Hamptons estate that was F. Scott Fitzgerald’s inspiration for ‘The Great Gatsby’ asks $17M

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s cult-classic novel “The Great Gatsby,” about hard-partying Long Island millionaires in the ’20s, was inspired by actual soirees the author attended at mansions along the North Shore, aka the Gold Coast. One such locale, a French Normandy-style residence on Sands Point known as the Rumsey-Harriman Estate, is said to have inspired the book’s fictional East Egg, and as the Post first reported it’s just hit the market for $16,880,000. Designed in 1928 by none other than McKim, Mead & White, the 5.3-acre waterfront property was owned by Junior League founder Mary Harriman Rumsey, whose father was railroad tycoon E.H. Harriman and brother New York governor W. Averell Harriman. Fitzgerald spent a good deal of time at the home with Rumsey and her family, widely believed to have inspired Gatsby.

The home recently underwent a three-year renovation that retained its historic grandeur while adding modern conveniences such as energy-efficient HVAC and mechanical systems, a 10-zone Sonos sound system with in-wall speakers, radiant heat floors, and Lutron lighting.

Original details include moldings, millwork, ornate plaster ceilings, and oak floors.

The large living room boasts a fireplace with a mantle hand carved by Charles Rumsey.

Both the living room and the formal dining room overlook a limestone loggia, complete with separate seating and dining areas and an outdoor fireplace.

From the terrace, walk through the rolling lawns to 391 feet of private beachfront.

Back inside, a modern kitchen and breakfast solarium are configured for entertaining purposes. There’s a pantry, wine room, and plenty of storage.

Upstairs, the master suite features a large marble fireplace in the bedroom, a curved balcony, huge walk-in closet and dressing room, and marble bathroom.

There are 12 more bedrooms and 8.5 more bathrooms spread throughout the second and third floors.

Also on the property, you’ll find a caretaker’s cottage with a six-car garage, a historic four-bedroom beach cottage, boat house, and tennis court.

The Post points out a 2015 article in the F. Scott Fitzgerald Review that explains the connection:

In addition to helping Fitzgerald discover the lifestyle of the moneyed aristocracy of Old Westport, Long Island, and their involvement in the movement of eugenics as material for “The Great Gatsby,” Mary Harriman Rumsey shaped [Fitzgerald’s] view of the very rich and won his applause for her work in New Deal politics. There is a parallel, moreover, between the protagonist’s humbling and that of the author, each leading to recognition of the power of women and their role in politics.

Get an even better view of the property in the video below from Compass and see more architectural details in the photo gallery.

[Listing: 235 Middle Neck Road by Jessica Vertullo, Marina T Schindler, and Leonard Steinberg of Compass and 235 Middle Neck Road by Nava Mitnick of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty]

[Via NYP]

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• Architecture Day Trip: Visit the Mansions of Gatsby’s “Gold Coast”
• Douglas Manor Colonial for $2.7M Is Like Something Right out of ‘The Great Gatsby’

Photos courtesy of Compass