In the summer of 1957, newlyweds Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller, like many artists and literary figures of the time—such as Edward Albee, Jackson Pollock, and Truman Capote—escaped to the Hamptons. The couple reportedly stayed in a humble cottage at historic Stony Hill Farm in Amagansett, which is partly owned by Alec and Hilaria Baldwin today. To evade the press, they often retreated to a secluded windmill on nearby Quail Hill, a unique residence that was hidden from view.
This charming hideaway, known as The Windmill House, is now on the market for $12 million. Set on nearly 5.5 acres of mostly wooded land, the property offers complete privacy, bordered by protected land owned by the Peconic Land Trust. The windmill, built in the mid-1800s, originally pumped water for the farm for about a century before being transformed into a rustic guest house around 1950 by Samuel Rubin, founder of Fabergé Perfumes.
The property was later acquired in 1967 by philanthropic heiress Deborah Ann Light, who donated adjacent land to the Peconic Land Trust. The approximately 1,300-square-foot home features a cozy sitting room, a compact kitchen with a small dining area, two bedrooms—including an octagonal room upstairs—and a bathroom. The third floor remains unfinished, retaining the windmill’s mechanical equipment.
Outside, a large brick patio offers a spot to enjoy sea breezes, along with a detached two-car garage and a small accessory building previously used as an art studio. Over the years, The Windmill House has also hosted various decorators, designers, English actor Terence Stamp, and satirical novelist Kurt Vonnegut.
Listing agent Bobby Rosenbaum of Douglas Elliman described the property’s surroundings as a place where you can truly feel the power of nature. Despite its storied past, the property’s true value lies in its potential for development, with the possibility of building a residence of up to 20,000 square feet that offers distant views of the Atlantic Ocean and Montauk/Napeague Bay.
