Renowned fashion designer and multinational corporation founder Tommy Hilfiger has put his historic house in Greenwich, Connecticut on the market for $47.5 million.
“This is a rare opportunity to have the very best that Greenwich has to offer,” says listing agent Janet Milligan of Sotheby’s International Realty Greenwich Brokerage. “This is total privacy in ultimate living. The impressive, one-of-a-kind property offers commanding views of the New York City skyline and Long Island Sound.”
Designed by noted architect Greville Rickard and built in 1939 for real estate magnate Charles V. Paterno, the estate at the top of Round Hill (the highest point in Greenwich) later became the home of famed financier and art patron Joseph H. Hirshhorn. In a nearly six-year project, Tommy and Dee Hilfiger restored and renovated the estate, resulting in an Architectural Digest feature in February of 2017 and the honor of a 2015 Stanford White Award.
The main residence encompasses over 13,344 square feet, including six bedrooms, seven full baths and three powder rooms. Six fireplaces, elaborately carved millwork, intricate plasterwork, decorative painting, wide-board and limestone floors, and fine textile wall-coverings highlight the trove of extraordinary finishes. As another one-of-a-kind flourish, architect Greville Rickard designed images of himself and the builder in stained glass panels that frame a stone archway. The lower level provides a handsome wine cellar/tasting room. Extraordinary care was taken to preserve the original finishes while engineering the home’s new systems.
Surrounding the palatial home are 22 private, park-like acres that include gardens and shade trees that make for an atmosphere reminiscent of the English countryside. Behind the turreted entry, the beamed great hall presents an impressive reception space. A baronial Elizabethan-style staircase spirals upward in a soaring leaded-glass bay.
Most first-floor rooms open to engaging outdoor living spaces, inviting a stroll through the rose garden with its fountain, the boxwood knot garden, water garden with a fountained koi pond and topiary garden. The swimming pool, tennis court and great lawn facing Long Island Sound also serve as focal points for enjoying the outdoors.
The charming guesthouse contains a living room, kitchen, two bedrooms, two baths and a two-bay garage. The property also provides a detached four-bay garage, greenhouse, and delightful tea house, now converted into the security pavilion.