Hidden Behind Gates and Pine Forests for More Than 70 Years, This Secret Garden Hideaway is Offered at US$19,800,000.

One of Fairfield County’s last great estate properties—Le Beau Château, owned by Huguette M. Clark, the copper heiress who died in May 2011 at the age of 104—is again being offered for sale. Serenely nestled in the southwestern corner of Connecticut, Le Beau Château is an extraordinarily rare offering of 52 sprawling acres complete with 10 estate lots and a grand French-style manor house.

Barbara Cleary of Barbara Cleary’s Realty Guild is once again representing this exceptional property, with international marketing services provided by Christie’s International Real Estate. Christie’s, the parent company of Christie’s International Real Estate, will also be auctioning an exceptional collection of Art Deco jewelry from the Estate of Huguette M. Clark on April 17 in New York. Believed to have been stored in a bank vault since the 1940s, the collection is expected to fetch US$9-12 million. Mrs. Clark’s other real estate holdings—three historic Manhattan apartments at 907 Fifth Avenue—are also being offered for sale by Christie’s International Real Estate in partnership with its exclusive Affiliate Brown Harris Stevens.

“No other luxury real estate network can offer this level of customer care in both art and real estate,” says Kathleen Coumou, Senior Vice President. “We are honoured to represent this rare and exceptional property, which was acquired by Ms. Clark more than 70 years ago.”

Set amid spacious, mature gardens, with open meadows, wetlands, gentle streams, and babbling brooks, Le Beau Château offers peace, privacy, and a beguiling tranquil lifestyle. This private garden sanctuary affords the utmost in seclusion and serenity, yet is less than a 60-minute drive from New York City and only six minutes from down town New Canaan. An ideal family town offering a wealth of top-quality schools, New Canaan, Connecticut, offers residents tree-lined streets, superb restaurants, and a selection of high-end boutique shops.

At the centre of the grounds stands Le Beau Château, a spectacular French château–style residence, reminiscent of the mansions in the Loire Valley. Constructed in 1937 by noted New York architectural firm Voorhees, Gmelin and Walker—designers of the art deco–styled Times Square Building and One Wall Street—this nine–bedroom, six full and three half bath residence has been remarkably preserved. The 12,766–square–foot manor offers a beautiful blend of rich textures and opulent features that recall the romance and grandeur of a bygone era.

A commanding two-story grand foyer featuring a curved staircase introduces the interior of this graceful 22-room mansion. The original ornate architecture boasts generously proportioned rooms with delicate marble and herringbone floors, soaring 13-foot ceilings and elegant French doors throughout. Gracefully blending historic luxury and superior craftsmanship, the residence features a grand gallery, 11 fireplaces, a full basement, a walk-up attic, an elevator, a terrace, and a service courtyard for parking cars. Further highlights of the property include two identical well-appointed single-story brick caretaker and guest houses, each providing two bedrooms.

“The atmosphere of graceful opulence that permeates through the residence truly epitomizes ‘l’art de vivre,’ luxurious French living,” says Barbara Cleary, of Barbara Cleary’s Realty Guild.