Former Retreat of Acclaimed Playwright, Composer, Director, Actor Noel Coward For Sale with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty

Sasco Hill Road property boasts extensive past of celebrity entertainment and gatherings

Fairfield, Conn. – September 10, 2015 – William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty announced today that an estate that frequently served as celebrated playwright, composer, director and actor Noel Coward’s Connecticut retreat has recently returned to the market. Located in the coveted hilltop enclave of Sasco Hill Road in Fairfield, Conn., the antique English Manor house is represented by Southport agent Victoria Fingelly, and listed at $7,750,000.

Born in Southwest London, Noel Coward published more than 50 plays, with many of his works such as Hay Fever, Private Lives, Present Laughter, Blithe Spirit and more, still often produced in today’s culture. Coward additionally composed hundreds of songs, musical theater works, poetry and short stories, as well as maintained a successful film acting and directing career that spanned six decades. He and his financial manager and occasional theatrical producer, John C. Wilson, enriched venues in both New York and the Westport Playhouse with their productions.

The Fairfield home was owned by Wilson, but Coward utilized it as his Connecticut retreat when in New York, eventually purchasing the adjoining lot, where a pool and pool house were built. Both Coward and Wilson entertained many international theater and film stars while here, with one particularly special party welcoming “Gone with the Wind” actress Vivian Leigh, Lawrence Olivier and George Brent as their guests.

Constructed in 1927 by noted New York architect and Anglophile Francis Hamilton, the brick house, with its asymmetrical massing, boasts Paladian dormer windows, Tudor chimney pots and a hooded entry inspired by English architecture. After extensively traveling abroad, Hamilton brought skilled European craftsmen to the site to create and install Norwegian pine paneling, wood moldings, hand-carved wood garlands and marble fireplace surrounds in various spaces including the home’s spacious living room. Also known as the “drawing room,” this area offers 10-foot ceilings and tall casement bay windows that embrace the property’s surrounding views of Long Island Sound and Southport Harbor. A library, paneled dining room and family room with fireplace, as well as an updated kitchen and breakfast room, offer open, light filled spaces with a comfortable, updated design plan for modern living and casual entertaining. The residence’s stately interior also includes seven bedrooms, all with en suite baths, as well as three half baths.

“This home is a true testament to the talent, lifestyle and influences of these prominent individuals,” said Fingelly. “Coward enjoyed designing and collecting, which can be seen in various elements throughout the residence including the foyer, where he added antique twin mirrors with theatrical faces over wall-mounted demi-lune tables. It’s absolutely no surprise why so many famous people gathered here to partake in some of the finest parties at one of the finest spots in town.”

The 2.96-acre property with panoramic views of Long Island Sound and Southport Harbor also includes multiple terraces, an in-ground pool as well as a pool house with a dressing room and wet bar.

For more information on the property, located at 828 Sasco Hill Road, please visit the firm’s website here.

About William Pitt and Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty

Founded in 1949, William Pitt and Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty manages a $3.3-billion-plus portfolio with more than 1,000 sales associates in 26 brokerages spanning Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Westchester County, New York. William Pitt and Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty is the largest Sotheby’s International Realty(R) affiliate globally and the 28th-largest real estate company by sales volume in the United States. A full-service real estate firm headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, William Pitt and Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty provides ancillary services including commercial services through its affiliation with Building and Land Technology, a second-generation development company based in Stamford, Connecticut; William Pitt Insurance Services; and an award-winning global relocation division. For more information, visit the website at williampitt.com.

Sotheby’s International Realty’s worldwide network includes approximately 17,000 sales associates located in approximately 800 offices throughout 61 countries and territories.

William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty Contact:

Victoria Fingelly

Real Estate Agent

203.610.0647

[email protected]

 

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New Canaan AdvertiserPatch- Fairfield
Sep 10