The Amazing Pizza Hut Estate!

The Amazing Pizza Hut Estate!

The Amazing Pizza Hut Estate!

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Fast food might not be a nutritionist’s choice for good physical health, but when it comes to making money, fast food franchises can be a sweet deal. This was certainly true for Richard Freeland who made his fortune in Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets with 52 stores in Ohio and Indiana. From part-time Pizza Hut employee to fast food mogul, Freeland lived the American Dream by slowly accumulating a fortune through the two franchise brands and was able to build his and his wife’s dream home in 1997, referred to by locals as Freeland Castle. Freeland died in 2013. Now on the market in Fort Wayne, it is the most expensive listing in Indiana.

The 50-acre equestrian estate, constructed by Amish builders, has 10 buildings including the 38,000-square-foot mansion, a guest house, caretaker’s house and a 6,720-square-foot stable with guest suite. Grounds are manicured with lush plantings, water features, mature trees, rolling lawns, a large stocked lake, a bridge, lakeside pergola and terraces. The 10-stall stable and paddocks were originally devoted to Freeland’s Arabian horse breeding program through embryo transplant into quarter horses with his veterinarian occupying the 8,000-square-foot guest house.

The four-story main mansion appears to have emerged from the Gilded Age where J. P. Morgan or Andrew Carnegie might have lived to show off their wealth. Constructed of dark gray stone, the elegant grand foyer opens to the large formal rooms. Two antique-style elevators with sliding cages go to all four levels in addition to a large staircase with wrought-iron banisters that continue through each of the four large landings. In addition to the 16 bedrooms and 27 baths, the mansion has a chef’s kitchen with less formal dining and walk-in freezer, wine room for tastings, English-style conservatory, a two-story library, large bar for entertaining, game room and 16 fireplaces. Although there is no presidential suite as such, the George Bush family were guests on a number of occasions.

Grounds include open lawns and wooded areas and an extensive pond stocked with bluegill, catfish, bass and walleye, a park-like bridge, floating covered dock, waterside terraces and pergola. There is a multi-car garage and tennis court.

Costing $35 million to build in 1997, the 50-acre equestrian estate of Pizza Hut magnate Richard Freeland is for sale in Indiana priced at $30 million. Marilyn Hoffman of Hoffman International Properties, Inc. is the listing agent.

Source: www.marilynhoffmanrealtor.com