Historic King House Reimagined

Captain Libbeus Vincent King, buried in the Wainscott Cemetery, was commander of the whaling boat, Susan. A letter written home acknowledged that on his last voyage, “The Susan, like most of the vessels of the fleet after 1850, was old and leaky. She leaked so badly by May, 1863, Capt. King put into St. Helena, and there the crew mutinied.”

But Captain King was able to return to his house in New Suffolk, which he had built in 1850, and where King Street is named after him. The whaleboat captain married a Conklin, and his descendants still live on the Twin Forks.

The Captain’s 150-year-old house has been reimagined and expanded by the current owner, but has kept the shipyard feel, incorporating lots of wood and even sailcloth into the design.

Completely renovated by renowned London-based interior designer Christine Kennedy, the $1.599 million home has three bedrooms and three and one-half baths, fireplace, and expansive water views. It’s only one block to the beach, where the first submarine base in the United States was located.

According to Victoria Germaise of Douglas Elliman, “A 93-year-old neighbor told me he learned how to play poker in that house when he was six.”

The family was clearly interested in history, judging by the photo of Isaac Vincent King, son of the captain, shown here in Revolutionary War garb, most likely for a reenactment or a festival in the early 1900s.

bridget@indyeastend.com