Address: 105 Seeley Rd., Wilton, CT
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 7 full
Square Feet: 6,843
Price: $5,999,000
Rolling meadows of wildflowers and native plants are all the homeowners of this Wilton farm will ever see for perpetuity since much of the more than 39 acres of land surrounding this modern farmhouse have been preserved. “It’s a really special place,” says real estate agent Todd Gibbons, principal of Boost Real Estate Group in Southport, CT.
When Peter Gaboriault, owner and builder at Bear Paw Builders in Westport, CT, bought the property, there was an old 1760s farmhouse on it that had undergone major expansions and renovations over the years, none of which he felt served the original salt box home or the property well. He called on Architect Rob Sanders in Wilton, CT, to help him unpeel the layers and bring new life to the former farmhouse. All the additions were torn down and the original farmhouse was stripped down to its original wood beams and stonework. Then he rebuilt it with modern insulation, electrical and plumbing and constructed a new contemporary farmhouse addition with cathedral ceilings, wide plank wood floors and a large wall of glass that looks down on the meadows. “It faces west so you get sunsets every day over the hillside,” says Gibbons.
The new home was designed to take advantage of the setting. Gaboriault built a pool into the hillside and renovated the stone building that was already there to serve as the pool house. “If you are standing on the pool deck and looking a quarter of a mile in each direction all you see are these beautiful meadows,” says Gibbons.
The property boasts a number of outbuildings in addition to the pool house, including a caretaker’s cottage and some barns. “You could have an art studio, you could have horses on the property. You can do any type of farming activities that you want,” says Gibbons. There is already a cutting garden and an herb garden for the home gardener.
The house is ideal for nature lovers, particularly because during the sale to Gaboriault, the Wilton Land Trust bought a conservation easement over the property to preserve the natural habitat. Gaboriault himself worked with local preservationists across the state to restore acres of meadow surrounding the home. They planted new wildflowers, pulled out invasive plants and planted native grasses. They began mowing it regularly and bringing it back to its original state. With the exception of a few boxwoods, all the landscaping near the house is native plants.
In the meantime, the Mianus chapter of Trout Unlimited, a nonprofit organization working to protect, reconnect and restore the cold-water rivers and streams of lower Fairfield County, began restoring the section of the Norwalk River that runs through the property. They removed a dam and have done significant work to restore the trout habitat as well.
“They really did such a good job tastefully working with the topography and the meadows there when they built the new house,” says Gibbons. “It’s not a McMansion just sitting there. Everything fits into the landscape. Rob and Peter had a great collaboration on the property.”
Contact:
Todd Gibbons
Boost Real Estate Group
203-858-8525; todd@boostreg.com
