Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Musician Daryl Hall Lists Rural Retreat

SELLER: Daryl Hall
LOCATION: Huckelberry Road, Amenia, NY
PRICE: $16,000,000
SIZE: 6,363 square feet (as per assessor), 4 bedrooms, 5 full and 2 half bathrooms
DESCRIPTION: Restored Revolutionary War Georgian Colonial. Museum quality. 24 rooms. 9 fireplaces. Indoor pool. 4 guesthouses. Pergola. Groomed 245+/- acre estate. Fields. Woods. Ponds. Catskills views. Privacy.

YOUR MAMAS NOTES: Some time ago Your Mama got wind from Wendy Windbag that musician Daryl Hall was fixing to hoist his 245+/- acre Upstate New York estate on the market and sho enuf, the property has just landed on the market with a hefty asking price of $16,000,000.

For all you chickens not old enough to know, Mister Hall was the blond pompadoured half of the screamingly successful soul infused rock and roll musical duo Hall & Oates whose heyday was back in the late 1970s and 1980s and who had a long list of top 40 songs that includes radio classics such as Private Eyes, Kiss on My List, I Can't Go for That (No Can Do), You Make My Dreams Come True, and Maneater. Your Mama confesses that back when we were just a wee lamb and not in control of our own destiny we were dragged to a Hall & Oates concert at the County Fair (seriously folks, the County Fair) by our own momma who, at the time, thought Misters Hall and Oates were the bees knees in modern music.

It's unclear to Your Mama just when Mister Hall purchased the property outside Amenia, NY–to which he gave the name Flint Hill–and we haven't any idea how much moo-lah he forked over for it. We do know from the listing with Klemm Real Estate that after scooping up the scenic spread with 100-mile long views of the Catskills he constructed a rambling 24-room main house by combining two historic Georgian style homes, one from 1770 and 1786, that were disassembled, moved from their original locations and painstakingly re-constructed as they were originally built on Mister Hall's property. The two structures were joined by a beamed, barn-like and sparsely furnished great room with a catwalk that wraps around three sides and one of the meandering mansion's 9 fireplaces. Assessor records show the house measures in at 6,363 square feet while listing information puts it at approximately 8,400 square feet.

According to listing information, in addition to the numerous number of parlors, sitting rooms and libraries, the main house also features a country kitchen where the original wide plank floors and rough hewn beam ceiling meets modern conveniences such as an Aga brand range the size of a Hyundai. There is also, according to listing information, a paneled keeping room, a tavern, and a state of the art indoor pool that Your Mama was told by Miz Windbag can be accessed directly from Mister Hall's master bedroom by a small staircase. In addition to the master bedroom, which encompasses two full poopers, there are an additional 4 bedrooms and 3 full and 2 half bathrooms.

The property includes several outbuildings all accessed by a wonderfully winding driveway that include a 1 bedroom and 1 pooper guest house and another building that houses Mister Hall's music studio where he films his internet program Live From Daryl's House. There is also third house with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms perfect for an estate manager or caretaker and a small hunting lodge for more rustic rural experiences.

Your Mama's brief research across the interweb reveals that Mister Hall has bit of a fetish for owning and preserving historic homes. In addition to his big spread in Upstate New York, Mister Hall also owns the oldest house in all of Maine–the John Bray House in Kittery Point–which was built in 1662 and which reports indicate Mister Hall scooped up in March of 2007 for around $1,900,000.

Sometime in 2005, according to reports, Mister Hall and British socialite Amanda Aspinall (who may or may not still be his ladee-friend) vacated their shared 3-bedroom home in London and decamped to an historic late-Georgian era house which happens to be one of only 50 or so houses in London with frontage on the Thames river.

Until a few years ago, Mister Hall also owned an estate in the Bahamas at Harbour Island where his high-fallutin' neighbors were peeps like billionaire biznessman Ron Perelman, Miss Barry Diller and his fashionista wifey Diane von Furstenberg, duty-free tycoon Robert Miller, and JCrew CEO and noted trophy real estate collector Mickey Drexler who was Mister Hall's next door neighbor until he bought Hall's estate and combined it into his already massive spread.

55 comments:

William Morris said...

Three cheers for his passion for preserving historic homes.

Bill Bottomley said...

I second that emotion, but sixteen million is a pipe dream. For that amount I would want more architectural detail and elegance.......not just age.

Anonymous said...

This house looks so uncomfortable. Is there a comfy place to sit anywhere? Even the bed looks like it's made of cement.

Anonymous said...

You could do A LOT better in that around for $16 Million. For that you could buy double the land with a private lake and build your own palace. He's asking way too much!

Anonymous said...

It's all a bit "Little House on the Prairie" for my comfort, but I can certainly appreciate it.

a-ha said...

Taking a kid to a H&O concert is child abuse.

He's asking too much damn $$$ for that place.

Anonymous said...

Jebus. It's kinda scary in a barren Puritanical cloistery way. Does it come with a butter churn?

StPaulSnowman said...

