Worth The Effort

The lovely waterfront property on Bluff Point Lane in Sag Harbor, less than 2 acres with a modest cottage and a small outbuilding, carries a price tag that seems a bit lofty even in these overheated times: $17.9 million. In part, that’s because it’s not just another piece of real estate begging to be wiped clean and rebuilt more ostentatiously.

To be clear, it is that — as so many properties are in the current market. But this one has a special connection with literary history, as the former home of John and Elaine Steinbeck, bought in 1955 and eventually evolved from part-time writing resort to full-time residence for the Nobel Prize-winning author.

When it first went on the market a year ago, with the Steinbecks both passed on, it seemed outrageous to even consider the possibility of paying proper tribute to its former owner, for whom Sag Harbor’s new waterfront park is named, by purchasing and preserving the property. Even though the idea had wide appeal locally, and an online petition collected 32,000 signatures in support, it seemed, frankly, like a pipe dream.

But it might be more. Last week, the Sag Harbor Partnership said it is working with a university partner to fundraise, with a vision of creating the Steinbeck Writer’s Retreat. Southampton Town is hoping to pitch in Community Preservation Fund revenue to the cause, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Colson Whitehead has signed on to chair the effort started by local literary fans, including Kathryn Szoka of Canio’s Books.

It’s too early to celebrate — and there’s still a chance that the property could sell to another buyer in the coming months. But there is real hope, and there could be momentum for honoring an important part of Sag Harbor’s, and the entire East End’s, place in the history of arts and letters. Full credit to those dedicated to getting it done.

It might have only been Steinbeck’s toward the end of his brilliant writing career, but it was the place where he was living when he received the Nobel Prize. He wrote “The Winter of Our Discontent” in the little writing gazebo on the site and based many characters on Sag Harbor residents. And he departed from the cottage on the voyage that resulted in “Travels with Charley,” one of his most beloved books.

The price seems prohibitive, but there is a bottom line to consider: When it’s gone, it’s lost to history forever. It is, truly, a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” as Susan Mead, co-president of the Sag Harbor Partnership, has described it. That makes it worth the effort — for everyone who loves Sag Harbor.