Bill O'Reilly angers Montauk neighbors by tearing down classic cottage to build mansion

• Fox News host paid about $8 million for 1940s ocean-front cottage last year
• East Hamptons home had been built from old ships and reclaimed wood

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Published: 11:39 EST, 18 January 2014 | Updated: 11:39 EST, 18 January 2014

Fox News host Bill O'Reilly has ruffled feathers in his exclusive Montauk neighborhood after pulling down a charming 1940s cottage to make way for a mansion.

The host of the O'Reilly Factor bought the historic ocean-front Abbey Cottage for about $8 million last year.

The shingle cottage, built on an East Hamptons bluff, was the last of its kind after a spate of property developers razing older homes to make way for new ones.

New build: Fox News host Bill O'Reilly has torn down his historic East Hamptons cottage

Abbey Cottage had been built for $700 by magazine photographer James Abbe, during the Second World War, at a time when building materials were rationed.

The two-bedroom 600sq ft cottage, set on 1.5 acres, was built from salvaged wood taken from old sailing ships and a demolished mansion created by lauded New York carpenters the Dominys.

It had bunks modeled on an old whaling ship, and a modern heating system was never installed.

'It was so unique, I can’t even remember the last time something like it was torn down,' Theresa Eurell, of Town & Country Real Estate who had the listing, told the Daily News.

The cottage, which sat on a 42ft bluff, was torn down last month and the foundations of the new property have already been laid.

Hampton hideaway: The 1940s cottage was built on a bluff overlooking the ocean

Preserved: O'Reilly contacted an historical society in Mantauk to try to find a way to save the 1940s cottage

O'Reilly contacted a Mantauk historical society to discuss ways to save the house, but was unable to find a suitable option, the Daily News reported.

The new house, being built by Farrell Building Company, is likely to have similar cedar shingles when it is completed, according to the East Hampton Star.