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If it’s a spring of seals, a sleuth of bears, an exaltation of larks, a wing of dragons, a murder of crows, even a smack of jellyfish, what do you call a group of a dozen drop-dead gorgeous waterfront estates soaring between $6 million and $11 million in the Maine Multiple Listings? A fantasy. By Colin Sargent (click on any picture to see larger images) HIDDEN COURT
Inside, a sinuous drive flanked by Sherwood-Forest-sized pines conducts visitors to what appears to be a 14th-century stone manor but is actually a Roaring Twenties creation inspired by Robinson’s visit to real-life Ightham Mote, in Kent, England. Here, the setting is 52 acres “on land granted by King George circa 1752,” says listing agent William Davisson of LandVest in Portland, “including 355 feet on a dramatic white-sand beach.” “The green pathway through the woods is part of the King’s Highway, which can be seen at points throughout the property,” he says from the fastidiously restored stone terrace that looks out across a swath of a full half mile of grasses to a blue vista of enormous, breaking waves. Okay, nice back yard. Some estates used to brag their lawns were a full nine-iron shot long. “It’s unlikely that Tiger Woods could drive a ball that far,” Davisson muses about this 1,700-foot distance to the sea. Nine iron? It’s more like a nine-millimeter-pistol-shot long. Shaped like a doughnut, Hidden Court welcomes its inhabitants through a lovely arch that opens up into a fanciful stone courtyard that includes a main residence circled by an array of connected buildings. “Here in the Great Hall, all of the hand-carved cherry paneling was recovered from an extant house in Strawbery Banke,” Davisson says. The floor-to-ceiling woodwork includes a secret door that reveals a hidden staircase. It’s almost like playing the game Clue in here, where one fantasy from the world of Henry VIII gives way to the next. One of Hidden Court’s two libraries features white paneling, fluted Federal pilasters, and sumptuous crown molding. Exposed hand-adzed half timbers make a perfect back- drop for world-class contemporary art. “This used to be the ice house,” says Davisson of a small library which was the first structure built on this site. Upstairs, above a bedroom, “an office is located in the original dovecoat.” What’s in your dovecoat? In all, there are six to eight bedrooms, depending on your disposition of two additional parlors, as well as a wonderful vaulted addition by architect Sam Van Dam, which includes a new kitchen, living room, and pantry but blends triumphantly into the original stone design. “This is one of the great architectural achievements in the area in recent years,” Davisson says without exaggeration. All 13 of the fireplaces work. The medieval stone aviary has a heated floor to keep its “fancy fowl” warm. Across the courtyard, guests stay in The Snug, two dreamy stories of absolute charm. The property has a deeded right-of-way over a shared private road to Zeb’s Cove and its beautiful private beach. The heaving ocean on the sand here, plus the towering rock formations, are among the most spectacular in Maine. “I like the theater of showing the reflection pond last,” Davisson says. Hidden Court’s enclosed stone loggia reflects in its long, smooth surface. At one end of the colonnade is a stairway conducting guests to perhaps the most beautiful space of all, a large sitting room offering a lovely vaulted ceiling and the certainty that you’re at least the king or queen of Cape Elizabeth here, if not the world. Robinson, the anglophile from the 1920s, “used to keep his peacocks in here,” hiding their flashes of blue and turquoise. Perhaps you’d like to hide in here, too. SOUND EDGE
