All over town, builders and families are buying old (and some young) homes, and tearing them down.
Some were poorly constructed, and go easily. Others are more sturdy. But they too succumb to the wrecking ball.
It will take a lot to topple 50 Sylvan Road North — the 1920 Tudor Revival owned by a host of well-known people, including actor Frank Gorshin and billionaire Marc Lasry.
(Photo courtesy of MLS)
Fortunately, that won’t happen.
And not just because the walls are more than 2 feet thick.
50 Sylvan Road North, today.
The 9-bedroom, 8 1/2-bathroom stone home, on a 3-acre lot, was bought 2 1/2 years ago by attorney Jeffrey Ment and Dr. Mary Murray, Westporters since 2000.
Sturdy construction, from 1920.
They’ve painstakingly renovated the long-neglected property, both inside and out.
Mary Murray, in her back yard.
The interior was in bad shape. The exterior — including gardens, statues and fountains that had disappeared under weeds and algae — was worse.
It’s taken time, energy, creativity and love. But now, 50 Sylvan — beckoning behind an old-style stone wall — looks much as it did when Charles Cutler designed it over 100 years ago.
If it looks a bit like other local landmarks, there’s a reason: Cutler also created the Westport Bank & Trust (Patagonia) building downtown, and Greens Farms Elementary School.
The first owner was Arthur Dare Whiteside, president of Dun & Bradstreet. Subsequent owners included a variety of artists and actors, including Gorshin — The Riddler on “Batman,” among many other notable roles.
But by the time Murray and her husband — who passed it often, on their walks from nearby Marion Road — bought it, it had fallen into disrepair.
It took them a while to figure out what to do, or even where to begin.
As landscape architects Beate Hochman and Emilio Mandujano explored, they found overgrown sculptures, rock gardens, even a pond. “It was like an architectural dig,” Murray recalls.
This sculpture and fountain was rediscovered, and restored.
Gradually, the property has been transformed. The owners have added their own touches too, like a farm building with 10 chickens and 5 ducks, and a nearby koi pond.
The chicken and duck coop, with pond in front.
Inside, Murray and Ment have restored carvings — of Latin sayings, animals and more — in nearly every room. They’ve brought old fireplaces back to life.
Intricate carvings, over one of many fireplaces.
They’ve worked on rooms that were important a century ago but are no longer needed, like the one where Whiteside’s driver could pull in and wait. He was not allowed anywhere else in the house.
It’s been a labor of love — and mystery — for the owner. “This is such a special place in Westport history,” Murray says. “I keep imagining that world, and what it was like, 100 years ago.
“Westport is a place of creativity. It’s nice to remember who we were, and still are.
“I don’t why anyone would need new construction, when they could have this.”
Mary Murray, at the rear of her home.
Another restoration at 50 Sylvan Road North.
Landscape architect Beate Hochman is responsible for much of the work on 50 Sylvan Road North. The detached garage in the back was added by a previous owner, after the home was built. (All photos/Dan Woog unless otherwise noted.)
(“06880” regularly covers Westport’s past, real estate now — and like today, their intersection. If you enjoy stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Yea for restoration!!!
Westport is more than a collection of beautiful homes and streets… is a place shaped by generations of creative thinkers, artists, writers, and visionaries. We should be more curious about the remarkable stories that came before us, because preserving our history is not simply about protecting old buildings; it is about honoring the imagination, craftsmanship, and community spirit that define Westport’s identity. I hope we inspire some families to really consider a restoration!
Mary, I have a lot of stories of Westport that go back to 1903, however, I’m not sure too many would want to hear about them.
I believe you are correct.
I even have home movies in Westport from 1941, and the Bell and Howell movie camera in its original box.
Have you thought about starting your own blog? “Jack Backiel’s Westport”. Post a new story every day. Maybe convert those home movies to digital and post those.
Or, maybe to get started, ask Dan for a new weekly feature. You know, like “Flashback Friday” or “Saturday Art Gallery” except make it “Jack Backiel’s Westport Wednesday”. You can either post one of your stories or save up all of the comments you would otherwise have made during the past week and post them all in one place at one time with links back to the place you would have originally posted them.
