hearst Corporation, Saturday Evening Post and The Chicago Daily News.

Wagner, who died this year at age 92, had directed that a “significant portion” of the sale proceeds be donated to charity, according to Compass, the real estate firm that has the listing.

Kyle Barisich of the CeeJackTeam at Compass said Wagner was involved in a long list of charitable causes, many of them Sag Harbor oriented, including the Eastville Community Historical Society and John Jermain Memorial Library.

According to Compass, Bridge House once belonged to Joseph Fahys, of Sag Harbor’s watchcase empire, and it was also formerly owned by the Edwards family, who pointed out that in the 1950s a schoolhouse and the Catholic Church’s custodian house were moved from Sag Harbor Village over the bridge and put on the property and added to the existing house. Later additions include a dining room with cathedral ceilings.

The house has three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a large living room and three fireplaces — and potential for expansion.

“You have over 200 degrees of waterfront, and a lot of it is buildable,” Barisich said. He shared the vision that the next owner could take the second story of the existing structure and create cathedral ceilings throughout and add on a modern wing that takes advantage of the views and the light while maintaining the house as a historic structure.

“I would love to see that happen, because there’s a great way to kind of nod to the history but still bring it up to date,” he said.

Visitors to the house feel its history when they walk in the door, according to Barisich. “You don’t get the sense that it’s just a farmhouse or just kind of old saltbox,” he said. “You get the sense that something unique is happening there.”

He said it’s magical being inside the house and noted that a number of historic pieces are on view there, including a painting depicting the view from the property before the bridge was built.

The property also includes a freeform pool and specimen trees.

Barisich said Bridge House is for someone who loves being a part of village life but wants a home with a bucolic, separate, waterfront feel.

“This property is for a special buyer who understands this location and loves the village and loves being in North Haven and loves the history,” he added.