19 Pleasant Street
Quintessential estate living in the heart of a seaside New England village.
T
his prominent Victorian home shoulders a grand lifestyle within the grace of 19th century architecture. Sweeping staircases, fanciful moldings, period details, even a secret library, picturesquely declare the historicity of this unique property, yet its back doors open to luxurious grounds. Mature, naturally landscaped gardens flourish along the terrace to the swimming pool hedged in Russian sage. Gardens ramble to the two-bedroom guest cottage, to the heated six-car garage, and beyond to a pristine Har-Tru tennis court, ready for a match. Almost two acres of land create an exclusive, expansive setting just a minute’s walk to Rockport’s shops and harbor. Beneath the antique beauty of a slate mansard roof, crowned by a noble cupola, which on a summer day captures breathtaking views and ocean breezes, a gracious modern lifestyle entertains, swims and plays tennis. Rockport, Massachusetts, a knot of land hemmed in sandy beaches and granite quarries, lies at the far end of the Cape Ann peninsula, which includes Gloucester, Manchester and Essex. Artists have been drawn to this fishing village, a jewel of ocean light and air, for centuries. T.S. Eliot, Winslow Homer, Fairfield Porter, and Marsden Hartley are just a few of the writers and
painters who have lifted pen and brush on Rockport’s coast. Rockport is also home to the stateof-the-art Shalin Liu Performance Center. Today, internationally renowned classical, pop, jazz, and world musicians, HD broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera, and the Rockport Chamber Music Festival make a vibrant year-long cultural season at the Shalin Liu.
Aerial photo by David Stotzer
When details exceed
extraordinary
19 Pleasant St. was built with impeccable detail in 1866, the pride of Dr. John D. Sanborn, one of the first men to transport gold by pony express. The home’s grandeur prevails in its original elements. The front hall welcomes guests with decoratively curved double doors. The floor gleams with a parquetry compass rose, a nautical nod to the Atlantic ocean just two blocks away. William Morris-style wallpaper warms the entrance, and a magnificent curved staircase rises up to the second floor.
A relaxed family room lined in custom bookshelves offers the perfect place to enjoy a movie or curl up with a book.
Call it playful; call it stealth, but touch a certain bookshelf along a hallway, and it moves. The wall opens to a secret office lined in handcrafted shelves, the ultimate lofty, if not curious retreat.
The formal living room, with black marble fireplace and ornamented gold leaf mirror, crystallizes the home’s original grace.
The exquisite ease of
entertaining
Sunlight fills the expansive kitchen, including a cheerful breakfast room. French doors in the formal dining room open to the terrace and pool. The flow of indoors to outdoors is seamless, a wonderful setting for entertaining.
Like many grand antique homes, ample sunlight fills the four upstairs bedrooms. The master suite, including a spa bathroom, opens extravagantly to a balcony overlooking the pool, a sparkling introduction to each day.
A sparkling
introduction to each day.
The grand pool, bountifully landscaped in native grasses, Russian sage, and rosa rugosa, is the diamond of the property’s exterior, an exquisite setting for a summer party or an early morning swim. A charming two bedroom cottage and smaller antique buildings mark the property, creating destinations within the contours of the garden. Across from the cottage a carpeted, heated, six-car garage is a delicious luxury for fine autos. Just steps away stand the private tennis court, the final touch in a well-defined home.
19 Pleasant St.
BREAKFAST ROOM 14x9
FIRST FLOOR
SECOND FLOOR
Rockport, Massachusetts 01966 Main House 6 Bedrooms, 4 Full and 2 Half Baths 5114 Sq. Ft. Guest Cottage 2 Bedrooms, 1 Full Bath 1292 Sq. Ft. 6 Car Heated Garage Pool and Tennis Court Situated on 1.79 Acres Notice all measurements are approximate, the accuracy of the information is subject to errors, omissions and changes.
KITCHEN 17x15 BEDROOM 15x10
MASTER SUITE 15x14 DINING ROOM 15x16 FAMILY ROOM 21x15 OFFICE 11x12
LIVING ROOM 14x21
STUDY 14x16
BEDROOM 16x14
BEDROOM 16x14
C. Rochford WilliamWilliam C. Rochford Sotheby’s International Realty’s purpose is to artfully unite extraordinary properties with extraordinary lives - servicing the needs of the most prestigious clientele in the world. Since 1976, Sotheby’s International Realty has represented exquisitely luxurious and distinctive homes, connecting clients to properties across continents and seas. Sotheby’s International Realty unique partnerships with media - The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, British Broadcasting Company (BBC), and Architectural Digest along with the 300 year old tradition of art and antiques in the Sotheby’s Auction House, provides exclusive exposure to the world’s most distinguished clients. William Rochford reinforces Sotheby’s International Realty commitment to excellence with his keen insight and extreme passion for real estate by combining over 31 years of national and international sales and marketing experience to companies and agencies including Deutsche Bank, Turner Broadcasting (CNN), The White House, the U.S. Military, Xerox, Kimberly-Clark, and Merck Pharmaceuticals.
Intensely dedicated to his clients and their marketing needs, William Rochford creatively assembled a quintet of artistic professionals. Together they compose a complete media presentation of each property, telling the home’s story with definite prose in vivid architectural photography.
Designer Thomas Stockton is an expert in mid-century modern design and 19th century American antiques. For staging a home to its maximum value, Stockton’s design sense is invaluable. Lifestyle writer Heather Atwood writes the story, capturing the elusive but often critical nuances of a property’s essence. Seania McCarthy and Dan Lampert, creative directors, complete the team, uniting exquisite photos with elegant text into a dynamically designed media production.
The creative team assembled by William Rochford understands that a master bedroom’s morning light, the scent of pines on the patio, or the dance of a sunset across a harbor, are the details that capture hearts, the true essence of a home. Michael Rixon, internationally acclaimed architectural photographer, brings twenty-five years of professional experience to the camera. His luminous photographs shine with a property’s possibilities.
William C. Rochford 715 Hale Street Beverly Farms Massachusetts 01915 978.764.0152 William.Rochford@SothebysRealty.com www.williamrochfordrealty.com
William C. Rochford