Shore Cottage
Also known as: Lawrence Grant White and Laura Chanler White Estate
Why it's listed
Shore Cottage is a two-and-one-half-story stucco summer house with a slate roof, set on 1.7 acres at the edge of Stony Brook Harbor in Head of the Harbor. Lawrence Grant White designed it in 1913 as a guest house on his mother's Box Hill estate, and it became a wedding gift to him and his wife after their 1916 marriage. He added a north service wing around 1918. Casement windows, brick quoins, a Regency-style doorway and a screened waterside porch define the design, and the center-hall plan opens to harbor views. A board-and-batten barn that predates the house, possibly tied to an earlier shipyard, was converted by White into a stable. The property matters for its link to the Smith, White, Chanler and Emmet families, for the work of a prominent architect who later joined McKim, Mead and White, and for its European-influenced departure from the shingled houses typical of the harbor. It remains largely intact.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the property is significant in architecture, recreation and social history. It shows how the next generation of the Smith and White families developed the harbor, and it is the work of a prominent architect, Lawrence Grant White. Its harbor orientation, facilities for entertaining and revival-style design tie it to the larger Stony Brook Harbor estates, while its stucco and European-influenced detailing set it apart.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 93000707, listed August 9, 1993. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Harbor Rd., E side, Head of the Harbor |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | August 9, 1993 |
| Reference number | 93000707 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | c1850-1918 |
| Architect / builder | Lawrence Grant White |
| Architectural style | Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century Revivals |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as virtually unaltered from the period of significance; the barn has had minor changes that did not compromise its integrity. Current use is single dwelling. |
| Acreage | 1.7 |
| Coordinates | 40.89432, -73.17264 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 93000707.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7501295
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.