In 1979, Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee and columnist Sally Quinn paid $220,000 for the crumbling 6,000‑sq‑ft Grey Gardens mansion on Georgica Pond. They launched an extensive restoration that cost an estimated $3 million, turning the 12‑room house from neglect into a functional summer home while preserving its quirky character.
Over three decades the couple hosted friends and family in the walls that once crumbled, turning the estate into a sanctuary from Washington's political grind. After Bradlee died in 2014, Quinn maintained the property until the decision to sell.
In early 2017 the estate returned to the market with an $20 million asking price; by December it closed at $15.5 million to an undisclosed buyer, a $4.5 million discount from the original figure.
The sale underscored that heritage‑laden Hamptons properties can fetch premium prices even as the region's luxury market cooled, placing Grey Gardens among the top ten most expensive zip codes that year.
The transaction marks the end of a 38‑year stewardship, leaving the mansion's next chapter open as its new owners plot future plans.