Bill, I’ll keep that in mind while I continue doing exactly what I’m doing.
Jack,
My advice is:
Bill Strittmatter!!!!
(before he bills YOU).
He didn’t go to SHS (like WE did).
50 N Sylvan figured in Westport’s history of affordable housing…Margot and Mason Adams rented us the chauffeur’s apartment when I was a teacher at then Bedford Junior High School. His roles on Broadway and “Lou Grant” were still in the future, but the voice of Smuckers—“you can’t fool Mother Nature”—had us thinking we hadn’t turned off our radio.
Fabulous article. So happy the house was not torn down and has another hundred years to go. Back in the day this is what my husband and I did in New Rochelle and Larchmont New York before moving to Connecticut 30 years ago . Here in Ct Rowayton, Southbury, New Fairfield and of course, Westport , these were just our own … restoring a Quality built home is so rewarding. Congratulations to the new owners.
Love, love, love. The Westport community is so fortunate to have Mr. Ment and Dr. Murray among us … to preserve our past, live in the moment, and brighten our future. Congratulations and thank you. Can we look forward to an “Open Days” opportunity?
thank you so much! Please come by anytime. We would love to give you a tour.
They did a fantastic job! My husband and I spent YEARS arguing about whether or not to buy this property. I wanted it desperately, it is a jewel and had so much potential to be restored to its grandeur. I’m so glad someone took the time and made the effort to restore it. We ended up compromising on a similar historical treasure with 2’ walls and a century of history. It’ll take us years to finish restoring but this article is so inspiring to all of us taking the time to restore these town treasures.
Thanks, Morgan, for the kind comments! This house is truly magical. The more we restore and care for it, the more it reveals its character and charm. It’s a treasure, and watching our children and animals enjoy every corner of it has made the journey even more rewarding. We feel privileged to be helping preserve a small piece of its history while creating new memories here!
Fabulous! Congratulations, Mary and Jeffrey. Fun fact: Charles Cutler’s own house and studio still stand on Kings Highway North. Cutler also designed the Hunt Club on Long Lots and the suave little Colonial Revival at 99 Myrtle (the corner of Avery and Myrtle).
Amazing job, Mary and Jeffrey, and thank you for highlighting this story and house, Dan Woog! I live on Stony Brook Road nearby, and pass the house often, recalling when I saw it being sold and what was to come of it. So overjoyed to know you are restoring it when so many beautiful homes with fascinating stories have been demolished. Bravo!!
thank you so much for your comments. Please come by anytime we would love to share the work with you.
Great job! I also know the pleasures of restoring a much more modest antique house here in Westport.
And for those numbers people among us: historic homes sensitively restored with modern lifestyles in mind and new systems command far higher (typically at least 50%) prices per square foot than new spec house construction, the resale value of which historically falls once they’re no longer brand-spanking-new, which is their primary selling point. All or nearly all of the highest residential sales in Connecticut history have been restored historic houses, and most of the biggest sales in Westport have been too.
So contrary to the tropes, restoring antique houses is a good investment — not just a labor of love!
We unfortunately don’t have a culture of restoring and respecting antique houses in Westport as there are in our neighboring communities. I think it’s a combination of a lack of education and our rapacious local spec builders.
that is a great point! Also, I think there is a paucity of contractors who really know what they are doing and have respect for older construction. Our favorite contractor, Steve Winski has been such a proponent of keeping what is good and functional and being careful when we’ve made choices. He is constantly pointing out to us things that are done differently now versus then. The amount of time and energy that it took to build this house far outweigh any new construction project. We are very reverent to all of the hands that did work on this house previous to our ownership.
I LOVE this!!!
Westports natural New England aesthetics carried out by unique artistic crafted visionary architects is what makes Westport stand out physically aside from its amenities, location and topography.
Remember, you moved to Westport because you loved the way it is and looks. Don’t tear down history, restore and show and be proud.
