A fieldstone house by builder-architect Frazier Forman Peters, set on two private acres and offered for the first time in nearly half a century.
By Hunter Snow
Gravel Island Road is easy to miss. The narrow, wooded loop holds just four homes, and its turn is hidden well enough that Amanda Bryan, the listing agent, estimates she drove past it hundreds of times without knowing the house was there. “It’s like a secret little road that nobody knew about,” she says.
The house at the center of that secret is a 1932 fieldstone residence built by Frazier Forman Peters. Preservationists in the area know his work, Bryan says, but there are fewer of his houses in New Canaan than elsewhere in the area, which makes this one even rarer.
The current owners have lived in the house for almost 50 years, and it is now on the market for the first time in nearly half a century. It has 4,183 square feet, four bedrooms, five wood-burning fireplaces, and a great room under a dramatic, 20-foot cathedral ceiling.
Stone Inside and Out
The home’s 1932 character remains intact, from the original white oak floors to the craftsmanship throughout. Even the newest addition, the sunroom, honors it. When it was added, the original stone exterior wall was left exposed, now standing as a striking interior wall, anchoring the oldest part of the home to the newest.
The great room carries the same history at a larger scale. Its plaster walls and cathedral ceiling are original, and the room is the heart of the house, the space where everyone gathers. “Recreating this framework and woodwork today would be enormously expensive,” says Bryan.
The room is also big enough to work as several rooms at once. The house currently has a separate kitchen and a formal dining room with its own fireplace. A buyer who wants the kitchen next to a family room could convert the dining room into one, then divide the great room into living and dining areas. The result would be one long space for entertaining under the cathedral ceiling.
None of the five wood-burning fireplaces have been converted to gas. The sellers regularly use four of them, including those in the great room, the dining room, and the primary suite. The fifth holds a small wood stove that has not been lit in their time here.
Built Into the Hill
The stone gives the house its character, and the hill gives it its shape. The house sits on a rise and steps down with the ground, so even the lower-level rooms stay at grade. Nothing is below ground, and natural light reaches every floor.
Bryan’s research revealed two hallmarks of Frazier Peters’ work: a belief that every room deserved architectural interest, and a commitment to letting the land shape the house. On Gravel Island Road, that philosophy comes to life in a layout of varied levels, where a few steps carry you from one room to the next, creating spaces made for gathering alongside quieter corners to retreat.
The primary suite has its own history. When the owners bought the house, the space above the kitchen and dining room was an artist’s studio, next to a bedroom with a small attached water closet. The rooms were later joined into one suite with a vaulted ceiling, a fireplace, and a private deck. The original primary bedroom was likely on the other side of the great room. That side now holds the remaining bedrooms and two full baths, so a family with young children could sleep together on one side of the house.
The light changes through the day. The sunroom is bright from morning to evening, while the rest of the house takes morning sun on one side and afternoon sun on the front. At midday, the main rooms stay softer and dimmer. From the sunroom, the view runs over the woods down to Valley Road.
The Approach and the Grounds
The property’s hillside shapes the arrival, too: stone steps rise from the detached two-car garage to the front door, unveiling the home gradually as you go. While the climb was intentional by the architect, some buyers might want a level approach. With two acres, there is ample room to reimagine the driveway from Valley Rd, where Gravel Island Rd begins.
The two-acre property blends open lawn with woodland, along with a small wetland area at the lower end near the current parking area. The level side yard, set with two benches, is a favorite: according to Bryan, it’s where visitors linger longest and where buyers start picturing themselves living here
Updating, Not Rescuing
The bones are solid; it’s simply time for a fresh look. Priced at about $478 per square foot, well under the New Canaan average of roughly $662 as of August 2026. Around 2000, the owners replaced the original slate roof with cedar, and the systems, including central air, are in working order. Today’s buyer has the chance to update its style, not undertake a rescue.
The white oak floors are in excellent condition, and from there the interior could go in two directions. One is lighter: refinished floors and a brighter palette. The other leans into the existing dark trim and dark floors with moodier colors. Either way, the soaring ceilings in the great room and primary suite are worth keeping, because they have been there since 1932 and no renovation could reproduce them.
The house runs on oil heat from an in-ground tank, which is still in service. The sellers have committed to removing the tank and testing the site. The property is on septic and public water.
Ten Minutes from Downtown
For all its seclusion, the lane is only about ten minutes from downtown New Canaan. On Elm Street, Elm is one of the area’s hard-to-get dinner reservations, with a low-lit room and a popular double-patty burger. Zumbach’s handles morning coffee, Walter Stewart’s Market handles groceries, and Spiga serves a quieter Italian dinner. The shops on the side streets range from Ralph Lauren and J. McLaughlin to French bakeries.
The property is served by East School, Saxe Middle School, and New Canaan High School, part of a public school system that is among the most highly rated in Connecticut. Commuters can take Metro-North from the New Canaan branch to Grand Central.
The house is at its best in winter: a fire going in the great room, friends gathered, and stone walls holding in the heat. Outside, the narrow lane keeps it hidden from almost everyone.
About the Expert: Amanda Bryan is a licensed real estate salesperson with Compass in New Canaan, Connecticut, where she represents buyers and sellers of residential property in New Canaan, Darien, and surrounding towns.
This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or investment advice. The views and opinions expressed herein reflect those of the individuals quoted and do not represent an endorsement of any company, product, or service mentioned. Readers should conduct their own due diligence and consult qualified professionals before making any investment decisions.
