On the Market: Fairfield Home offers grandeur of the Roaring 20s
The large screened porch and the master suite deck above it both look over the in-ground swimming pool.
Although this house was built in 1929, just before the October 1929 stock market crash and resulting Great Depression cast a pall over the country, the grandeur of this estate was not diminished. In fact, the design of this gracious home was intended for relaxed, beachside living as well as living and entertaining in grand style, which remains the case today.
“Imagine the elegant cars slipping behind the privet hedge to enjoy a lavish dinner party, greeted in the spacious foyer with a glass of champagne and the sound of a jazz combo and laughter of the other lucky invitees mingling in the living room, or roaming out to the veranda and (in-ground swimming) pool with its sparkling fountain to take in the sea breezes … and ocean vista,” the co-listing agents said.
The colonial house at 1252 Pequot Avenue was built in 1929 for relaxed beachside living as well as living and entertaining in grand style, which still holds true today.
“There are views of Long Island Sound from almost every room,” the agents said, including the master bedroom suite, which features a private deck with a retractable awning, “where you can escape your busy household and take in the view, sunshine and lovely ocean breezes. On sunny, summer afternoons you will enjoy watching the sailing regattas from the porch and the private deck off the master bedroom,” they said.
In addition to the 5,044 square feet of formal and casual elegance offered in this 12-room house, the two-acre level property features gorgeous perennial and rose gardens, a vegetable garden, a culinary herb garden just off the kitchen and an exterior garden room with walls of tall privet hedges. Border gardens of hydrangeas and white irises line the semi-circular driveway, and at least one tree on the broad front lawn sits in a circlet of wildflowers reminiscent of London’s Hyde Park.
The balcony/deck off the master bedroom suite has a bird’s eye view of the semi-circular carriage driveway lined with perennial flower gardens and Long Island Sound.
Should anyone wish to leave this beautiful compound they will find local conveniences only minutes away. This house is close to the Pequot Yacht Club, Southport Village, the Metro North Railroad train station, and Pequot Library.
Nature lovers, hikers and birdwatchers have their choice of four places, all practically part of their own backyard. The municipal Southgate Lane Open Space and a parcel of property managed by the Aspetuck Land Trust are both in Fairfield. The H. Smith Richardson Wildlife Preserve and conservation land protected by the Connecticut Audubon Society off Hedley Farm Road are both in neighboring Westport, literally just steps away.
For about a decade, interest in antique houses had dwindled but in the last year homebuyers have exhibited much more interest in purchasing and preserving vintage residences. However, the agents point out, if a vintage structure is not your preference, this two-acre estate property offers an unusual opportunity to build your dream coastal Connecticut home, with options to include a guest or gate house, or maybe a tennis court.
The sizable screened porch has views of the pool and Long Island Sound.
Inside, this house features a classic layout with generously proportioned rooms, tall ceilings and large windows. The banquet-sized dining room is adjacent to the sizable updated eat-in country kitchen, which features a marble center island, glass-front cabinetry, pantry, high-end stainless appliances, built-in desk area and breakfast room.
Fireplaces are found in the spacious formal living room and sunken family room.
The house has a total of six bedrooms, four on the second floor and two on the third level.
In the formal living room there is a marble fireplace flanked by French doors to the large screened porch.