There’s many homes torn down from the 1800s that could have been restored and saved, and it’s extremely disheartening.
Agree! We need to keep reminding families who are coming here that it’s such a great opportunity to preserve the integrity of the past and still bring in modern features that can make life a little easier. There are also preservation grants that can be pursued from the state. We haven’t done that, but I know these exist and are available
Congratulations to Mary and Jeffery for restoring and preserving 50 Sylvan Road- one of Westport ‘s remaining unique Stone Castles!! It looks magnificent!
Amazing that Europeans can do this all the time- preserve, restore, upgrade and improve!
Right! All of the time!
Love, love, love and fabulous, congratulations, the words above from Toni Simonetti and Morley Boyd. While simple words, they capture this magical undertaking and accomplishment. No negative comments from me as to what may occur elsewhere, this effort is so welcome, so fine, so lasting.
thank you so much for your comments. Please come by and visit anytime we’d love to give you a tour.
What an amazing job. Always hoped someone would save that house. Knowing what it took to update and restore a relatively small Frazier Peters home while trying to preserve as much of Peters’ original features as possible, I can’t even imagine the time, effort and resources this project required. Well done!!
please come by and visit anytime. We would love to show you everything that is happening here.
What a wonderful story. It is so nice to see that the current owners invested so much money, time, and energy into restoring this fabulous home and property. I hope it is still around for another century and dodges future developers wrecking balls.
Thank you! We hope it remains as well!
This house was on a home tour a decade or so ago. Not sure who the sponsor was, we went on all of them because at the time we were renovating our historic home. Always hoped it would find the right owner.
People who restore history deserve some sort of financial something, because it is way cheaper to just tear it down and start from scratch. If anything we were punished for restoring ours because as the assessment increased, so did our taxes. We invested our $$, and the town said thanks, now you owe us more. Without doing a single thing.
I’m not sure our town leaders appreciate restoration. There seems to be more of an intention for new construction here at any cost.
If my memory serves me correctly (and it usually does but Westport not so much), this house was once owned by the Finkelstein family. Mr. Finkelstein was Chairman/CEO of Macy’s. More importantly, Mitch Finkelstein is a SHS ‘70 classmate. I slept through many classes with him back in BJHS (now rebranded as Bedford Middle School).
I believe you are correct. There have been lots of successful and interesting creative owners of this residence! thank you for reading the article and thank you for your comment
I feel so uplifted by this story and by the owners who not only cared enough to restore/preserve this house and property but who also now celebrate the unique joy of doing so. Thank you for your efforts and for sharing your adventure. A house is not just a collection of building materials, it also contains the lifestories of all those who once occupied it. This adds so much depth and color to our local history. Each time I read about the latest house demo, I feel as if my own grandma was just pushed into a grave. Today, I can feel something much different – that she is thriving thanks to her excellent caretakers.
Thank you!
We really appreciate your kind words and we feel the same. We are uplifted by all of these comments and feel so much more of a sense of community. We love this house and we want to hopefully encourage more families to think about the possibilities of using the beautiful and historical construction that exists here and making it part of the fabric of their families! ❤️
Having had the privilege of spending time in front of that beautiful fireplace with Mary and Jeff, hearing Mary’s stories along the way of the coming attractions (she’s a hands-on creative genius in addition to being a remarkable surgeon!), and personally meeting many of the fuzzy and feathery members of the farm (and on occasion enjoying fresh eggs), I can personally attest that it is a magical place. I love when people care enough to build on strong foundations, remembering, learning from and building on history, and evolving, creating new, richly layered, places for community and continued growth.
And what a delight to learn that Beate Hochman is behind much of the work outdoors! Beate, bravo!!!
Holy whitewash Batman! These are the same owners seeking to plop another huge house in the front yard of this historic house to fund their purchase. They were also compelled to reach a legal settlement with a neighbor and the P&Z regarding local safety issues. As Frank Gorshin’s character might say, “riddle me this …” Definitely not the full story here.