“Sound Edge has a porch that runs the length of the house, almost 200 feet! Parts of the porch are covered and other parts are open, so there’s a multitude of choices for sitting outside.” So much for where you sit. What you can see is a 19th-century romantic seascape come to life: “You can see the cliffs of Valley Cove in the distance, as well as Greening Island, and the Sound itself.” In fact, Somes Sound seems to inhabit this 1911 house, reflecting against the ceilings of many of the rooms: “There’s only one room here in this 9,000-square-foot-house that doesn’t have views.” This house has been fastidiously restored, capturing a part of history. “The living room has a high ceiling that sweeps out to incredible views of the sea. The entire end wall is a fireplace with built-in shelving and cabinets carved in beautiful detail. There’s also a delicately carved frieze molding a foot wide crowning the top of the walls. “Each of its eight bedrooms has its old bath, some with the original marble sinks, but they’ve all been updated to marble accents in any case,” Litchfield says. “The granite on all the bathrooms’ counters was dug from local quarries.” Then there’s the glow you feel in the dining room, in the light of its antique stained-glass doors. Outside, “the perennial gardens and plantings”are famous here, presided over by “some gigantic copper beeches.” The kitchen, of course, has granite counters, top-of-the-line appliances, and a couch and sitting area. “This house is also right in the Northeast Harbor village, too, and within walking distance to Acadia National Park trails.” This pine-studded masterpiece against crystalline blue water could be a Sound investment. BOLDWATER ESTATE
Nine fireplaces, six bedrooms, wine cellar, dark room, elevator, sauna, Jacuzzi, greenhouse, “and walk-in vault.” Remember Jodie Foster in the movie? Except there’s nothing to panic about here, as you can backstroke in Boldwater’s gorgeous pool with pool house right on the ocean, or stroll along the enormous deep-water deck. This is one big hunk of God’s country. Guests can check in at the two-story gate house before repairing to the two-story three-bedroom guest cottage. A two-car garage is ready to welcome your his and hers Bentleys. Or would the lady and gentleman prefer a late-model Ford Pinto? A peek on the mortgage payment estimator on the internet set to 6.5 percent interest rate calculates that after your $880,000 down payment your 30-year monthly payments will be $50,060. Not including closing costs. While the dimensions are pharaonic here, they still resonate with the elements of style. Listed by Downeast Properties. HIGHLAND ROSE
Highland Rose has a modern infrastructure better than the Pentagon’s and Brazilian cherry everything. Delicious radiant heat warms all the finished floors. In the Tartan Room, “you can look right out the window and see the passenger liners. Lobster boats are working below your window, and the Bar Harbor Yacht Club is very close by.” ISIS
“The large living and dining rooms open out to decks, both covered and open for gracious entertaining.” Then there’s the master bedroom, “with antique wooden beams framing out a cathedral ceiling, a fireplace with sitting area and inglenook with desk, and expansive private harborside deck.” This kind of Savage splendor is obviously a vanishing commodity. “This year-round house has been fully renovated with state-of-the-art appliances. The finishes are extraordinary; some of the floors have multicolored stained designs creating a tiled effect with the grain.” The two-bedroom guest suite has a separate entrance. These rolling gardens and terraces all come to a head at the deep-water dock “in one of the most protected areas of the harbor.” "There are only a handful of docks in Northeast Harbor. It’s very unusual to have one, and this one’s in the most protective part of the harbor. The views look straight out the harbor at Bear Island lighthouse. Look—over there—I think that’s Walter Cronkite sailing in. FORESIDE ESTATE
With more direct frontage than the length of a football field including end zones and goal posts, Foreside Estate sparkles on a 3.27-acre parcel with a large dock and 360 feet of deep-water frontage on Casco Bay. “It’s a yachting paradise, wonderfully built, state of the art in everything, even today,” says listing agent Vaughan Pratt of LandVest in Portland. In short, it has “everything that a high-end buyer would want coming to Maine,” led by “useable water,” Pratt explains. “Deep-water frontage, dock, float, mooring, access to watching racing, exploring—this is really a country club on your own compound: tennis, pool, even a storage compartment for a 36-foot picnic boat.” “The whole property is a marvel,” Pratt says. “The basement is like the engineering spaces of a Navy ship.” Need a light? “There is 400-amp electrical service here.” There’s something else here, too—a lush corporate animus: “If I put a blindfold on you, guided you up a set of stairs, and took the blindfold off, you’d think you were in Manhattan: