A Rare Opportunity to Own a Home in Old Saybrook’s Fenwick Neighborhood

Photographs courtesy of William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty

A storied community on the Connecticut shoreline, the borough of Fenwick in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, was once aptly described as “a place where summer is a verb.” It’s an iconic throwback to the late 19th century, when the area was dotted with seaside resort towns and 30-plus-room “cottages” belonging to the rich and famous. If this enclave sounds familiar, it is likely due to the fact that Fenwick was the lifelong home of actress Katherine  Hepburn, who lived there until her death in at the age of 96.

Fenwick is a 256-acre moment in time, an enclave fiercely guarded by its residents—and this property is only one of a very few that ever makes it onto the market. The home is a mix of architectural styles, with weathered cedar shingles and white trim, and a distinctive gambrel roof that suggests Dutch Colonial roots. It is modest by shoreline standards at 3,838-square feet.

Designed by architect Brooke Girty of Lyme, who is known for beachy houses large and small, it was built by S.D. Hallahan Housewright in 2003. The pristine home features four bedrooms, five full baths and one half bath. With beadboard ceilings, paneled walls and more than a few Craftsman notes, its interiors are almost pure white, ready for its next owner’s unique imprint.

An open plan on the first floor is designed to establish sightlines and a connection to the outdoors, thanks to wide windows, a screened porch and two open porches with Dutch doors. The great room features a bright white-on-white kitchen (with custom cabinets and a white marble island) that fairly blends into the casual and cozy family room and an informal dining area.

There’s a formal living room with fireplace, and in a space adjacent to the kitchen, a formal dining room that flows seamlessly into the screened porch, from there to fieldstone walkways and patios, then into the yard and beyond.

All of the bedrooms enjoy views; the master with ensuite white marble bath and private porch looks out over Long Island Sound. A wood-paneled walk-up attic with full bath stretches the length of the house.

The quarter-acre lot with multiple outdoor living spaces includes an in-ground saltwater pool surrounded by a patio and sheltered by boxwoods. The home overlooks the famed Fenwick golf course and offers easy access to tennis, swimming and the Fenwick Yacht Club.

The property is listed for $3,875,000 by Colette Harron of William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty in Essex, Connecticut. For more information, visit the property website or call (860) 767-7488.