Lacey Helen Blog's: If You’re Bingeing ‘Bridgerton,’ You’ll Want a Peek at Connecticut’s Freestone Castle

Thursday, 4 February 2021

If You’re Bingeing ‘Bridgerton,’ You’ll Want a Peek at Connecticut’s Freestone Castle

If the smash hit “Bridgerton” has you yearning to live in feudal splendor, please let us suggest Freestone Castle.

The stone castle on Hemlock Drive in Greenwich, CT, is now on the market for $9.85 million. Thanks to its street address, it’s also known as Hemlock Castle.

No matter what you call it, the regal residence on over 4 acres of land was built in 1913 by the architect James C. Green for a descendant of the Revolutionary War general Israel Putnam.

The home is over a century old, but the interiors offer an array of modern amenities, with 11 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, and five half-bathrooms.

“It’s really bright inside. It’s got a lot of glass, so it’s got sun in there all the time,” says Danielle Claroni, co-listing agent for the property, along with John McAtee.

Claroni adds that the huge home bears no traces of a stuffy or musty old castle.

“It really is a very livable house,” she says. “When you think of a castle, you think of small rooms and dungeon types of spaces, but this is wide open rooms, with lots and lots of light—nice big, bright rooms with high ceilings. It’s really beautiful.”

Exterior of mansion in Greenwich, CT
CT Plans

The kitchen features an enormous island, a dining area, high-end appliances, and plenty of storage.

The formal dining room has a focal fireplace and used to be the castle’s ballroom. It has more than enough space for a large table fit for a royal feast.

There’s also a tea room, a theater room, a fanciful wine cellar and tasting room with medieval vibes, and several other living and entertaining spaces.

You enter the home on a lower level, with a big entryway that leads up.

“You can just imagine people coming there, and a butler or maid taking their coats and coming to a party,” Claroni says. “Then you go up this beautiful staircase to the main entertaining parts of the house.”

The main house measures around 13,500 square feet, with an additional 3,500 square feet of office space and additional living quarters.

“It’s separated into a few different sections. Back in those days, people lived with their servants, and so it was kind of designed for that type of lifestyle,” Claroni explains.

She adds that the office area is perfect for today’s work-at-home routines, with a separate entrance and a view of Long Island Sound.

Beyond the office, an area with apartments could be rented or used for guests. Outside is a five-car garage and several outdoor areas, including a tennis court. One element the castle lacks is a place to truly make a splash.

“There is room for a pool. I don’t know why nobody ever put one in, but there’s definitely room for one,” Claroni says.

Both the castle and the surrounding gardens have historical designations, so changes to either would require local approval. But the agent tells us that a buyer wouldn’t need to change much—especially in the outdoor spaces.

“It has really beautiful formal gardens, with a fountain that is really pretty,” she says. “The trees are amazing. They’re all very mature specimen trees that are just gorgeous, so it’s really going to look beautiful in the spring and in the summer.”