$3.6 million
ADDRESS: 1 Red Oak Road, Wilmington 19806 | Square footage: 10,300 | Lot size: 1.15 acres | Year built: 1905 | Bedrooms, baths: 6 bedrooms, 10 baths | School district: Red Clay
In 1905, Gov. Charles Miller built One Red Oak Road, an urban estate in the city of Wilmington overlooking Rockford Park and Kentmere Parkway. The house was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, whose oeuvre includes New York’s Central Park.
Among the mansion’s many amenities is a specialized steam radiator in the butler’s pantry, designed to warm dinner plates. The current owner retained the radiator and authentic architectural moldings when she restored the property in 2000, a three-year process that included such posh additions as a gym, a sauna, a wine cellar (that holds up to 3,000 bottles), a guest house and state-of-the-art sound system. The well-appointed two-bedroom apartment over the pool house is ideal for guests or staff.
A family room, also large, steps down from the gourmet kitchen (where the technology includes a built-in toe-switch automatic dustpan). The television is artfully concealed behind a painting, which rises at the flick of a switch.Built from Wissahickon schist and crowned with a clay-tile roof, the house is nestled between manicured gardens. Designed for entertaining on a grand scale, it features a large double-entry foyer, a reception room, a living room, a music room and a formal dining room where guests can enjoy a repast in front of the fireplace—one of six outfitted for both wood and gas fires. The mansion is kept warm and cool through an eight-zone HVAC system.
In a hurry to get from the third-floor hobby room to the wine cellar? Not a problem, as all levels of the home are accessible by elevator.The second-floor master suite boasts views of both the park and the parkway, as well as a private balcony overlooking the gardens and pool. The bath is a luxurious retreat with radiant-heat floors, a jetted soaking tub and an oversized steam shower.
Listed by Stephen Mottola of Long & Foster | Christie’s International Real Estate’s Greenville Office.