No butter churn that I can see but I am sure there are some nice stocks in the back yard and maybe even a stake for weekend witch burning.

Anonymous said...

weekend witch burning - hilarious!

day at a glance said...

i just read about the insane sale in aspen and am wondering if you have any photos or deets? http://www.denverpost.com/ci_12830008

luke220 said...

Funny, I just saw Hall & Oates on a Will & Grace rerun last night.

Daryl has talked openly about his Lyme disease- maybe from tromping in the woods around this big farm?

Ambitious price given that it looks unfinished on the inside.

Anonymous said...

Brother Snowman - thou art amusing!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful place.
Not $16 million beautiful, but beautiful.

Anonymous said...

If Daryl sells, John Oates will be stuck moving out and taking his Bob Ross impersonation on the road.

Anonymous said...

The surrounding property is very nice, but I just don't get a 'lived in' vibe from the house. It all looks very sterile especially for being that old.
And I usually LOVE old places.

Anonymous said...

Believe Daryl stumbled upon Amenia, NY or Dutchess County years ago with Sara Allen.....yes "Sara" smile!

Daryl has lived up there for many many years and am surprised and sad he is leaving. I have family up in Dutchess and was in local papers that Sara was responsible for recognizing Daryl's symptoms when he became ill and diagnosed with Lyme. Sara took care of him and nursed him back to health. Sara will always be a part of his life......

I agree the house looks a bit sterile and definitely
does not have that lived in feeling. Having been diagnosed myself with Lyme.......I have no desire to live in the country, the woods or anywhere there are deer. This is a nasty and devastating disease.
With the economy being what it is.......god bless the person who has $16,000,000 to live in an isolated part of the world!!!

Anonymous said...

$16M for Dutchess? Really? What's the max anythings EVER sold up there?

Anonymous said...

Anon 10:36..."It's kinda scary in a barren Puritanical cloistery way. Does it come with a butter churn?" ROTFLMA - exactly what I was thinking! All of the furnishings look like torture devices...

Anonymous said...

Thought it was Oates who has the thing for ye olde houses--but I guess it's Hall (I was told it was the one with the bad facelift)--anyway, perhaps he's downsizing to the much smaller antique he just bought a half-hour south and just across the border in Sherman, Connecticut (sold by the Klemm ladies). It is similarly lifeless and museumish. Details courtesy NW Conn boys' grapevine.

Anonymous said...

architectural detail?

Get rid of the indoor pool.

Anonymous said...

Not a bad house but not really my taste. By the way, his music is incredible!

Anonymous said...

Get rid of the pool?

But I don't see a pond on the property so where are you going to move the dunking stool?

NewYorkQueer said...

Dear Anonymous 12:55
Thank you so much. Dunking stool indeed.

Anonymous said...

Is is really lyme disease or something much more sinister and socially undesirable as a result of the witch's curse?

Hammster said...

Daryl Hall is insane. Don't get me wrong - he's an awesome singer and songwriter, and he and John Oates have been my favorite musicians for over a quarter century. But, I've seen plenty of evidence to suggest that the man himself is insane.

Anonymous said...

Can't they afford any furniture? A comfy pillow in the corner to cry into?

This place would be better as a museum. I can't imagine anyone living there.

Dawna said...

and I just got a piece f tile from Mr Hall's private bathroom yesterday in the mail. All H & O fans are welcome to come by http://hallandoates.ning.com and view the tile piece as well as ther photos available for viewing.
c-Ya there or in the aisles.

Alessandra said...

What an odd and essentially vestigial picket fence around the front of the house. It is meant to be a facade and yet...had they expanded it by half and landscaped better, it would have looked so much more appealing.

Anonymous said...

This home has 245+ acres.... I love this style of home , I find it really appealing. With that much land is that a good price ?

Anonymous said...

The Elves and the Shoemaker would not be out of place in this house. Too 'turn of the century' for words.

Anonymous said...

HIV meds are expensive. Time to downsize.

Anonymous said...

I read that Sara Allen (Sara Smile) had a sister that passed away in that house back in the 90's. Since Daryl and Sara are no longer together, maybe he feels that it is now time to move on. I also read Sara is or was in real estate. She has an ad on the internet for Millbrook, NY bank.

Anonymous said...

so the whole internet show is just a big AD for the home sale? hmm feels sorta phony now

Anonymous said...

That's a lot of money for a couple of old houses. Must be the celebrity factor

Anonymous said...

It takes a much deeper person to appreciate the likes of a couple of "old houses". It's a piece of history worth much to ones who adore it.

Anonymous said...

Daryl Hall looks amazing for a man in his 60s.

desireemaris said...

I really want to know why Daryl and Sara broke up. It is a shame that they could not stay together after spending most of their lives together. That is really sad. What is wrong with people.

Anonymous said...

The web show is a real cool idea, house looks VERY conservative (borderline drab) though. Maybe, like a lot of rock stars, he's gotten all the "wild" out of his system, and bounced back hard the other way?

