Type to search

This Chateau Country Estate Is Stately and Stunning

Share
Photos by Colin Burkhart

With ample acreage and a dreamy location, this historic Chateau Country estate won’t last long on the market.

Chateau Country
For nearly a century, a country estate in Chateau Country has been known and admired for its historic stone water tower, visible to passersby from Kirk Road. Beyond the gates lies a piece of Delaware’s past that’s seldom seen: a stately, three-story manor house nestled on 8.5 acres.

Originally known as Virieux, the property was once the glamorous 19th-century gathering place where Antoine Foster and his wife, Victorine du Pont, entertained weekend guests. Today, vintage architectural features and modern-day conveniences live harmoniously within the manor house’s stout walls. The home’s crowning glory is a newly installed Vermont slate roof, ready for its next owners and generations to come. The property is on the market, a rare occurrence in its long and storied history. The price: $4.3 million.

A true eat-in kitchen is equipped for gourmets with professional-style appliances, a large copper range hood and granite countertops.

A true eat-in kitchen is equipped for gourmets with professional-style appliances, a large copper range hood and granite countertops.

The legacy of gracious entertaining continues, with a formal dining room that comfortably seats 12. The south-facing red brick terrace has multiple seating and dining areas and is accessible from the family room, kitchen and living room. A stocked pond by the gazebo guarantees guests will catch a bass or blue gill every time they drop a line.

Opulent moldings and millwork and pegged random-width hardwood floors can be found throughout the house. Of the five fireplaces, some have punch-and-gouge mantels and rare King of Prussia marble surrounds. Even the servants’ call system has been preserved.

Opulent moldings and millwork and pegged random-width hardwood floors can be found throughout the house. Some fireplaces have punch-and-gouge mantels and rare King of Prussia marble surrounds.

Opulent moldings and millwork and pegged random-width hardwood floors can be found throughout the house. Some fireplaces have punch-and-gouge mantels and rare King of Prussia marble surrounds.

A true eat-in kitchen is equipped for gourmets with professional-style appliances, a large copper range hood and granite countertops. The island and a raised-panel upper cabinet are crafted from tiger maple, an exotic species prized for its wavy, striped grain. A service room between the kitchen and a large sunroom provides storage and beverage fridges.

His-and-her dressing rooms feature custom built-in storage

His-and-her dressing rooms feature custom built-in storage

A spectacular primary suite encompasses a fireplace, his-and-her bathrooms (“the secret to a happy marriage,” the homeowner says) and his-and-her dressing rooms with custom built-in storage. The gentleman’s bath boasts original inch-thick mahogany panels and brass fixtures.

The second floor also is home to large secondary bedrooms and well-appointed baths. The floor above includes an au pair suite, and bedrooms and a bath for guests.

The country estate has been known and admired for its historic stone water tower, visible to passersby from kirk road

The country estate has been known and admired for its historic stone water tower, visible to passersby from Kirk Road.

A second staircase connects all three stories. Window wells are a foot deep, all gutters and downspouts are copper, and arched passageways and opulent millwork are a testament to craftsmanship. The basement offers lots of head space. It’s outfitted with a workshop that can be converted back to a large climate-controlled wine cellar with its existing cooling unit.

All in all, it’s a house built to last.