Historic Northport B & B For Sale

If you are seeking a historic home with sweeping views of Northport Harbor as well as income potential, then the sprawling Italianate Victorian located at 214 Fox Lane in Northport Village just might be right for you.

The house is currently owned by Rita and Curtis Winkler, who realized their dream of becoming innkeepers when they transformed the 5,000 square foot residence into Hillcrest Manor Inn in 2009. According to Rita, the couple has so enjoyed operating the bed and breakfast that they have put their one-of-a-kind residence on the market so they can relocate and pursue their passion on a grander scale.

According to the marketing brochure prepared by listing agent Shelley Pierce of , the house, perched high on a hill overlooking the harbor, has a storied past.

It was originally built in 1860 by Henry Scudder Sammis for David Murray, a wealthy Tammany Hall politician.

“It was seen as the most ambitious and impressive home of its day,” Pierce said, adding that the details of this  mid-19^th century Italian villa-style Victorian include a flat gabled roof, a bracketed cornice, and a grand veranda perfect for entertaining.

When the residence was purchased as a summer home by Charles W. Dumont, president of the American Law Book Company, it became known as “Glendale.”

A historic brochure provided by a Dumont descendant reads that, in the early part of  the 20^th century, when Northport’s population hovered around 2,000 and the trolley still traversed Main Street, Glendale — which sat on 25 prime acres — was considered among the North Shore’s finest “country seats.’ It had all the bells and whistles befitting a ‘city home,’ including electric lights, call bells, speaking tubes, a tennis court, and in the days before refrigeration, an ice house with a 50-ton capacity.

The interior was lovingly updated in recent years with great care taken to preserve the “quality, craftsmanship, and historical charm that make it so special,” such that  the best of the past and the present have been seamlessly melded, Pierce said.

This “grand old lady of yesterday-year" is also a "contemporary lady” with energy-efficient features and modern accoutrements, Pierce said. The 5 bedroom, 3.5 bath home has central air conditioning, 12-foot ceilings, a banquet size dining room, hardwood floors, detailed molding and plasterwork, a wine cellar, seven fireplaces, vintage sconces and chandeliers. Chefs will delight in the luxurious, modern kitchen, complete with a Viking gas stove, Subzero refrigerator, and Miele dishwasher.

 “It is an oasis, a retreat,” Rita said of the home which sits on 1.5 private, manicured acres yet is only a short walk to Main Street, its shops and theater.

“This is a piece of Northport history. If you have ever dreamed of being an innkeeper, this is your opportunity. It is turn-key,” Rita indicated, adding that Hillcrest Manor Inn is top-rated by Tripadvisor.com.

To learn more, visit www.hillcrestmanorinn.com or give Pierce a call at (917) 363-9872.