Shina Willson said...

very informative and interesting blog.
Thanks for sharing:-)

Bruce Gasque said...

we can say or think what we want about Mr Halls taste(or lack thereof) but the bottom line is that the man earned the moola, 245 acres in Dutchess County ain't cheap and the man is entitled to build whatever he wants!

way to go, Daryl!!

Anonymous said...

Wow. Must be great to be famous and have people rip you to shreds. Personally, I kinda like the place. And I guess if you were that wealthy or well-known, maybe you'd need a nice place to get away from everyone. All those strangers who know you so well.

Anonymous said...

It's a cool historic house that he restored with a ton of land--the land alone is probably worth the $16M. I've seen a lot of crap listed for more. With his notoriety and his jam sessions, he'd need a private place. I don't know why people feel the need to bash people they don't know. I agree...good for you, Daryl.

Anonymous said...

GREAT HOUSE!!! WISH IT WAS MINE!!!

Kateri said...

I live in Dutchess Co. a few miles away from Millbrook. It's the first I've heard about his property being for sale. Does anyone know if it sold? Isn't he still recording his live jam sessions.."Daryl's House" from there? Love him!!

Anonymous said...

To those who choose to critize Daryl Hall or John Oates... get a hobby. We only know their songs, we don't know them personally at all. How can you critize a person you don't even know? Marilyn R.

Anonymous said...

Hope Daryl's home is NOT actually for sale, if so what would become of LIVE FROM DARYL'S HOUSE? This show is pure creative genius!Have been a Daryl Hall fan from w-a-a-y back.Rock on Daryl, I love ya!

Anonymous said...

So.......did he sell? Keep it? I know the show is still produced there but....?

mike said...

God bless us all for living jn a country that a guy like Daryl who I met in the 80's can amass a careerand fortune thst he has.

Hey 15, 16, 20 or more million is just a number...what did he buy it for and what did he put into it?

mike said...

God bless us all for living jn a country that a guy like Daryl who I met in the 80's can amass a careerand fortune thst he has.

Hey 15, 16, 20 or more million is just a number...what did he buy it for and what did he put into it?

streetsigngirl said...

guess the grape vines are costly

Vicki rae said...

I love the house and property!
Is it still for sale?
I live in Mendocino county northern ca
Would very much like to know if it is listed

Linda Hutter/Rodriguez said...

Daryl Hall, is not only a genius with his singing, writing, and musicianship, but also with his creative abilities in many other things. His love of architecture, and restoring old homes, is just another ability, that he is using. AT HOME WITH DARYL, is another mastermind idea put into action. Being a creative genius, keeps him active in his pursuit, to express all that he is. He weaves it all together, like they are all parts of the whole. He's not finished yet, why should he be? He's brilliant, and so beautiful, all at the same time. I have loved his music, and singing for years now, and am so in love, with his very soul. I see him, and feel him, so let him shine on. I also pray for his well being in life. God bless him always. Lost in love, Linda/H./R.

Anonymous said...

IT WOULD BE SUCH A SHAME IF DARYL HAS SOLD HIS UPSTATE NY HOME, THE TWO HOUSES HE COMBINED TO ONE,ARE GREAT. IF YOU LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES AT WHAT THE HOME IS REALLY LIKE.HE SEEMS TO PUT A BIT OF HIS SOUL NOT ONLY IN HIS GREAT MUSIC, BUT IN ALL THAT HE IS AND ALL THAT HE DOES, I HAVE FOLLOWED HIS MUSIC SINCE LATE SEVENTIES, EACH SONG WITH OATS OR WITHOUT TELLS SOMETHING REAL,A SHORT STORY FULL OF TRUE SOUL ON ALL ACCOUNTS IT IS JUST WONDERFULLY AMAZING AND HIS VOICE ON THE SHOW AND IN LAUGHING DOWN CRYING,HAVE JUST GOTTEN BETTER AND BETTER, A VOICE YOU CAN FALL INTO. DENA C.

Anonymous said...

Sold $7.1M -WOW What a price chop!
Says it was listed $8.75M
If I'm not mistaken see 'Hudson Valley>Millerton'
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/10/27/realestate/27ressales_graphic.html?ref=realestate

Anonymous said...

Those of you who have commented on the lack of furniture should know that the natatorium (pool area) is often used as a rehearsal space, and the area with the balconies surrounding the room w/only one chair is used for the actual taping of the show. Both areas have musical and production equipment moved in regularly, so the lack of furnishings is, I'm sure, intentional. Other areas of the home are positively full of rich antique hard and soft wood floors, panels and ceilings, some of which are from the original homes, and some that have been salvaged from other homes. These rooms are very "warm" and if you saw them you might even consider them a bit dark with all the wood finishes. This is compounded by the original characteristics of the structures where beemed wood ceilings are much lower than what we are used to today. Some might find it a bit claustrophobic. These pictures haven't done a very good job of showing the character of the home, though I agree the landscaping has always been a bit austere, perhaps a personal choice of Mr. Halls.