Compound property, once home to Golden Globe Award-winning actor and his wife, screenwriter Jean Hazlewood, now for sale
Warren, Conn. – July 7, 2015 – William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty announced today that the firm has listed the former Colonial estate of actor Richard Widmark and his wife in the town of Warren, CT. The expansive property, which encompasses nearly 28 acres of land complete with a barn-style guest house, “sugar-shack” and original gristmill, is represented by Kent agent Ira Goldspiel as well as Washington Depot agents Fred Bond and Rick Distel, and offered at $3,795,000.
Known as “Heron Mill Farm,” this compound property dates back to the late 18th century, during which time it served as an operating local farm. Still maintaining artifacts of its historic past, the level expanse of farmland with pristinely kept English gardens, stonewalls, water frontage, waterfalls and pond views now boasts a newly constructed main house and converted guest quarters, both of which were designed and planned by its current homeowners. The property’s original 1790 gristmill, which remains in top-notch condition, is rumored to have formerly held items that were sent to Widmark’s friend Andrew Wyeth, the well-known visual artist, to use at his mill in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania.
Widmark and his wife of 55 years, screenwriter Jean Hazlewood, bought “Heron Mill Farm” in September of 1963. Widmark began his acting career in the film “Kiss of Death,” for which he received the Golden Globe Award for “Most Promising Newcomer.” He is best known for his villainous roles, and later his more heroic characters in westerns, mainstream dramas, horror films and more. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contribution to the motion picture industry.
The three-bedroom and two-full bath main home, rebuilt in 2010, offers various detailed spaces including a great room with vaulted ceilings, a loft, distinctive stone fireplace and a fully equipped media center. Barnwood paneling in addition to floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and a bluestone floor complete this gathering space. An up-to-date kitchen, which contains a walk-in pantry, wet bar and ample storage, resides adjacent to a formal dining room lined with bookshelves and a fireplace. The main-floor master suite boasts a wood-beam coffered ceiling, wood-burning fireplace as well as a large walk-in closet. An English-style sunroom adorned with a copper cupola completes the first floor. Upstairs, one will find a second master suite with a balcony that overlooks sweeping grounds and the property’s quarter-acre pond. This space additionally offers a walk-in closet and bathroom with gas fireplace. A lower-level wine cellar completes the residence.
“This Litchfield County Colonial is truly one-of-a-kind,” said Goldspiel, Bond and Distel in a statement. “The owners have done fantastic work designing and maintaining this wonderful residence, which is full of sights to behold. The main house is all about entertaining, offering plenty of space as well as an abundance of amenities.”
The property additionally offers a 2,100 square-foot post-and-beam barn, which was constructed in 2009 to be used as a guest house. Interior features include a large stone fireplace, lighted cupola as well as vintage hardwood floors upstairs and stone and brick floors downstairs. The space additionally offers two twin-sized window seat nooks that can double as beds, a screened-in balcony, which overlooks the property’s brook, as well as a full kitchen with an updated vintage oven/stove. Other rooms include an office nook, a gym, laundry room and a full bath.
A lower barn transformed into a “sugar-shack” built to take advantage of the ground’s abundance of maple trees, a stone patio with a wood burning grill and outdoor kitchen, a vegetable garden as well as eco-friendly air conditioning and heating systems, which effectively utilize solar energy, complete the compound.
For more information on the property, located at 75 Lake 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 Sotheby’s International Realty, combined with partner firm 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 more than 16,570 sales associates located in 760 offices throughout 60 countries and territories.
William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty Contact:
Ira Goldspiel
Real Estate Agent
917.626.3481
Fred Bond
Real Estate Agent
917.209.2253
Rick Distel
Real Estate Agent
646.417.2720
