BEN PULLING UP STAKES IN GEORGIA
Georgia will soon be short one Ben Affleck. The Cambridge native just put his generous slice of Peach State pie on the market.
Affleck has listed his compound on Hampton Island for $8.9 million. The 87-acre private estate is located on the North Newport River and consists of three houses, any one of which we’d be happy to take off his hands.
The Big House, as the name implies, is big. The two-story Greek Revival takes up 6,000 square feet, with four bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms. A massive outside staircase leads to a column-flanked porch, where we’d like to imagine Affleck has spent many a humid night in a rocking chair with a hound at his feet and a Mason jar of sweet tea. Heading inside, the main level opens to a formal foyer that leads into a dining room, a study fit for any southern gentleman, master bedroom and kitchen.
Not to be upstaged, the estate’s Oyster House measures a whopping 10,000 square feet. The house is like a child’s dream, resembling a giant camping cabin with its six bedrooms chock-a-block full of bunk beds. But for all of we adults who prefer peace, quiet and privacy, there are also three master suites. The structure is surrounded by a wraparound porch and balcony, and its interior is the picture of rustic perfection, thanks to the many exposed, reclaimed wooden beams.
And then there’s the Summer House, which is as casual as you can get at Chez Affleck. It’s essentially a crash pad for guests who’ve had too many fried green tomatoes at the family cookout, what with its full kitchen, outdoor lounging area and a screenedin sanctuary from those pesky mosquitoes.
Despite the property’s for-sale sign, we wouldn’t say that the Batman actor is pulling out of the real estate game. In April, Affleck bought a brand new mansion in Pacific Palisades, Calif., for $19.25 million. That 12,853-square-foot home is located about a mile down the road from the compound where ex-wife Jennifer Garner and their children live — and where he used to reside before their divorce.