For $2.25M, a historic timber and stone cottage in Southampton
All photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens
A unique timber and stone cottage in the Hamptons hit the market this week. Swiss-born carpenter Julius Frederic Imer built the home at 10 John Street in the early 1900s for himself. Imer designed the half-timber property to resemble the Alpine house where he was born, according to the Southampton History Museum, with timber, local stones, and wooden shingles. Asking $2,250,000, the home sits on about a quarter of an acre and has five bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths.
According to the local history museum, Imer was born in Berne, Switzerland, in 1852 and immigrated to the United States in 1869. After returning briefly to Europe, he later boarded the S.S. Atlantic back to America and survived the ship’s sinking near Halifax. He then settled with his wife in Southampton in 1892.
In 1909, Imer built the Swiss chalet-inspired home on John Street, reusing timbers from a carpenter shop, local stones, and hand-riven wooden shingles. In a 1913 article in The Southampton Magazine, the home was called “Chalet de Imer,” with photos of Imer alongside the property’s rustic interiors.
Interestingly, the images show the home with large stones on its roof, a Swiss tradition to protect the roof shingles against snow. The magazine described the roof stones as adding “much to the picturesque appearance of the structure and gave it a quaint and foreign look.”
Another notable tie to the property: AD100 designer William Sofield of Studio Sofield owned the home from 2006 to 2012.
Over 100 years later, the rustic chalet vibes on John Street remain. The entryway features stone floors and hand-crafted doors leading to the living room. A stone hearth and beamed ceilings add a cozy feel, with several windows bringing in natural light to brighten the space.
On one side of the home is a formal dining room, equipped with a second fireplace, and the kitchen, which has Viking appliances, laundry, a pantry, and a powder room. This room also has direct access to the patio and yard.
The other side of this level features the primary bedroom, which measures 20 feet by 10 feet. There’s an en-suite bath, a back stairwell to the second level, and a “breakfast porch,” according to the listing.
Upstairs, there are four bedrooms, two larger spaces with sloped, paneled ceilings and two smaller rooms. There’s also a full bath and several closets on this level.
The property also includes a detached garage, an outdoor shower, and a driveway. The open lawn has enough space for a pool, according to the listing.
[Listing details: 10 John Street by Robert Lohman of Brown Harris Stevens]
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