260 Middlesex Ave, Chester, CT 06412

This remarkable country home becomes available for the first time in over 30 years. Until recently the rural retreat of a renowned journalist, it is located in the charming small town of Chester, Connecticut. New York City and Boston are just over two hours by car or train. Spread over 7 private park-like acres, the landscape is filled with such diverse decorative elements as a Bermudian moon gate, an Italian garden grotto, and prides of terracotta and stone lions. The center of the house is the original early 20th C eclectic cottage with its multiple architectural styles ranging from Medieval to Arts and Crafts. Surrounding the original cottage, a totally reconceived home now has a large stone patio, a spacious family room/kitchen, 2 fireplaces, 4 full baths, a classic English greenhouse, and a first-floor master suite with beamed cathedral ceiling and a huge closet/dressing room/storage area. Separated from the main house, an ample writer's studio, with wood-burning fireplace, a fifth full bath with steam shower, and a covered porch overlooks a heated swimming pool and gazebo. The 19th C. barn incorporates a new four-car garage. All this is just a mile from downtown Chester, home to artists and writers, a theater, some of Connecticut's finest restaurants and a celebrated Sunday Farmers Market in the town center from May through October. And when it's time to leave, your full house generator, security system and irrigation system will keep watch until you return.