A dollar and a dream....house!

By: Lily Stolzberg

It was quite the site.  A house being moved on a barge from New Jersey to Glen Cove. A rather small tugboat pulled the barge that was carrying an historic beach house to an open lot in Glen Cove. It was amazing to watch as it passed the Verrazano and Brooklyn Bridges, sailed through the Long Island Sound, and slowly came to the North Shore of Long Island before being hoisted to it's new home.

While the whole move was something to see, so was the house. Anyone familiar with architecture may know the architects responsible for designing the home built in 1969--Robert Venturi and his wife Denise Scott Brown. They had a vision, ordinary, but special. The house is a simple box shape and about 1,500 square feet. On one side is a window shaped as a sailboat.  In the front a huge nine is painted--the house number it used to be before it was up-rooted to Glen Cove. 

So what does it cost to buy a house viewed as iconic? The new owners Robert Gotkin and Deborah Sarnoff say they got one heck of a deal. They paid just one dollar for the home that was in danger of being demolished. The catch? They had to pay $100,000 to move it. A small price to pay for what Deborah calls a national treasure. She and her husband are huge fans of the designers and already live in one of their homes. They plan to turn their new home into an adjacent guest cottage.

I think it's wonderful to see such passion in people. Here is a couple who in essence saved a piece of art. It's art that was created by renowned architects who took the ordinary and created something special. Even if you don't understand it, and I have to admit, I don't always "get" certain pieces of art, I admire people who love something so much they would go to such great lengths to see it preserved.

Comments

[larry c j]

HI Lily
that's a great story it must have bin something to see it being pulled on a barge that way,I live in Glen Cove I did not get to see it being towed but I'll have to check out the house sometime.Lily news12 is lucky to have you,your a very good reporter and I also think you are very Beautiful.keep up the great work,Take care Lily.

[Matt Hammer]

What a great feel-good story. It's good to see some positive news once in awhile. Although, I'm not sure I'd throw around $100 Grand to move a house to Long Island from a different state. I'd probably go to the house, instead of having the house come to me - just seems easier.

Also, during these tough economic times, I'm not sure how the majority of the tri-state area would feel about this story. I'd have to guess that many will find this story depressing. So many people are having a tough time just getting by these days, yet this story is about one of the very few families who aren't struggling financially.

I'd have to say I agree with Lily when she says "I think it's wonderful to see such passion in people." I also don't understand why some people view certain items as art. However, maybe they could've done something different, or better, with the $100,001 they spent on this project. Or maybe I just don't understand the "true" sentimental value of the home which could very well be the case.

Either way, it's a unique story and of human interest to many viewers. It was also covered by a reporter who knows what she's doing and is able to convey a good story to her viewers consistently. Lily Stolzberg doesn't mess around!