5-18-2024 8:21pm

Victorian Gothic estate in Snedens Landing listed at $28.5 million

Robert Brum Contributor

Niederhurst in the Palisades enclave of Snedens Landing, is on the market for $28.5 million. Photo by Josh McHugh:

A historic Victorian Gothic mansion on a 13-acre estate in the secluded Palisades neighborhood of Snedens Landing is on the market for $28.5 million with Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty.

The home, built in 1874 and named Niederhurst, is perched on a bluff overlooking the Hudson River and features eight bedrooms, seven full bathrooms, two half baths and six fireplaces. The home’s Victorian Gothic exterior is characterized by its combination of gable and hip roofs, six-panel shutters and polychrome brickwork — an architectural feature consisting of multicolor bricks arranged in an intricate pattern.

The property is owned by Manhattan-based interior designer Sara Story, who acquired the estate in 2011 and launched a multimillion-dollar renovation to restore the 8,000-plus-square-foot mansion to its former glory. The project included a restoration of the home’s brick exterior and addition of a sauna, cellar, lounge and limestone-paved, and in-ground pool surrounded by tiered garden beds.

The interior reflects the designer’s aesthetic, pairing historic details with modern elements. Highlights include original plaster medallions, brickwork and moldings infused with the addition of hand-troweled Venetian plaster walls, oak millwork and wide-plank, light oak flooring. Materials include Paonazzo marble from Italy in the master bath and Nero Marquina with Blue de Savoie and Calcutta marbles in the gallery floor.

According to Story, the renovation was a “labor of love” that unfolded over four years. In 2024, Story was named to Architectural Digest’s AD100 list that celebrates the top names in design. Her book, The Art of Home, published in 2023, covers her firm’s first two decades.

“It’s a luxury to live in a gorgeously built home but it means you are really obligated to pay attention to its original intention,” Story said about Niederhurst. “I wanted to create a home that was warm and inviting, a place to gather with family and friends. I hope the next caretaker will cherish it in the same way.”

The home was constructed by Winthrop Gilman Jr., a New York City banker and architect who built Palisades’ first one-room schoolhouse, now a community center, and the Palisades Presbyterian Church in 1863, according to Sotheby’s. Gilman also served as a historian for Snedens Landing, chronicling accounts of many of the area’s early residents.

The estate’s grounds feature imported copper beech trees from England planted by Gilman in the 1870s. The estate’s Fern Lodge, built in 1866, offers 5,700 square feet of additional residential space in combination with its converted stables and barn, including eight bedrooms and four bathrooms. Also of note are a cote converted from a small observatory, a concrete pergola and a stone shed.

The listing consists of three separate contiguous lots being sold together for the first time since the home was built: Niederhurst on 6.29 acres at 23 Ludlow Lane; Fern Lodge on 1.86 acres at 31 Ludlow Lane; and a 4.5-acre vacant lot at 35 Ludlow Lane, which can be accessed directly from the other lots.

“Niederhurst is one of the great estate houses along the Hudson River,” said listing agent Richard Ellis. “The home’s renovation exemplifies how thoughtful design can breathe new life into a historic gem, preserving its essence while adapting it for modern living. In addition to the timeless elegance of the home characteristic of a European estate overlooking the Rhine River, what resonates is the historic and humanitarian contributions to the community of Snedens Landing by Winthrop Gilman Jr., a true Renaissance man.”

Ellis also sold the home to Story in 2011, which previously was inhabited by only three other families.

The secluded community is known for its notable residents. Snedens Landing has been home to past and present celebrities and artists, including Laurence Olivier, John Steinbeck, Katharine Hepburn, Al Pacino, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Angelina Jolie, Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray and Diane Sawyer.

Niederhurst