Claudia Bordino – Formentera Sotheby’s International Realty
Every place tells a story of its lineage, locale, and culture, and nowhere do these histories find a more sincere expression than in heritage homes. Through their architecture and design, they stand as monuments to iconic moments and encapsulate decades—even centuries—of aesthetic excellence. In doing so, they’re timeless, merging the past with the present in a way that persists well into the future.
These classic properties are possessed of charm, quality, and craftsmanship that make them highly covetable for homebuyers. But even more powerful is the pride that comes with stewarding a piece of history and preserving it for future generations.
A Fairy Tale a Century in the Making
Sabrina Majello – Italy Sotheby’s International Realty
One of the most enticing aspects of historic homes is the way they stimulate the imagination and create a fantasy that’s actually never far from reality. Just look, for instance, at this lush villa on the island of Capri, overlooking the Bay of Naples.
Sabrina Majello – Italy Sotheby’s International Realty
Think of how visionary its colors must have been when it was built at the turn of the 20th century; consider the awe with which locals would have looked upon it, with its vast verandas and classic colonnades. What kind of nobility or aristocracy might have made their home in such a place, with its five spacious bedrooms, additional quarters, leisurely terraces, and bountiful gardens? It’s a story that began more than 100 years ago—but for the one who lives here next, the rest will be theirs to write.
A Relic of New York’s Rise to Glory
Mara Flash Blum and Nikki Field – Sotheby’s International Realty – Downtown Manhattan Brokerage
Preserving older pieces of history can be difficult to do, particularly in major metropolitan centers. Big cities face a relentless pressure to build new developments, and over time, fragments of the past fall apart little by little. That’s why it’s so remarkable that New York City still has a townhouse like this from the mid-1800s. While there are still quite a few properties from the early 20th century and the late 19th century to be found around town, it’s inspiring to have a home in the midst of Manhattan that predates the Gilded Age and remains in excellent condition.
Mara Flash Blum and Nikki Field – Sotheby’s International Realty – Downtown Manhattan Brokerage
The home is spread across four floors, from a comfortable cooking, dining, and living space at the garden level to a grand and stately parlor level that looks out onto the tree-lined streets of Chelsea. Above that, a whole floor is fully dedicated to the luxe primary suite, while the top floor has ample space for family, guests, or home offices. But the desirability is in the details, with ornate architectural features that hearken back to the house’s time-honored origins.
A Local Landmark Steeped in Culture
Claudia Bordino – Formentera Sotheby’s International Realty
With its gleaming white sands and aquamarine seas, the Mediterranean isle of Formentera has gained prominence as a glamorous getaway destination. Its diminutive size and straightforward ferry access from nearby Ibiza have ensured that it’s always had a small permanent population, and the majority of beachgoers are visiting vacationers. But that just makes the deluxe homes there, like this gorgeously rustic residence, all the more rarified.
Claudia Bordino – Formentera Sotheby’s International Realty
This vast property served as a center of reference for surrounding agrarian communities once it was completed in the 1930s. And with stunning 20th-century architecture, as well as sunny olive groves and lavender fields, it’s an ageless predecessor to the in-vogue concept of indoor-outdoor living.
A Legacy Established by a Luminary
Kelly Zaccaro – Heritage House Sotheby’s International Realty
Sometimes a property’s true prestige derives from notable previous owners and their famous accomplishments. That’s certainly the case for this serene Middletown mansion, which was commissioned by Macy’s founder Nathan Straus and constructed by the same architect who designed for the Vanderbilts, Tiffanys, and other iconic captains of industry.
Incredibly, the process of milk pasteurization was developed at this very property by Straus’s friend Louis Pasteur, deployed to market from its stables and leading to a drastic reduction in childhood mortality in early 20th-century America. So there’s much more to this five-acre estate than its lavish interiors or exceptional exteriors—it’s a place where history wasn’t just witnessed, but actively made.
Kelly Zaccaro – Heritage House Sotheby’s International Realty
Heritage homes never get old, because their age is precisely what keeps them current. Conserving them is a sound investment—both for the homeowner and for society as a whole—because of the tangible and intangible value these artifacts provide. They’re storytellers whose walls can speak, with gifts that are given in perpetuity.
Obsessed with properties that blend classic flourishes with contemporary design? Explore these four modern farmhouses.
