Mel Gibson's Old Mill Farm, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Jul 16th 2007 at 1:08PM

I first mentioned this listing on Sunday. The esteemed Braden Keil of the NY Post broke the story that Mel Gibson has put his Greenwich, Conn. home on the market. The listing with photos just went live today so I wanted to bring you the pictures of why this home just might be worth the $39.5 million asking price. As commenter Spectacular Bid noted on my last post about this house, Old Mill Farm is a design by architect Charles Lewis Bowman built in 1926 for his horse lover client, G.L. Ohrstrom. The home is one of the last great manor homes in Greenwich and is significant not just for the architecture but for the fact that it has 77 acres of land.

The home itself is an Elizabethan-inspired Tudor mansion of 15,800 square feet and the property has 15 bedrooms and 18 bathrooms total. The jaw-dropping room of the place is the great hall which has a 40-foot cathedral ceiling with a stone minstrel's gallery, walk-in fireplace and leaded glass ceilings. The grounds, which were done by landscape designer James Doyle, include formal gardens and a maze. There is also a terrace pool, tennis court, greenhouse, stable, staff houses, log cabin and a pond on the property. For your $39.5 million you really do get a chance to slip into a whole other world. After the jump, imagine the movie Mel could have made here.

Tags: connecticut, estate of the day, greenwich, luxury real estate, mel gibson, MelGibson, old mill farm

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)

John Jul 16th 2007 4:07PM

Seventy-seven manicured acres? Add that to an awesome combination of historical architecture and good taste and you've got one of the finest estates that Luxist has shown.!

Jim Jul 16th 2007 5:37PM

Cripes, it's a theme park. Ugh.

Spectacular Bid Jul 16th 2007 7:06PM

A peerless piece of property by one of the great but overlooked architects of the era - Lewis Bowman a former Cornell University grad who cut his teeth so to speak at the sterling firm of McKim, Mead & White.

Sadly what is not shown in the photos is the very unique and dramatic facade of the manor house from the forecourt. It is wonderful and Bowman rightfully won recognitions for outstanding design with this property. It was also featured by the Architectural League of New York in 1932.

When Ohrstrom divorced wife Emma [nee Riggs] in the 1940's she got this estate and he moved to The Plains, VA. There he retained Bowman again to modify a manor house he bought which is lovely but not as magnificent as Old Mill Farm. Emma died in 1952 and it left Ohrstrom hands.

G.L Ohrstrom in his early 20's (and post WWI where he was an ace fighter pilot) was one of the original big league, self-made multimillionaires via buyouts. His private equity firm continues today with a few mild acquisitions: see glohrstrom.com

The Ohrstrom family (3rd generation) via their Whitewood Stables in Virginia continue to run steeplechasers [and some flat track racers] as well as retain ownership of the preeminent equestrian magazine: The Chronicle of the Horse. They also own the first maker of aluminum racing horse shoes with The Victory Racing Plate Company.

Anyhow regarding this property I do hope it isn't parceled off. When Gibson bought it in 1994 it had been approved for subdivision into 4-lots by seller, the estate of the late Herbert Mayer. In the mid 1980's the estate was still on 137 acres so it has already suffered some cuts.

At $39.5 million it will sell without question. By comparison the 80-acre estate of Henryk de Kwiatkowski (also owner of THE Calumet Farm in Kentucky) set the record at $45 million in 2004 with his Lower Cross Road estate. This is an even better mix of private lands and superior architecture.

Me Jul 16th 2007 11:38PM

Mel Gibson's a heavy smoker so the place must be a nice stinky mess by now.

K Jul 17th 2007 12:20PM

Theme park? I disagree, this is breathtaking, beautiful, historical, grand, elegant ... the list goes on. What an estate SHOULD be and clearly is ... and just looking at this gorgeous place makes the "Texas Chateaus" that much uglier and that much more embarrassing. This is what those fugly Chateaus hope to be, and never will.

Laura Jul 19th 2007 8:51PM

I am looking at these photo's and I just keep thinking, I could never leave that place if I lived there.. It looks a lot like what I imagine Heaven on Earth would be like... I would probably offer my services as a cook or doing Laundry or heck, I might even offer to mow the lawn if I could have just lived there! hahaha Too Beautiful!!!

