Noank, Connecticut Riverfront Home for Sale: Historic Greek Revival with Guest House

Tom Anderson grew up on a quiet street in Noank, Connecticut, with wide views of the Mystic River from his family’s c. 1845 Greek Revival home. Now 68 and a sailmaker in Stamford, he recalls a childhood shaped by the shoreline and local sailing culture: “It suited my parents just fine for over 60 years,” he says. The house, built by Anderson’s great-great-grandfather Robert Palmer—likely to house workers from his shipyard on Noank’s Morgan Point—has remained a part of the family for generations.

Anderson and his brother, who co-own the property, have reluctantly decided not to retire here. They are asking $895,000 for the three-bedroom, two-bath main house plus a one-bedroom, one-bath guest house, all on a 0.2-acre lot. Furnishings are negotiable.

Low hedges define the property and flagstone paths lead to the front door of the clapboard house, which is an easy walk from Noank village. The home retains many period details appropriate to a 19th-century craftsman’s residence: elaborate woodwork on the first floor, original window glass in many panes, and wide yellow-pine plank floors throughout most rooms (the utility room and bathrooms excepted).

The original front parlor has been converted into a bedroom that connects directly to a full bathroom, which is also accessible from the hallway. A wood-burning fireplace anchors the sitting room and faces a dramatic floor-to-ceiling bay window overlooking the Mystic River—Anderson remembers “many hours watching all the boats passing by.” The adjacent dining room also has a bay window and opens to the wraparound waterfront porch, offering additional river views and an easy flow for entertaining.

The rear kitchen is fully equipped and includes a breakfast nook set in another bay window that opens to the porch. Upstairs the home offers a front bedroom with built-in closet shelving, an adjacent full bathroom, a small front office, and a central sitting room that features a second wood-burning fireplace and scenic river vistas. A second upstairs bedroom with built-in storage connects to the rear laundry room, which includes stairs that lead down to the back door.

The original garage was moved to the rear of the lot and converted into an insulated, two-story guest house with a concrete patio. “Its second-floor deck has the best view on the property,” Anderson says. From there, panoramic views extend across Ram Island Yacht Club’s docks and the Mystic River toward Mason’s Island.

The property includes deeded water rights to the Mystic River. Nearby neighbors have built a dock and float that reaches about 4 feet at mean low water. While the local mooring field has a waiting list, several neighboring marinas provide additional moorings and slips, making this an appealing option for boat owners. Anderson notes that he has sailed the area since crewing in Blue Jays as a child and that the Noank–Mystic area offers excellent sailing opportunities and many cruising destinations within easy reach.

Practical systems and utilities include an oil-fired, five-zone hot water baseboard heating system. The property shares a driveway with a neighbor and is connected to public water and sewer services. Annual taxes are approximately $14,300. Major road access is convenient: U.S. Route 1 through Mystic and Groton is roughly three miles away, and Interstate 95 is about five miles from the property.

For more information, contact Ann Bergendahl at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties in Stonington, Connecticut: (860) 460-3909. The listing is handled by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties, Stonington.

Correction: The price of the Deltaville, Virginia, home in the June issue was incorrect. The correct price is $569,900. Neena Rodgers, of Isabel Horsley Real Estate, lists that property.

This article originally appeared in the July 2016 issue.