Century-Old Connecticut Estate Surrounded by Water

Listing of the Day

Location: Stamford, Connecticut Price: $11.95 million

This grand waterfront home sits at the end of the Shippan Point peninsula, which juts out into Long Island Sound and is the city of Stamford’s southernmost property. It is completely surrounded by water, with nearly 1,000 feet of direct waterfront.

"It’s like being on a cruise ship, but the cruise ship is not moving," said listing agent Robert Blosio. "The water is moving around you on all sides—you have spectacular views in every direction."

"On clear days, you have unbelievable views of Manhattan," he added. "It’s a spectacular setting."

Known affectionately by its Shippan Point neighbors as the "Bear House" for the large bear statue at the gated entry, this waterfront estate has had only four owners in its century-long history.

The home was built in 1914 by Richard Howland Hunt and Joseph Howland Hunt, the architect brothers behind the Beacon Towers mansion in Sands Point, Long Island, once owned by William Randolph Hearst and said to be the inspiration for Jay Gatsby’s house in "The Great Gatsby."

Before establishing their own firm, the brothers helped their father, renowned society architect Richard Morris Hunt, with a few famous Vanderbilt mansions, including The Breakers and The Marble House in Newport, Rhode Island, and the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. They also completed the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s original Fifth Avenue facade with their father’s designs after he died.

Hunt & Hunt built this home, known as "Saddle Rock House," for the inventor Thomas Robins, who is best known for creating the rubber conveyor belt while working for his friend Thomas Edison.

The residence is built in the Richardsonian Romanesque style and has views of the water from every room.

The estate also has many of the trappings of a well-heeled country club, including a lighted tennis court, heated saltwater pool with a large, covered stone grotto and outdoor kitchen, pool deck with cabana, boat launch, and specimen gardens and fountains.

The house was damaged in Superstorm Sandy and the owners, who have lived in the house for more than 40 years, had to replace the first floor, Mr. Blosio said. "That’s why the house is in brand-new condition," he said. "It’s like a fortress now."

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State-of-the-art upgrades include hurricane-resistant windows and new stone walls around the perimeter. Other updates include a new kitchen with custom cabinets, high-end appliances and granite counters, smart home technology, custom tilt-and-turn windows, and a renovated cellar with a vintage, temperature-controlled wine cellar.

The first-floor family room, which has large windows on three sides, and the master bedroom above it have the best views in the house, Mr. Blosio said.

The dining room, which is off the kitchen, has large, heavy pocket doors so that the room can be shut off from the living room, he said. A stone wood-burning fireplace anchors the large living room.

The master suite features a custom marble bath, a large balcony that overlooks the peninsula and Long Island Sound, and a small Juliet balcony overlooking Stamford Harbor.

Stats



The 5,375-square-foot house has seven bedrooms, six full bathrooms and two partial bathrooms. It sits on a 1.67-acre lot. There is also a one-bedroom stone guest cottage.

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Amenities 



Along with the pool, tennis court and wine cellar, amenities include a whole-house generator.

"At low tide, you have your own beach," Mr. Blosio said.



Neighborhood Notes 



The house is in the Shippan neighborhood, "a large waterfront community that’s just four minutes from downtown Stamford," Mr. Blosio said.

The commute to Manhattan takes about 40 minutes, he said.

Agents: Robert Blosio and Larry Palma, William Pitt Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty

View the original listing.

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