I’ve mentioned before my long time admiration for actress Katharine Hepburn. Previous post HERE. Yesterday, Mike was asked by one of his subcontractors to come look at some cedar shingle siding work at a home in the seaside hamlet of Fenwick, Old Saybrook. He knew I love the area and asked me if I’d like to tag along. Incredibly, we came up close and personal with the now refurbished estate of the late great Kate. It was bought years ago after her passing by a contractor who did a beautiful job raising it three feet, brick intact!…He then rejuvenated the interior, which had been left kind of ramshackle with very little updating since the 1940’s. It was on the market for a period of time once the renovation was complete, but currently remains as the contractors summer home if the articles I’ve read on it are accurate.
Since I was just yards away from Kates place while the men talked about cedar siding and it’s virtues, I wandered around and marveled at the home that has such a history. There are large security cameras around the house, so big brother might just have been watching. I can only hope they won’t be offended by a Kate Hepburn fan in her glories, admiring this grand old dame of a house,once occupied by the grand old dame herself.
Some pics of Kate at her beloved estate…
This is how she liked to dry her clothes… in the sun on the lawn. Note the circular rock jetty formation, which you will see in a photo further down.
Kate was in her 70’s when this photo below was taken..she took a daily swim, year round.That’s snow in the picture.
The house as it stands now, from the road. This is as close as you should get if you are not a resident. In front of the house is the brackish water pond Kate loved. Behind it is the ocean.
This canoe, Gertrude, was kept at Fenwick.
once used in her film – On Golden Pond –
The old brick and chimney remained intack despite being raised three feet, I find that amazing. It was not a striking home originally, although large..and the new owner/contractor has made some lovely additions to soften the face.
The House as it was for Kate…
..and now. The Interior has changed dramatically. This is something I find a little sad, as it has lost some Kate character, although the renovation of course is beautifully done. If I had had my druthers with the place, I would have kept more of the original guts.
I do love the brick, which they have sandblasted to expose more of the natural brick color…unique in a seaside home. I’m guessing it was chosen to fortify the home after it had been destroyed in the Hurricane of 1938.
Ms. Hepburn rebuilt it for her family, still a young starlet in Hollywood at the time.She remained here until she died in her mid 90’s.
She had a view of two lighthouses in the immediate distance…
Saybrook Breakwater Lighthouse…first activated in 1886
And Linde Point Lighthouse ..
Fenwick is a haven that a lucky few get to call home.
It’s easy to see how a public figure of such fame could enjoy a peaceful
existence here for all the decades of her life.
