Today, a Lighthouse Keeper’s Former Connecticut Cottage Is a Coastal Dream House

Stonington, Connecticut, is an old hamlet in the southeast corner of the state, next to Rhode Island. It was formerly a fishing, whaling, and sealing port, but now is a quaint bedroom community. One house, located along the most southerly tip next to the Long Island Sound, was formerly the home of the lighthouse keeper. Now refurbished by internationally renowned architects and designers, it’s available for a hefty $10 million via Lori Joyal at Compass.

Back in 1901, the Secretary of the Treasury sent the following to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, seeking $6,000 for a new dwelling at the stone lighthouse at Stonington:

This Department has the honor to state at the instance of the Light-House Board that a recent inspection of the Stonington Breakwater, Connecticut, light-station has shown that its keeper’s dwelling is in a condition so unhealthful as to menace the lives of its occupants, there having been more or less sickness in every family residing therein during the past twenty years. The house is very old, no work has been done on it for a long time, it is past economical repair, and it is in such a condition of deterioration as to make it almost uninhabitable.

In 1906 (hey, take your time, Congress), Congress provided $6,000; two years later, a new house was finally built for the keeper by the Army Corps of Engineers. (The lighthouse itself was demolished and replaced by a skeletal tower in 1926.) The house was so well-built, it easily survived the devastating hurricane of 1938.

Today, the Point House, set on a 0.56-acre plot, is 5,854 square feet in size, with seven bedrooms, six bathrooms, and two half baths. Unlike in 1908, the house now boasts a heated gunite pool and an outdoor fireplace. There is also a dock that’s not very deep, 2 to 3 feet at low tide and 5 to 6 feet at high tide with two moorings, but there’s also a deep water mooring in the harbor.

Inside, the décor takes inspiration from the Costa Smeralda Yacht Club in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, with, of course, a touch of classic New England nautical flair. A trio of internationally acclaimed architects—Peter Marino, Oliver Cope, and Peter Cummings—helped create this spectacular home with their unique design ideas. The palette takes its inspiration from the water and sky with numerous shades of blue, including sofas covered in Japanese shibori indigo dyed fabric.

Of course, surrounded by water, there are stunning views throughout the residence. Multiple decks accommodate eastern and western views, as do the enormous nine-foot windows in the sunroom. The house features inviting nooks and crannies, as is typical in an old place, as well as indoor and outdoor fireplaces to make the most of the good weather. The kitchen is large and inviting, and there’s even a wine cellar.

Location couldn’t be better. A boat ride from your own dock to the gorgeous Watch Hill neighborhood, with its fantastic beach, is just ten minutes away.