Cavett House To Rise Again

"Tick Hall" will rise again. In fact, the foundation is in. A painstakingly accurate reconstruction of the easternmost house in the century-old Montauk Association has begun under the supervision of Dick Cavett and his wife, Carrie Nye, who lost their historic shingle-style cottage last March 18.

The house was built in 1884, one of seven cottages designed by Stanford White, sited by Frederick Law Olmsted, creator of Central Park, and built for influential New Yorkers at the urging of Arthur Benson who had purchased all of Montauk in 1879. The association houses are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

A Giant, Deep Porch

Seventy-five firemen fought a losing battle against the fire that fed on the cottage. The Cavetts were at their New York City apartment at the time.

"It was a curiously Southern house, all porch, a giant, deep porch," Carrie Nye said in her native Mississippi drawl on Tuesday. "The interior wood, old Southern pine, tongue and groove, was the glory of the house. And the intricate woodwork on the ceiling. Finding that old Southern pine might be the hardest part."

Many irreplaceable things went up in the flames. Memorabilia from Mr. Cavett's many years as a talk show host, including a scuba tank given him by Jacques Cousteau, plus American Indian artifacts, paintings, and Ms. Nye's family furniture.

The Music Box

"My parents are dead. I had everything sent to Montauk. It seemed to be at home in Montauk," she said of the furniture. There was a much-loved Regina music box that turned to ash.

The shock of the loss lasted for months, until a friend called one day to say that a Regina music box was being auctioned upstate. It was purchased and the decision was made to rebuild, and to rebuild as closely as possible to the original McKim, Mead, and White design, right down to the doorknobs.

Only an anchor that had been placed atop the chimney, the chimney itself, and a brass bell that adorned a second-floor cupola remained - "and my beach glass collection," Ms. Nye added.

Plans Are Finished

The original plans were not found, but the architectural firm of Wank, Adams, Slavin Associates of New York City was able to draft new ones from photographs of the exterior and interior of the old house.

The firm's researchers even found the factory in England that made the fireplace tiles for the original house, and would make them for the reconstruction. "It's unbelievable. We have a complete set of plans and it's not a year since the house burned," Ms. Nye said.

Ms. Nye said the elevation of the bottom windows was known but not the top. A photo was found of one of her shih tzu dogs standing in one of the upper windows, its hind legs on the sill, front paws on a crosspiece. The window was thus measured and a new system of measurement invented, Ms. Nye said, laughing.

The Big White House

A photo feature story that had run in House and Garden magazine and interviews with those having an intimate knowledge of the old house helped.

She said she had but one gripe with those doing the research. "They wanted to keep it not painted. I told them it was white when we bought it." She said there was another reason to paint the house white again, recalling the time a man in oil skins came to the door to announce his lobster boat had run aground in the cove in front of the house.

He had found the big white house in the fog, and later presented the Cavetts with a bag of lobsters in gratitude for the brandy and the use of their phone.

Ms. Nye said the framing should begin in about three weeks, after the insurance company made its final settlement offer. Men At Work, a local contractor, will be doing the reconstruction.

The house was originally built for the merchant Alexander E. Orr, a member of the Produce Exchange and New York City's Rapid Transit c Board. It was dubbed "Tick Hall" in 1924 by Harrison Tweed and friends who called themselves "Ticks," "Tickesses" and "Tickettes." They had purchased the house for $15,000. Its value was estimated at $3 million at the time of the fire.

It was Mr. Tweed's yacht captain Joe Emmers who placed the anchor on the chimney.

Mr. Cavett and Ms. Nye also own the de Forest cottage next door, named for the original owners, the attorneys Robert Weeks de Forest and his brother Henry.

Ms. Nye said that Montaukers had been supportive and encouraging. "The local interest is fantastic," she said. It was Montauk's loss and it will be Montauk's gain rebuilt."