"In 1887, Southampton was proclaimed 'the most charming of all small cities by the sea.' From 1870 to 1930, the colonial farmsteads that dotted its oldest street made way for the stately second homes of America's most fashionable elite. Hollywood royalty like Ginger Rogers and Jimmy Stewart lived and played in these magnificent second homes. Situated on the east side of Lake Agawam, South Main Street cottagers fished, bicycled, sailed and walked to the beach and into the village throughout the summer season. Today all but five of these grand landmarks survive. Local author Sally Spanburgh uses her historical and architectural expertise to tell the stories behind the construction of these beautiful homes and their remarkable owners"--Publisher description.

Founded in 1640 on the eastern end of Long Island, Southampton is New York's oldest English settlement. In its seaside scenes and structures, it still exudes importance and historicism. Nowhere is this grandeur more evident than among the residences associated with its original summer cottagers. Many of these splendid homes have graced the village's estate area since the 1880s and have been frequented by names still famous today, such as Gloria Vanderbilt and Henry Ford II. They survived Long Island's devastating hurricane in 1938 and witnessed the ebb and flow of trends in style, culture and design. Local author Sally Spanburgh uses her historical and architectural expertise to tell the stories behind the construction, preservation and lives of these historic structures, beginning with those found on the exclusive Gin Lane.