The sprawling Linden Estate in Southampton Village went back on the market Friday, this time for $75 million, in a co-listing with Harald Grant of Sotheby’s International Realty and Tim Davis of Corcoran.
The 18,000-square-foot house is situated on nearly 10 acres at 160 Ox Pasture Road, in the exclusive estate section. “Very few properties can compare in terms of the acreage, the incredible landscaping, the size of the main residence, and the array of incredible amenities, especially the pool house conservatory,” says Grant, whose listings, like Davis’s, are among the most expensive and luxurious on the East End. “Most of all its provenance is nonpareil, from the original architect, Grosvenor Atterbury, to the Frederick Law Olmsted park-like landscape design.”
In fact, the estate’s name comes from the specimen trees that line the property and came from Olmsted, the father of landscape architecture who is best known for designing Central Park.
The traditional-style house with its red-tile gambrel roof was originally designed in 1915 by the pioneering architect Grosvenor Atterbury, who spent summers on his family’s 80-acre estate in nearby Shinnecock Hills (a section in Shinnecock Hills is now called the Atterbury Estates). While he established a niche, designing summer homes on Long Island for wealthy families, he also was responsible for the model housing community of Forest Hills Garden, commissioned by the Russell Sage Foundation, established by the widow many know to be the benefactress of numerous Sag Harbor projects.
Today, the grandeur of Atterbury’s design is still evident with many of the authentic details preserved. There is original millwork and massive fireplaces—a total of eight wood-burning fireplaces. A grand hall leads into the main living room with coffered ceilings, where glass doors in the living room provide a picturesque view of the estate with its mature trees, flowering shrubs, evergreen perimeters and rose gardens. In the library, the original oak walls, lined in leather, can be found, along with hand-carved, ornamental plaster ceilings.
“The current owners have spent years restoring and maintaining this property, from the ground up and across its magnificent grounds,” Grant says.
There are now eight bedrooms, eight full baths and three half-baths, as well as separate staff quarters, making for a total of 12 bedrooms and 12.5 bathrooms. A sweeping spiral staircase leads upstairs, where a master wing is located. It includes sleeping quarters, a sitting room, a huge walk-in closet and a master bathroom that features mosaic tiles, a fireplace, television and soaking tub.
Newly added modern amenities include such offerings as an indoor pool, green house, and a turret that houses a gym.
Most everything for the large French kitchen was custom made on site. It features a hand-made French La Cornue stove, a farmhouse sink, large island, butler’s pantry and exposed wood beams.
There are not one but two 60-by-20-foot pools—one indoors and one outdoors. The indoor ozone lap pool sits under a crystal pavilion and features a playful water slide and waterfall. The pool outside also has a spa, surrounded by a stone patio.
Outdoors is a recreational retreat with a grass tennis court, a paddle court and two pavilions with full kitchens, and arbors. A huge fountain lights up at night.
A carriage house has a connecting greenhouse and an equipment house. There are also two detached four-car garages.
Despite speculations that the property sold to Netscape founder Jim H. Clark when the estate was on the market for $49 million, the estate is still owned by Juergen Friedrich, former executive of Espirit, and his wife, Anke Beck-Friedrich, who transferred it into a holding company’s name.
The Friedrichs purchased the Linden Estate for about $8.5 million in 2002, according to Curbed Hamptons. In 2008, they listed it for $60 million and eventually rented the property, reportedly at the price of $850,000 per month, according to Business Insider. It later popped back up on the market in 2013 for about $45 million.
We’ll keep you posted on what happens next with this storied estate.
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