American artist Hunt Slonem has added another historic property to his extensive real estate collection, purchasing Seaview Terrace in Newport, Rhode Island for US$16 million (AUD$22.6 million).
The Elizabethan Revival mansion sits on eight acres along Newport’s dramatic Cliff Walk and ranks as the fifth-largest mansion in the wealthy seaside town. It was initially in the market for US$28.5 million.
With 29 bedrooms, 18 bathrooms, and nearly 44,000 square feet of living space, the property was originally built for Gilded Age whiskey magnate Edson Bradley.
In 1923, Mr Bradley had portions of his French-Gothic mansion in Washington, D.C. disassembled and relocated to Newport, incorporating them into new construction.
The estate features stained glass, an organ room, a whispering gallery, and a theatre.
The home’s exterior gained fame as Collinwood Mansion in the 1960s cult television series “Dark Shadows” and later appeared on the paranormal investigation show “Ghost Hunters” in 2011.
According to Page Six, reported supernatural activity was a selling point for Mr Slonem.
“He loves old haunted mansions,” a close friend told the publication. “Hunt is a spiritualist. He receives messages from those who are no longer with us.”
The estate’s ghostly reputation includes claims that Bradley’s late wife can occasionally be seen playing the home’s Estey organ, while previous owners reported hearing disembodied voices and door handles jiggling.
Mr Slonem is known for his colourful paintings of bunnies and birds, with work held in collections including the Guggenheim, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Whitney.
His depiction of The Venerable Pierre Toussaint hangs in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York.
The artist maintains an extensive property portfolio that includes two mansions in Louisiana, Searles Castle in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, copper baron James McLean’s former home in the Catskill Mountains, and an armory in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
View the listing here.
