The Nuns House!

The Nuns House!

The Nuns House!

Must SeeTop 10 Florida Condos For Sale

When Shakespeare wrote "Get thee to a nunnery" in Hamlet, he would never have imagined this. Though built at the height of the Gilded Age in 1887 as a summer home for the family and friends of Lombard, Ayres & Company and undergoing a major restoration in 1919 by its third owner, it finally went to its fifth owner in 1953, the Sisters of the Order of St. Dominic. Over the next 52 years, the nuns used it as a school, a retirement home for aging nuns and a spiritual center. Without the funds to keep up the property, it fell into serious disrepair. Finally, unable to afford the taxes and sustain the property, it was sold to shoe designer Vince Camuto, co-founder of Nine West and his wife. The Camutos spent the next five years in a massive renovation of the estate which was orchestrated by Andre Tchelistcheff Architects and Carol Egan Interiors.

Today, it is the epitome of an eclectic summer beach house that has been preserved, enhanced and rebuilt to highlight the mansion’s best features. At approximately 22,000 square feet, the interior encompases 11 bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, a ballroom now turned living room with multiple conversation areas, large eat-in kitchen, den, library, wine cellar, office, studio, study and formal dining room. Situated on 7.6 acres, the lawns extend to the water’s edge on Mecox Bay with its own dock. There is also a swimming pool, with guest house and sweeps of professional landscaping. For more information.

Purchased by the Camutos in 2005 for $35 million, after total restoration the landmark estate is listed at $49.5 million.

Source: www.corcoran.com