REAL ESTATE

OCEAN LODGE

An extraordinary 8.58-acre family estate offers a grand residence, carriage house, 4+-stall stable, apartment, a helipad (pending FAA approval), and more with total privacy abutting conservation land.

73 Forest Street, Manchester, MA

$3,499,000

JESSICA HALL

In the late nineteenth century, the storied North Shore coastal community of Manchester-by-the-Sea blossomed as a Gilded Age summer resort for privileged members of the prosperous industrializing society. Wealthy families who had amassed great fortunes were looking to spend them on summer estates away from big cities. Taking advantage of the lack of income tax, massive shingle-style and Colonial Revival cottages were built on large estates overlooking the sea. They were not only visually appealing and a tool with which to showcase their wealth but a sagacious investment. As summer mansions erected, the village grew to support its needs, and a defined social network began to develop. Rail access, yacht and country clubs, a horticultural hall,

and more serviced its new wealthy patrons. A day on Singing Beach became an iconic New England pastime, immortalized in the famous Winslow Homer painting, Low Tide. It is here in the c1900s, on the highest hill in this exclusive neighborhood, the White family build the prestigious estate later known as Ocean Lodge.

Ocean Lodge brings an equally stately presence and narrative to its historic landscape. “The property initially comprised some 100 acres and was one of two estates, the other being the brick Dexter mansion on Colburn Road. Surrounding acreage has since been developed or placed in conservation. However, Ocean Lodge is preserved on approximately 9 acres of woodlands with a spring-fed pond with beaver dams,” explains listing agent Tom Janis of Engel & Völkers By The Sea. “The house has had only 4-5 owners, including the current for the past twelve years. One notable past owner, Nathaniel Corning, investment entrepreneur and heir to the Std. Oil of Ohio fortune who married a Canadian olympic figure skater owned the home for 15-20 years.”

While many of the area’s mansions have seen the wrecker’s ball after World War II, Ocean Lodge remains in pristine condition, thanks to its caring stewards. During his tenure, Mr. Corning transformed the home into a South-Western style lodge. He added an in-ground pool, regulation tennis court, stable, and guest wing. Under the past two owners, the house has undergone extensive renovations, including the upgrading of septic systems, furnaces, two kitchens, flooring, fixtures, doors, windows, and intricate interior architectural details.

“The home has evolved into a classic New Englandstyle homestead loaded with features like marble/ brick fireplaces, top-quality doors, windows, hardwood floors, solid brass hardware, high ceilings, porches, and terraces,” describes Janis. “The main kitchen retains one of the few preserved, functioning Cyrus Carpenter wood-fired stove/ovens. The stable, carriage house - with its three bays and 2-bedroom apartment - and the pool house were all renovated.”

Picture postcards only wish they boasted views this pretty. Nestled on nearly nine manicured acres, Ocean Lodge offers stunning distant ocean and celestial views. Enjoy the summer breezes amongst lush lawns, gardens, mature trees, shrubs, and topiaries, with 40-mile treetop views of the Atlantic ocean and South Shore. The tennis court and 40-foot inground pool provide endless leisure opportunities. And don’t forget-for the horses-the stable with its 4-stalls and room for more, shop and tack room, and turn-out fenced paddock allow you to keep your beloveds close to home. The surrounding land, mostly controlled by a conservation trust, ensures extra privacy, and offers miles of riding, hiking, and biking trails. Janis points out, “In 2020, the owners requested FAA approval as a helicopter landing site, which is expected late this year. The hilltop location is ideal for landings while comfortably distant from other residences and would be the 3rd site in Town.”

Ocean Lodge is the ideal generational family compound that not only provides space but ensures privacy and safety, ample room for multi-generations additional space for a home office, homeschooling, and guests or inlaws. The top 5-rated public school system in the State, with all-new buildings and sports facilities, regularly sends students to leading colleges and universities. While conveniently located minutes from the village, harbor, yacht club, and beaches, it is private with no neighbors within sight or sound. A stone’s throw away is the famed Essex County Club and its historic, top-50 eighteen-hole golf course, ten grass and ten clay tennis courts, three paddle tennis courts, and a Olympic- sized swimming pool.

“73 Forest Street has no comparison in Manchester or the surrounding area,” concludes Janis. “The property includes a tennis court, in-ground 40-foot pool, equestrian stable and formal gardens - privately surrounded by forest and conservation land, and minutes from the village, beaches, and harbor. The home has stunning distant views, constant ocean breezes, and architectural character – a truly rare combination seldom found.”

73 Forest Street, Manchester, MA 01944

is offered at $3,499,000

For more information or to schedule a private showing,

please contact:

Brackett Janis Group

Global Real Estate Advisors

ENGEL&VÖLKERS

120 Main Street

Gloucester, MA 01930

Devlyn Brackett Mobile: 1+781.608.7202