But that's just my opinion... And this little peice of Heaven on Earth must cost an arm and a leg to keep up I guess.. having to keep in mind a moment of lucid practicality.. Dang it!

Larry Jul 19th 2007 8:43PM

Mel ... I backed you when you were down ... Now do the same for me and sell me this for $1.00 ... I'm a poor guy and would love to live there ... Thank You ... An avid fan ... Not to be confused with rabid.

SUZANNE Jul 21st 2007 10:47AM

IF i WERE A BILLIONAIRE I WOULD BUY THIS LUXURIOUS HOME WITHOUT HESITATION. IWOULD ASK MY THREE PRECIOUS CHILDREN TO MOVE IN WITH ME WITH THEIR FAMILIES SO THEY COULD BE AS CLOSE TO ME IN THIS DAY AS I HAVE ALWAYS FELT TO THEM DURING THEIR YOUNG YEARS. MY HUSBAND WHO HAS HELPED ME RAISE MY BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN, AFTER A LONELY 18 YEARS OF WIDOWHOOD, WOULD BE SO HAPPY TO SPEND THE REST OF OUR LIVES WITH OUR LOVING FAMILY, ALL TOGETHER, INSTEAD OF VISITING ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR. WE ARE SO PROUD OF OUR SUCCESSFUL VENTURES OF OUR CHILDREN IN A DIFFICULT WORLD, AFTER SURVIVING DIFFICULT YEARS WITH THE LOSS OF THEIR LOVING FATHER. WE WOULD BE JOYOUS TO TAKE CARE OF THEM AS THEY TRULY DESERVE.
MAY THE PERSON WHO BUYS MEL'S HOUSE SEE IT AS BEAUTIFULLY AS I DO. HIS CHILDREN SEEM TO BE HAPPY WITH THEIR LIVES AND THEIR PARENTS.

SUZANNE

craig Jul 19th 2007 9:15PM

The architecture is admirable, however the landscaping is second rate at best. Sorry, but true.

Barbara Jul 19th 2007 9:18PM

Looks like a museum. Really nice grounds, the house is huge, but the furniture looks like it came from a yard sale.

Yawn!!!!! Jul 19th 2007 9:21PM

#3, we are not interested in reading novels.

leigh Jul 19th 2007 9:22PM

I'll just take a 150,000 house, and donate the rest to charity so others can have a home.

Marie Elena Jul 19th 2007 9:25PM

I love those beautiful homes built by great architects like in Newport. This gorgeous home should be historically rated and kept in tack. Wish I could afford it but sorrowfully I am a poor old lady who enjoys just looking at lovely things.

Real-ator Jul 19th 2007 9:25PM

Mel's classic (classy!) house makes the one Posh Spice and her loser soccer husband Beckham bought look like a tenement.

Leigh Jul 19th 2007 9:27PM

and to Suzanne..........move by one of your kids.

David Miller Jul 19th 2007 9:27PM

Being an actor has certainly come a long way since the days when Tudor were really Tudor.

REALITY CHECK! Jul 19th 2007 9:29PM

Leigh in #12, your intentions are honorable and sweet, but donating all that money to charity will only pad the pockets of the people running the charities. MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) for instance, pay their 'Management' over 35% of their annual donated income! No lie! You're better off BUYING homes for the homeless instead, and at least you will be actually HELPING the ones that need it! Not making some fat cats running these so called CHARITIES richer! BTW, Mel - your house is a GEM!

Suzy Jul 19th 2007 9:45PM

I'll take it anyday-but he has to pay the taxes, upkeep, etc....lol. It is beautiful. To each his own, beauty is in the eye of the beholder....#3-I liked your description, thanks for the history-a bit long winded perhaps, but nonetheless....Wonder why he is selling it??????

themommagump Jul 19th 2007 9:57PM

#3...I appreciated the background you gave on the property and the original owners. It truly looks peaceful...a great place to relax, reflect and unwind. I'll bet you could have one hell of a party there though!

Continuum Jul 19th 2007 9:58PM

On the contrary, #11, the provided history brings this lovely work of architecture and expansive acreage to vivid life. To #3, the effort in providing the history is, in fact, appreciated by some. I wish more of us were reverent of history. We'd have a lot more wisdom, a lot less trouble and a far richer and more meaningful culture as a payout.

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