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In Upstate New York, magnificent Gilded Age properties can still be found across the countryside, including Aberdeen and Olana. That’s because this is where the wealthiest of families built pastoral, and palatial, retreats from city life. Currently, distinguished Belle Terre, the former summer home of a wealthy industrialist, is on the market.
Priced at $3 million, the listing offers a staggering 24,692-square-foot, Georgian manse built in 1906 for copper baron James McLean. With almost 40 acres to roam and a private lake, the property was an ideal place for McLean to enjoy hunting and other regal outdoor sports.
The current seller is famous artist Hunt Slonem, a bold neo-expressionist who owns and has renovated several other historic properties. For this endeavor, he restored the home’s original moldings, floorboards, stairwell, and the original elevator. “It just kills me to see what people do to things,” Slonem told Mansion Global. “Nobody has a sense of saving what little is left in this country of an age of grandeur.”
Photograph: JOHN NITZEL FOR FOUR SEASONS SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
For the decor, however, Slonem wasn’t afraid to bring in the whimsy and the motifs of his paintings, even showcasing his renowned bunnies with yellow wallpaper. Colorful paint choices, fabrics, and rugs fill other rooms, along with art of all eras and genres. Artifacts and antiques are scattered throughout the halls, confirming that this 120-year-old masterpiece definitely lends itself to a collector.
With plenty of space to throw a ritzy gala or glamorous al fresco event, it’s also destined for entertaining. In fact, Eleanor Roosevelt once hosted a party here for 6,000 guests. How’s that for a great dinner party story?
