One of America’s most storied private residences is back on the market for the third time in two years – and this time, the price has gone up.
The Crespi Estate at 5619 Walnut Hill Lane in Dallas’s prestigious Preston Hollow neighbourhood is listed at US$64 million (A$102 million), making it the most expensive home currently for sale in Texas.
That’s a striking figure given the property was listed at US$60 million in 2023 and relisted at US$47 million in 2024, both times without finding a buyer, according to PaperCity Magazine.
The renewed listing at the highest price yet reportedly includes three adjacent lots, bringing the total landholding to roughly 15.7 acres.
Also known as Villa Fiorenza, the French-style chateau was designed in 1938 by Swiss architect Maurice Fatio – his last completed project before his death at 45 – for Italian Count Pio Crespi and his American wife Florence.
Over the decades it played host to presidents, dignitaries, Coco Chanel, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. George W. and Laura Bush live next door.
The main residence spans more than 27,000 square feet and includes 10 bedrooms, a ballroom, a mirrored Art Deco bar, two wine cellars, a conservatory, 11 fireplaces, and a panelled library featuring 1820s woodwork imported from Europe.
A major renovation by architect Peter Marino in the early 2000s added a 3,300-square-foot guesthouse and a 4,800-square-foot entertainment pavilion with a 19-seat theatre. Marino sourced limestone from the same Indiana quarry used in the original construction.
The grounds feature a heliport, tennis courts, a country club-scale pool with waterfall, a greenhouse, gardens, and a year-round creek.
The estate’s recent ownership history is as colourful as its guest list.
Former Texas Rangers and Dallas Stars owner Tom Hicks bought it from the Crespi family in 1997, commissioned the Marino renovation, and sold to billionaire banker Andy Beal in 2016 for a reported US$100 million.
American Development Group CEO Mehrdad Moayedi then purchased it at a 2017 Concierge Auctions sale for US$36.2 million. Since 2019, it has been held by a trust associated with the Edwin L. Cox family.
The late art historian Richard Brettell once described the property as “the most important home of its era built anywhere in the country.”
Three listings, one price hike, and a guest book that includes royalty — Villa Fiorenza is betting that the third time really is the charm. The full listing can be viewed at realtor.com.