boardroom, meeting room, private baths with marble accents.” For a Fortune 500 firm, this could be a signature corporate getaway. Entering through the driveway, the first thing visitors see is the corporate office/boat storage building, with “mahogany raised paneling, marble inlays, mahogany flooring, one half bath, three administrative work stations, and a kitchenette. Fluted wooden columns lead to an executive office with bath and adjoining conference room.” Next up, the main residence features six bedrooms, gourmet kitchen, nine baths, deck, enormous indoor swimming pool with vaulted ceiling, wine cellar, fieldstone fireplace, fitness room, computer/media room, and boardroom. The guest house is really “two private suites, each with a separate entrance. The spectacular first-floor executive guest suite opens to a marble foyer leading to a kitchen with breakfast bar, a tumbled marble bath, and a living room and bedroom area.” The boathouse is located at water’s edge at the top of a world-class pier, and includes great room with kitchen and bath. “They call it a boathouse?” Pratt laughs. “I’d like to live in this boathouse: an efficiency literally right on the water as you walk out onto the dock.” Then there’s the large decorative pond just steps from the sea, stocked with lily pads and shimmering fish: “A circulation device assures there’s always fresh water in the pond, which is very unusual.” And quite appropriate, as this house was built for engineering firm E.C. Jordan’s owners—also major investors in The Woodlands. Falmouth town assessor Anne Gregory reports, “Sally Vamvakias sold the house in May 1997 for $2.45 million to the late Thomas Pettit, whose estate sold it the same year to [the present seller] Douglas Schair for $2.25 million.” Camp Rossi
“It’s just a specatular location,” she says. “Camp Rossi was built in the 1940s and remodeled in 2000. It’s a shingle style summer cottage with a big deck looking over the water.” So…for almost $7 million, there’s no insulation? “That’s right. The interior walls have open studs that glow with a natural pine patina. There’s a stone fireplace. You have unmatchable views of Hardwood Island, Bartlett Island, and in the distance, the mountains of Blue Hill.” While this is truly a matter of location, location, location, there are “three bedrooms and 2.5 baths. The kitchen has two Sub-Zeros, a gas stove, and an electric stove.” There is a “brand new boathouse with underground power and telephone.” On the breakout side, there’s an actual beach here. Asked if there are eagles swooping around, we’re told “there’s even a picture of one on our online listing.” The eagle is perched at the top of a tamarack tree. For a backdrop, there’s a huge moon. Well, you might as well throw in the moon if you’re asking for it. 878 Shore Road
SUMMER WIND
Listing agent Laura Ross of Kennebunk Beach Realty says, “These beautifully manicured one-and-a-half acres in Cape Porpoise are just minutes to Dock Square.” Facing the ocean, a curved, seven-window observation area surmounted by a sweeping rail for viewing from the second floor brings the Atlantic right into your living room. Do you love designer birds? This property abuts the Rachel Carson Wildlife Preserve, assuring a profound connection with nature. Many estates suffer from afterthought construction and outbuilding syndrome. The spectacular thing about Summerwind is that the designers got it right the first time. If your price for magic is $6.75 million, you may have found it here. LJRoss@kennebunkbeachrealty.com. ROCKY PASTURE
It was here that Roberts wrote the acclaimed historical novels Oliver Wiswell, Lydia Bailey, Boon Island, and even some of his loopy monographs about dousing until his death on July 21, 1957. Beyond the two-story stone house, generous of aspect at 2,600 square feet, the property includes a European-style cloister, three-bay carriage house, a maintenance building, a creek, a lovely pond, and extensive, rolling woods and meadows. The seller is Anthony Gelardi, a founder of Shape, Inc., the diversified high-tech manufacturer, and the listing agent is Randall Simon of Prudential Prime Properties of the Seacoast. Don’t miss the virtual tour: ATLANTIQUE
