Leona Helmsley's Dunnellen Hall Sells For $35 Million

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Oct 6th 2010 at 6:01PM

In August we learned that Leona Helmsley's former home, Dunnellen Hall in Greenwich, Connecticut might finally be sold. Now the Greenwich Time gives us a sold price and it's even lower than had been anticipated. This home hit the market in 2008 for $125 million. Price cut after price cut followed until it hit $60 million. The Greenwich Time says that the home has been sold for $35 million, a full $90 million discount. The buyer is listed as a trustee, Cynthia L. Smith of the Greenwich law firm Whitman, Breed, Abbott & Morgan LLP. Jane Basham of David Ogilvy & Associates was the selling agent.

The traditional brick mansion is approximately 23,0000 square feet with seven upstairs bedroom suites, a glass-walled music room, a wood- paneled library with a 15th century fireplace mantel, formal dining room, family room with a bar and much more. The back wing is home to the staff area which has six bedrooms. The indoor pool has four exposures and includes areas for sitting and changing. There is also a 75-foot outdoor pool with a terrace and a cabana with a kitchen. There are also brick cottages with an additional six bedrooms total. The Helmsleys bought Dunnellen Hall in 1983 for $9 million (paying an extra $2 million for the furniture) and later picked up another 14 acres bringing the total to 40 acres. We've heard from those who have visited the home that it is in a state of disrepair and will cost millions to fix. The sale will be a boon for the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, which supports health care and medical research.

The home is just the latest in Greenwich in a year that has seen Tommy Hilfiger pick up a new home for $31.375 million and Mel Gibson's Old Mill Farm sell for almost $24 million. The top of the market is now the Point of View estate listed at $42 million.

Gallery: Dunnellen Hall

Tags: connecticut, connecticut real estate, dunnellen hall, estates, green

Filed under: Estates

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

reallytorkedoff Oct 6th 2010 10:40PM

"23,0000 square feet"?

That's HUGE!

jasonfgd Oct 6th 2010 11:51PM

At roughly $1,500 sqft., it seems like a deal for the area and its proximity to NYC.

Spectacular Bid Oct 7th 2010 3:34PM

That is certainly more like it with the pricing and in line with expectations. Proof again these bloated price tags on the top tier homes only delay the sale - and reputation - of the property. If an owner (at this level) is serious about selling there is no reason to inflate the price in hopes that just maybe a Arab Sheik will want your estate. It doesn't happen.

CK Dexter H. I believe said that the property was in need of restoration on top of all that. I've always thought the expansion done to the property by the Helmsley's ruined the lovely lines of the mansion. From the air you certainly can see that very ugly rear appendage tacked on which just mars the rear facade.

It simply was as nice as the Mel Gibson sold property.