The world is looking at an uncertain future following this week’s election—America could be in peril or it could be of the verge of greatness (“again”), so now is a good time to hedge your bets. And the best way to do that might just be to buy an oceanfront home with its very own bunker!
Coincidentally, a unique property with a rare piece of World War II history has come up for sale in Amagansett Dunes for $9.5 million this week. What could be the Hamptons’ safest home at 45 Whalers Lane was once a US Army “cottage type” fire control station built in 1944, according to Douglas Elliman broker Tania Deighton, who has the listing with Terry Thompson.
Set on 1.4 acres with an expansive 228 feet of sandy beach, with adjacent 2.6-acre reserve, the original structure has been built up and renovated as a 4,000-square-foot, chic oceanfront contemporary with 4 spacious bedrooms, 4.5 newly styled baths and fresh architectural design. But the bunker, which has survived multiple hurricanes, remains at its core.
“It’s basically like a tower,” Deighton says of the bunker portion of the home, which comprises three stories, including a den on the ground floor, a walk-in cedar closet upstairs, and the basement below ground. The original exterior façades feature low profile windows and thick, concrete walls styled to appear like shingles or siding—one of which even had a bullet hole in it, though that’s since been filled.
Inside, large, heavy metal doors remain on the den and basement levels, allowing residents to have a clear picture of the home’s compelling history as a coastal observation structure. The building was designed to appear as a cottage, thus concealing its true purpose from invading ships and airplanes.
Through binoculars, the house looked like another coastal residence, but it was set in a perfect position to watch over the coastline and help defend it against encroaching enemies. This particular fire control station, called Location 11, was assigned to support 16-inch gun batteries 111 and 112 at Camp Hero in Montauk and Wilderness Point on Fishers Island, respectively. If the station crew spotted an enemy ship approaching, they would call the batteries with coordinates so the guns could destroy it with devastating artillery fire.
In 2003, an approval was received by the Zoning Board of Appeals to construct a 655-square-foot addition to the original residence, along with a brick patio, swimming pool and deck. The permit was conditioned upon standard environmental upgrades in addition to the creation of a façade easement to protect and preserve the historic portion of the structure in perpetuity. This 2003 ZBA approval was acted upon and received a subsequent building permit and certificate of occupancy in 2007.
The house now has a state of the art chef’s kitchen complete with double Miele dishwashers, oversized Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer, and 8-burner Wolf stove that would put any military galley to shame. A unique multi-level floor plan affords privacy for residents and guests, with large den, choice of 2 fireplaces for gathering, and 2-car garage. It has an ocean-facing master bedroom, and an upstairs deck offers stunning water views outside.
Along with the protective bunker, the property also includes a top of the line generator to ensure comfortable living—come hell or high water.
Click the link to see the listing for 45 Whalers Lane, Amagansett Dunes.
