Listing of the Day
Location: Alton, New Hampshire Price: $25.8 million (or $12.9 million each)
The land at Longview—the name of the two-home bundle on Lake Winnipesaukee—in the small town of Alton, was Camp Alton before the Bahre family purchased it in the mid-1990s.
When the camp’s founder, Philip Marson, first laid eyes on the land in the mid-1930s, he wrote about it in his book "A Teacher Speaks": "It was beyond my most Utopian dreams. It was, mirabile dictu, everything I was looking for; as a result no other place, however suitable, pleased me thereafter."
Longview came to be known as the most valuable estate in New Hampshire. "It has been the most expensive property on the market since it first came on at $49 million [in 2014]," said Kristin Hayes Claire, the broker for the property. Even with its current price, "it remains the most expensive in the state." Its sheltered geography, on the edge of the 28-mile Lake Winnipesaukee and on a peninsula known as Clay Point, provides an oasis for adventurers and nature lovers.
More:Most Expensive Estate in New Hampshire Halves its Price
Gary Bahre resided in the five-bedroom house at 142 Hopewell Road, and his parents, Sandra and Bob Bahre—founders of New Hampshire Motor Speedway—resided next door at the 144 Hopewell Road, which has seven bedrooms.
"My favorite feature is the old granite amphitheater built into the hillside—a leftover from the boys’ camp," Ms. Claire said.
And there’s another interesting element in one of the homes.
"There is a secret staircase behind a bookshelf," Ms. Claire said. "It leads to a second floor room full of Gary's music memorabilia."
The Stats
Within the two separate homes there are 12 bedrooms and 26 bathrooms, 63,029 square feet and 16.56 acres of land. The houses can be purchased individually, for $12.9M each.
No. 142 has a reproduction post-and-beam barn for entertainment, with a caterer’s kitchen, tennis court and two-bedroom apartment. It also has a bar, billiard room and a grand ballroom.
No. 144 has a helicopter pad, in case the one-hour drive to Concord, New Hampshire, the hour-and-a-half drive to Portland, Maine, or the roughly two-hour drive to Boston isn’t quite speedy enough.
However, once settled into No. 144, there’s a tea house with lake views. Or, at No. 142, an infinity-edge pool with a swim-under waterfall and grotto with a hot tub. Each Longview house has a movie theater and a gym.
Design Pedigree
Both homes are Colonial in style. Built in 2003, No. 144 features a grand foyer with a two-story marbled entry hall with two curving staircases and a rotunda with a chandelier.
Amenities
No. 144 has 15 fireplaces, while No. 142 has nine (both houses also have radiant heat and central air). Both homes have irrigation systems for the landscaping, alarm systems, separate apartments for guests or staff, parking courts, parking garages and boat docks. No. 142 comes with a grandfathered double dock and stone amphitheater.
Talking Point
No. 142 has a secret staircase behind a bookcase in the library, accessible by a code entered into the front cover of one of the books. The land previously was used for Camp Alton, a boy’s summer camp that ran from 1937 to 1992, when the Bahres purchased the land.
Neighborhood Notes
Restaurants, grocery stores, banks and a hospital are a 15-minute drive from the compound. Several camps and campgrounds are in the immediate area, along with Clough Town Forest and Kingswood Golf Club and Lake Winnipesaukee Golf Club. Members of Lakes Region Conservation Trust can dock at the nearby Rattlesnake Island and access hiking trails.
Listing agent: Kristin Hayes Claire, LandVest
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