William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty Lists Antique Colonial Carriage House Once Owned by Audubon Society Founder George Bird Grinnell

Home renovation includes special stonework and formations collected from the estate’s naturally rich land

Milford, Conn. – September 21, 2015 – William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty announced today that the firm has listed an antique Colonial home that previously served as the estate carriage house of the founder of the first Audubon Society in New York, George Bird Grinnell. Eventually converted into a residential home, the hand-built, fieldstone Colonial, located in the coastal town of Milford, Conn., is represented by Southport agent Craig Oshrin, and offered at $680,000.

George Bird Grinnell was an American anthropologist, historian, naturalist and writer known for his establishment of the first Audubon Society in New York. After receiving a doctorate in paleontology in 1880, Grinnell became an active writer for Forest and Stream, a weekly publication for fellow naturalists in which he channeled his concern for the environment. Grinnell focused his editorial attention on habitat conservation, while also launching a campaign to expose federal neglect of game laws, specifically for Yellowstone National Park. Drawn by this activism, ardent environmentalist and former U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt joined Grinnell and his efforts, formulating policies that eventually served as the basis of the American conservation program during his presidency. Having remained great friends and naturalist comrades over the years, Roosevelt often summered at the Grinnell estate, allegedly referring to it as “the farm.”

The former carriage house now boasts six bedrooms, three and a half baths, and 3,950 square feet of living space. Originally constructed in 1870, this residence was created to shelter the stable hands of the Grinnell estate, which encompassed a 24-room Victorian Italianate Villa main house. In 1945, the current homeowners’ father, who was a builder, converted the structure into a fully livable home using stones from the property itself, many of which are fossils, as well as pieces of glacial rock and quartz. Over the years, geologists have visited the property to study stone formations on the land as well as the home’s masonry stonework. Beyond these intricately crafted walls lie gorgeously sized rooms with nine-foot ceilings, hardwood floors on both levels, a formal dining room, pantry, breakfast nook and more.

“This historic home is undoubtedly a showstopper,” said Oshrin. “The private gem, which is nestled on over an acre of pristine, park-like grounds, embodies Grinnell’s love for the natural world, with a design and quality that truly appreciates the beautiful surroundings of this exceptional area of Connecticut.”

For more information on the property, located at 96 Grinnell Street, 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:

Craig Oshrin

Real Estate Agent

203.856.6851

[email protected]

 

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