This Castle In Connecticut Is On Sale For $11.8 Million
A castle has hit the Connecticut real estate market, the Douglas Elliman listing stating that it is the largest castle in Greenwich. Located just 45 minutes from Manhattan, the waterfront mansion was built in 1902 by James C. Green and Israel Putnam, according to New York Post. The home has been referred to as Freestone Castle in the past and is currently referred to as Hemlock or Hemlock castle due to the street name. It also used to be owned by former Boston Red Sox owner, theater agent, producer, and director Harry H. Frazee.
While the word castle may conjure up a dark, demure image of heavy medieval architectural features, the home is surprisingly light and open; the listing agent, Stephanie Bo Li, emphasized both the natural light and structural lightness in the listing and in interviews about the property. She also noted that if the castle were built today, it would cost upwards of $15 million in construction and materials. The home is currently listed at $11.8 million.
A look at Hemlock castle
The exterior of the nearly 20,300 square foot castle is built with warmer brown, gray, and beige stone and an abundance of windows, as seen in the listing. The current owner told New York Post that she loves the stone exterior for its natural temperature regulation, keeping the home cool in the summer and warm in the winter. While it is a castle build, it carefully treads the line between elegant and gaudy, lavishness and garishness. The home is located on 4.18 acres of sprawling green fields, the brick driveway up to the main entrance lined with lush green lawns, bushes, and trees.
The back of the home isn't lacking in luxury, either, with tall hedges, multiple outdoor sitting areas, two hedge mazes, a courtyard fit for a true castle, a basketball/tennis court, lush private gardens, and what appears to be either a pool or small pond. The vast land of the home offers plenty of space for a multitude of potential builds — stables, a pond area, another building (if the interior 14 bedrooms aren't adequate), etc. Other buildings already on the property include a carriage house and a staff apartment. The home is also listed as waterfront property.
Inside the Connecticut castle
The inside of the 14 bedroom, 13 bathroom home, while definitely dripping in luxury, is surprisingly modest and domestic. Amidst the gold sconces and chandeliers, marble fireplaces, and Roman columns, are rich original wood details (per New York Post), intimate dining, living, and sleeping spaces, and bedrooms painted simple shades of blue, white, or wallpapered pink with polka dots for a child's room.
The entrance of the home is accessed through a wrought iron door and windows, which lead into the glamorous foyer. This room has marble floors, a raised lip around the edge of the room, two large windows, a small chandelier, and four Roman-style columns that frame a small two-step marble staircase. This level leads to a door and a hallway and up another set of beige marble stairs to other levels of the home. Two wrought-iron staircases at that level both lead up and directly into the dining room.
More of the 20th century build
The dining room up the main staircases is large and glamorous, exuding the luxury original to the early 20th-century build. The room has beautiful, yellow-toned hardwood floors that are original to the home, according to New York Post. The walls are a lovely cream color, complimenting the multiple large windows and high ceilings. There are two golden chandeliers hanging along the centerline of the room, as well as golden wall sconces in between every window. The room is big enough to seat at least 16 people, per the listing photos. There is also an original stone fireplace with stunning, ornate carvings.
The kitchen, which has honey oak-colored cabinets, medium-toned wood floors, granite countertops, luxury appliances, and a peacock green double oven/stove, is also host to a breakfast nook, offering plenty of space to eat. This breakfast nook is the size of most people's dining rooms, fitting an eight-seat table comfortably underneath the blown glass chandelier. Large windows and a door leading out to the back patio offer yet another place to enjoy mealtime.