During the late-19th-century period now known as the Gilded Age, the United States was on the verge of a new era of immense economic growth, great personal wealth, and revolutions in social mores and systems. Prominent families who had toured Europe and admired the estates of nobilities there began building their own private retreats and summer homes in locations across the country—particularly on Long Island, where Manhattanites could escape the bustle of the city and enjoy the refreshing Atlantic waves and breezes. This impressive property—a 13,519-square-foot manor of Victorian and French Renaissance influence on some 50 verdant coastal acres—is one of the last remaining of these magnificent estates, the largest of its kind in Connecticut, and a fond reminder of the grandeur of a glorious bygone era.
Greenwich, Connecticut | Leslie McElwreath, Joseph Barbieri, Sotheby’s International Realty – Greenwich Brokerage
A landmark in the history of Greenwich, Copper Beech Farm—known as Kincraig when it was established in the 1890s for industrialist John Hamilton Gourlie—passed into the hands of the influential Lauder Greenway family, who had close ties with Andrew Carnegie and eventually sold the estate to timber industry executive John Rudey in 1981. Still undoubtedly one of the most significant properties in the country, it is introduced by a winding 1,800-foot drive overlooked by a three-bedroom guesthouse and gatehouse, beyond which lie the regal eight-bedroom main residence, swaths of rolling lawn, vibrant gardens, two greenhouses, a 75-foot swimming pool with an octagonal pool house and an accompanying spa, a grass tennis court with a viewing pergola, a century-old apple orchard, and a stone carriage house that once served as the farm’s milking stalls and now features a one-bedroom apartment, garaging, and a charming clock tower. Copper Beach Farm is perched directly on the banks of Long Island Sound just two miles south of Greenwich Harbor, affording consummate seclusion, a location in a gated community, an entire mile of water frontage, and two beaches.
Beyond two stately French Renaissance–style stone towers, the interiors of the expansive residence are replete with classical finery, including richly hued oak paneling and hardwood flooring, plaster friezes, ornate moldings, and rugged original stonework. The main rooms are crowned by 12-foot ceilings, fireplaces can be found in most of the public spaces, and nearly every room enjoys a water view. Highlights include a living room opening through French doors to a solarium with coffered ceilings and a fountain; a formal dining room with a striking plaster tracery ceiling; a cherrywood-paneled library with glass-fronted Victorian-era bookcases; a garden room with walls of windows; a discreet skylit kitchen with ample cabinet space, superior appliances, and a dumbwaiter; and a wine cellar.
In this distinguished place, it’s easy to imagine the entrepreneurs and philanthropists of old at grand gatherings or warm and welcoming banquets—or simply spending days and nights lounging and relaxing amid the coastal serenity. Copper Beech Farm affords a truly rare opportunity to own a storied piece of American history and continue its pedigreed legacy for decades and generations to come.
Discover luxury homes for sale and rent around the world on sothebysrealty.com