Fur tycoon John Jacob Astor’s great grandson was lost aboard the Titanic. But Astor’s grandson, John Innes Kane, found something very meaningful here in Maine in 1904 when he commissioned noted architect Fred Savage to build his astonishing 15-bedroom mansion, Atlantique. “You’re looking at all the Porcupine islands up here,” says listing agent John Golden of Anne Erwin, Sotheby’s International Realty. “It’s 163 miles from Portland. Frenchman Bay is a much wilder, crisper and more dramatic vista. It’s just more majestic than Blue Hill or Deer Isle. “The stairway is a very grand affair with heavy carving and an enormous window that overlooks the landing. Then there’s the great hall. This one is 30 foot square.” Every part of the house but the servants’ quarters overlooks the bay, Golden says. “The kitchen has its original cabinetry. The sellers [Robert Barrett, a retired Wall Street banker, and Cathy Barrett, former fashion editor of Town & Country magazine, a former model in Europe, U.S. doubles croquet campion, and a member of the croquet hall of fame] really didn’t take the original elemouts out of the house at all. It’s fantastic. This is probably one of the grandest and best houses on the coast.” To get a feel for the milieu up here, read “a Louis Auchincloss novel,” Golden laughs. “He always manages to slip Bar Harbor in.” Then there’s the Hollywood connection: “Mel Gibson stayed in the Carriage House while he was shooting Man Without A Face.” These 170 feet of direct water frontage on Frenchman Bay are part of an exquisite 4.33-acre parcel that allows the inhabitants to watch schooners and cruise ships glide by gardens so voluptuous that the University of Maine assigns interns–they’re called Beatrix interns, after renowned landscape architect Beatrix Farrand–to landscape the grounds each year just for the experience while pursuing their degrees. “The entry gate to the gardens is an original Beatrix Farrand gate,” Golden says, perhaps the only one extant. Includes carriage house, gate house, a USGA-standard putting green, and a championship croquet court. Come on, discover the Astor, Ford, or Rockefeller in you up here in Bah Habah. Taxes for 2004 were $27,341. john.golden@sothebysrealty.com BLUEBERRY LEDGE
Blueberry Ledge’s 1881 shingle style pedigree makes it one of the loftiest addresses in Maine. These 4.4 acres, in recent decades the property of the late Washington, D.C., author “Susan Mary Althop, a political socialite” are garnished with 395 feet of unforgettable water frontage. Cost, $6.4 million. Situation: “priceless,” straddling the waterfront wilderness between Northeast and Seal Harbors. Ready for some fresh air? The Acadia National Park trail head is literally across the street from your front door. A Few Thistles Among The Figs So what does this all mean as we head into the spring? Will this unprecedented crop of million dollar babies truly bring in $6 million, $7 million, and up? Our sidebar shows that in real dollars and cents, Southerly [“Do we hear $13 million?” Winterguide 2004], the Seal Harbor property we profiled in this story two years ago, has indeed closed for $10.5 million amid the resulting attention, thereby being the first Maine residential property to eclipse the $10 million mark. But despite buoyant expectations, only “seven sales through September” topped “the million-dollar mark” last year in Falmouth, “with one home going for $4.4 million,” according to the Portland Newspapers.
So at this point, this year’s lovely homes are defined by their asking prices. Until everyone backs out of the driveway after closing, we’re still in the dream terrain above the $6 million range. It’s all part of the game. “In my view, you’ve got two or three houses that can cut it in that price range,” says Vaughan Pratt of LandVest’s Portland offices. “The rest can’t cut it. There are people reaching for the stars—because Maine has had a sale above $10 million—but these are asking prices, not final sales prices. “This spring, you’re going to see a couple of sevens, but I think you’re going to see some of those listed at $10 million to $12 million coming back down. Once you get up into that price range, buyers are comparing us to Long Island, Martha’s Vineyard, or Nantucket, Cape Cod, and the Manchester/Beverley market.” On the other hand, the bonfire of those vanities has been banking for a long time. The exciting thing about the Maine phenomenon is, we carry the future with us.
Real(i)ty Check Who says you can’t buy a piece of the dream, on the shores of Maine? By Leischen Stelter
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