New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
Historic home once part of Alden Young’s estate
Built in 1900, this home was part of the Alden Young estate. In 2013, sellers Dave and Frankie Cassano purchased the home for its home brimming character and space to host large family gatherings.
Originally, the carriage house on the sprawling Young estate, it was converted into a home in 1976 and has undergone extensive renovations since.
The home marries historic character with modern convenience, checking off “just about everybody’s wish list,” John Campbell, listing agent for Page Taft Christies International Real Estate, said, pointing out that with an 18 to 24 inch thick stone façade, “the structure is just awesome.”
“It’s an impressive house that offers everything anyone could want,” he said. “It’s one of those structures that you look at and you’re like, ‘ Oh my gosh I just have to have it, it’s beautiful.’”
The entrance features an archway made of Stoney Creek granite and another archway mirrors it in back of the house. A tower in front encloses a two-story spiral staircase.
The front door opens to an entryway with a high ceiling and Palladian windows with views of the property.
A large entertaining area offers a dining and family room, a gourmet kitchen – with windows overlooking the backyard and flower beds and a large center island with seating and a cooktop stove – is the heart of the home, according to Frankie.
“The kitchen for me is just wonderful, I can cook and watch what’s going on,” she said. “When the family is at the house and we have guests I do feel a part of it.”
When people are over, she spreads a buffet on the on the island and at Christmas, she places trays of cookies there.
The kitchen opens to the dining and family rooms where the family eats during holiday festivities.
A library off the family room features built-in shelves and a gas fireplace.
To side of the kitchen, a sunroom where the Cassanos take their meals, is surrounded by glass and overlooks mature trees and plantings.
A fieldstone patio, accessible from the kitchen and living room, is where the family enjoys cookouts with the grandkids running and playing in the backyard. At Thanksgiving, the family has a traditional turkey bowl.
A spacious master suite encompasses one side of the first floor and offers a walk-in closet, a bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub and a tile shower with glass doors an office with an additional walk-in closet with shelving and drawers. The laundry room is also off the master suite.
Upstairs – where, at one time, Young and, later, the Pine Orchard Yacht & Country Club had offices – has a set of restored rooms with tiger maple floors, including a possible second master bedroom, an office area with Florentine glass and a large board room now used as a family with a fireplace where Young used to hang a deer antler.
“We’ve had 13 Christmas stockings hung on that fireplace,” Dave said.
Beyond the family room is an area the Cassanos call the apartment with an extra kitchen and a spiral staircase to a vault put in by Young. With all their children and grandchildren celebrating the holidays together, one of the families can take over that section of the house, Dave said.
At Christmas, they dress the house for the holidays with two trees, one on the first floor and one upstairs
A serene home with wide open spaces and room for everyone to spread out and celebrate, Dave said he will most miss all the family gatherings at the house.
John Campbell, Page Taft Christie’s International Real Estate; cell: 203-415-5439; office: 203-245-1593; email: jcampbell@pagetaft.com