Anticipation builds as you wind along the majestic gated drive and glimpse the Greek limestone masterpiece—exactly what the famous tennis star and his wife envisioned when they created their tony 450-acre wonderland in the Litchfield Hills two hours from Manhattan. Hill House welcomes you just the way a grand stone manor should, with a soaring formal stairhall and reception area, French-doored living room, library, dining room, and cherry office.?The family den bestows a fireside of antique Delft tiles, joined by the dreamy Smallbone kitchen. The enormous master suite with jade marble bath highlights second- and third-floor areas. Devoted to serious sports, the lower level houses an indoor pool, professional gym, and basketball court. An apartment, poolhouse, caretaker’s house, barn, and sport court grace the grounds—along with a tennis court that holds some of the fondest memories of all. One of the focal points of Hill House is an indoor swimming pool that the owners commissioned Ned James to decorate with a hand-painted mural depicting the historic Connecticut countryside—a delightful reminder of the 450 surrounding acres (with 230 additional acres in joint ownership with the neighbor). The 10-bedroom 12-bath house consists of three floors, each beautifully appointed with such elements as high ceilings, gleaming hardwood floors, solid cherry paneling, exquisite dentil moldings, and handsome fireplaces. The upstairs office boasts a barrel-vaulted ceiling.?A game room and spacious men’s and women’s locker rooms are among lower-level luxuries of the slate-roofed showpiece.
Estate Gallery
