La Selva Revisited, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Aug 31st 2009 at 1:01PM

I've written about this property before but new pictures and a lower price make it worth a second look especially because I think it is due for another price cut. The Italian Renaissance mansion in Upper Brookville, New York was built for investor Henry Sanderson in 1915. It's a classic American example of the exuberance of wealth. The 40-room villa on 24 acres was used by the Roman Catholic Church as the St. Francis Retreat House.The estate is owned by Sylvia Kumar, wife of imprisoned former Computer Associates chief Sanjay Kumar. Sanjay Kumar was ordered by a federal judge to pay back $798 million to shareholders after he pleaded guilty to securities fraud. The home was bought by Sylvia Kumar from St. Francis Monastery for $6.75 million in 2001.

The home has a domed rotunda, a loggia, a winding staircase, a library, two dining rooms, seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms. The home has stone columns and arches, wrought iron doors and delicate Renaissance style paintings. There is a possibility that the land could be subdivided into five acre plots and the property does have a renovated three-bedroom cottage and a walled carriage house with heated garage, five indoor stables, six bedrooms, workshop and two bathrooms. It was listed at $17 million, it was chopped to $14.5 million last December but given that the home itself likely requires significant updating, I am guessing that it may take another deep price cut to sell this home.

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Gallery: La Selva Revisited

Tags: estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, la selva, LaSelva, new york real estate, NewYorkRealEstate, upper brookville, UpperBrookville

Filed under: Estates

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

eric bonwit Aug 31st 2009 1:19PM

Updating? I don't see anything that needs updating in these pics ... VERY nice.

Only thing *I* would want is a home theater (assuming you could find a room where it wouldn't look ridiculous).

I am guessing the kitchen wasn't photographed as IT needs updating.