Gilded age mansion in Newport listed for $28 million

One of America’s largest private homes is for sale in Newport, Rhode Island — and it comes with ocean views, Gilded Age glamour, and a few ghost stories.

Seaview Terrace, a mansion that sits on a 7.7-acre lot at 207 Ruggles Ave., includes 29 bedrooms, 18 bathrooms, and 11 stone fireplaces among its 60-plus rooms. The estate, currently listed at $28.50 million, was even featured Monday on the popular Instagram account Zillow Gone Wild.

The mansion was built in 1925 for industrialist Edson Bradley as a summer “cottage,” marking the tail end of Gilded Age architecture in Newport. The sprawling estate was among the last of its kind before the Great Depression brought such elaborate construction to a halt. Early preservationists Millicent and Martin Carey purchased the property for around $285,000 in 1974, according to their daughter and current property owner, Denise Carey Bettencourt, who spoke with The Wall Street Journal. Bettencourt told the publication that taxes on the mansion are roughly $80,000 per year.

Inside, the home is filled with many unique features: soaring Venetian Renaissance ceiling frescos, a sprawling ballroom, 15th-century German stained glass, a 64-foot-long library, a private chapel, an organ room, and a “whispering gallery” — where faint sounds can reportedly travel 80 feet.

Located in the Ochre Point-Cliffs Historic District, Seaview Terrace cannot be torn down, though the land can be subdivided to to allow for additional buildings.

After Martin Carey’s death, Denise Carey Bettencourt listed the property in 2021 for $29.9 million.

“My love for the house is so great that I’m willing to sacrifice my part in it,” Bettencourt told WSJ. She said that she hopes the next owner uses it as a home or turns the first floor into a museum for the public.