The well-known architect and designer Thierry Despont, who worked on many noted Hamptons estates, passed away this past summer at the age of 75. Now, his own home, a 34-acre retreat on the original Southampton Riding & Hunt Club property, has come to market.
The listing went live last week with the estate at 320 Majors Path asking $19,950,000. Douglas Elliman agents Paul Brennan, Michaela Keszler and Martha Gundersen have the exclusive listing.
“This estate represents the stunning culmination of Thierry’s career and personal life – and it’s one of the most incredible houses that has graced the Hamptons real estate scene in many years,” Brennan says.
“People are awed by the beautifully executed interiors and the incredible art and sculpture that fill every space. The grounds are equally captivating with beautiful deciduous trees and flowering bushes that accent the main house and pool house, and the long meadow views with accents of African grasslands. When you leave the property, you cannot help but feel blessed to have just experienced a genius in his element,” he adds.
A native of Limoges, France, Despont became an influential force in architecture after moving to New York in 1980, according to his obituary in The New York Times.
He designed homes for some of the most famous people in the world, including Bill Gates, Calvin Klein, Jayne Wrightsman, Annette and Oscar de la Renta, Conrad Black, and Peggy and Millard “Mickey” Drexler. He oversaw an extensive renovation of Bernie Madoff’s former house in Montauk once the federal government sold it in 2009 (The house was recently sold again).
Despont, named to Architectural Digest‘s AD100 2023 Hall of Fame, is known for working on some of the most famous structures in New York City, such as the interiors at 220 Central Park South, the conversion of the Woolworth Building and the restoration of the Statue of Liberty.
For his own Hamptons retreat, he created a compound out of three contiguous parcels that records show he paid $8.55 million for between 2011 and 2013.
Known as “The Rosewood Farm Estate,” the former famed equestrian farm, where Jackie Kennedy showed horses as a child, was transformed into a residence with a separate guesthouse and pool house, all overlooking another 50 acres of agricultural reserve.
The 5,536-square-foot primary home, which used to be the main barn, features an open cobblestone courtyard with a fountain. It holds six bedrooms and “impeccable living spaces with a timeless chic aesthetic,” according to the listing, with every room overlooking the courtyard.
A tree-lined path leads to the infinity-edge pool and a spacious pool house, once the stable. A spacious pool house, converted from a stable, offers a lounge area, a workout room, a sauna and a steam shower.
Just south of the pool house, through a picturesque meadow, is a walking path that leads to a gazebo and mature specimen trees that were flown in from Africa.
The property also includes a 2,115-square-foot guest house with four bedrooms and a separate converted barn with a four-car garage. The converted barn also holds a space that Despont used as his personal art studio. He was also an accomplished sculptor and painter, known to create metal sculptures of insects, orbs and masks, as well as lunar-shaped tapestries, known as “cabinets of curiosity.” Some of his artwork is displayed throughout the home and studio.
The rest of the acreage is made up of a lush rolling lawn.
There are also multiple entrances to the expansive estate, as well as several parking areas, making it the perfect place to “host grand parties or provide a serene and intimate experience, adapting to its owner’s needs,” the listing says.
“To truly appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of this compound, you must experience it in person.”
See more photos below.
[Listing: 320 Majors Path, Southampton | Agents: Paul Brennan, Michaela Keszler and Martha Gundersen of Douglas Elliman ] GMAP
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