left; Little Edie at Grey Gardens 1975
right; Grey Gardens, 2023
photography for this story- Gabby Stephenson, Miles Stephenson & Caroline SanPietro
Our Private Viewing
of the Iconic, Historic
Grey Gardens Estate
TikTok of Grey Gardens
As an almost 30-year homeowner in East Hampton, I am grateful for the efforts of the East Hampton Historical Society working tirelessly to value, celebrate and preserve some of the country's most historic homes and properties in the East End. It is my pleasure to write about their many events as they raise funds and bring the community together. The 38th Annual East Hampton House & Garden Tour is one the organization's most coveted annual events giving visitors rare glimpses of East End's most historic homes, many never seen by the public before. Today, I am thrilled to highlight the first house on this year's tour, and one of my personal favorites- Grey Gardens.
About The House & Garden- The shingle-style house was built in 1897 by architect Joseph Greenleaf Thorpe and located just down the block from the gorgeous Georgica Beach. The home boasts 14 rooms and a guest house with a tented cabana outdoor space. The house sits on almost 2-acres with a walled garden.
The Garden- Certainly one of the my favorite gardens in East Hampton, I was thrilled to be able to walk the property and garden imagining how it blossoms during the summer months. The late Fall garden is beautiful as well, and reminds me of my favorite childhood book, The Secret Garden. There are nooks and crannies in every corner to discover while reminding us of the Beale Family and honoring them with small details, like a little thatched-roof "Elf Hut" with a plaque in front honoring the Beale's family dog, Spot. In 1913, a Walled Garden was created by famed landscape designer Ruth Dean (wife of Aymar-Embury, architect of Guild Hall). She purposefully created a literal grey garden with soft grey hues complementing the grey dunes and sea mist from the nearby ocean.
The History- In 1975, the home owners (the Beale family) were the subjects of a documentary told through their lens, a tragic and personal story. Big Edie and Little Edie were a mother/daughter duo, (the aunt and cousins to Jackie Kennedy and Lee Radziwell). The two Edie's had fallen upon hard times and began to live in squalor in their rambling mansion sometimes with no electricity or running water, and they lived like hoarders. They hailed from a prominent 'old money' family who once enjoyed a glamorous, socialite lifestyle. The duo became recluses and even the village of East Hampton became legally involved for fear the home was posing a "health hazard". The story has sad and touching moments and many were (and still are) enchanted. The story was produced as a Broadway Show in 2006, and later an HBO television movie in 2009. In 1979, Sally Quinn and Washington Post Ben Bradley purchased the home and embarked upon a vast restoration of the run down home and garden. They added a tennis court and heated pool.
In 2017, fashion designer and lifestyle expert Liz Lange purchased the property and it once again got a resurgence with a shoring up of the foundation and restoring the diamond paned windows to the sun room, a new fountain, new brick paths and adding onto the gardens with a Wild English plantings. I just love the the little thatched garden hut (the Elf Cottage) as well as the outside bold striped and tented cabana with a Hollywood aesthetic. Liz Lange re-imagined the 'good bones' house restoring it to a glamorous home and exuberant gardens while paying homage to the past.
Happy Nesting
XO Tamara
