Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
A bit of Liz Taylor
Mansion with pedigree.
Located on the beautiful Sunset Islands off Miami Beach, the well-known estate at 2555 Lake Ave. was recently listed for $19.9 million.
The property was frequented by a young actress named Elizabeth Taylor in the late 1940s, when she began a relationship with William Pawley Jr. He was the son of William Pawley Sr., the original homeowner who was a developer, U.S. diplomat in Latin America and aviation entrepreneur.
The 9,187-square-foot home boasts seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, gym, heated saltwater pool, guest house and a private dock.
The mansion is on a 35,100-square-foot lot with incredible views of Sunset Lake.
Other features include an expansive master suite, wood floors, summer kitchen and bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and private terraces.
Last sold in 2013 for $15.45 million, the home has been completely renovated – combining its charming old-world exterior with a modern twist for the interior.
The estate was upgraded to a smart home. The bathrooms and kitchens were completely redone and interior design alterations included changes to the paint, furniture and art.
The current owner added lush landscaping, but the property’s original trees remain.
“For all of the home’s outside grandeur, you go inside and it’s very sophisticated, artsy and warm,” said Jill Hertzberg, part of The Jills team of Coldwell Banker, who has the listing. “The house on its own has always been one of my favorite properties on Miami Beach. It’s the kind
of home that is so soothing and authentic. And then to have it updated is rare.”
Hertzberg, who was also the listing agent for the home’s previous sale, said the owner has multiple properties worldwide and is not utilizing the estate often.
The residence was originally built in 1941 by William Pawley Sr., a self-made millionaire.
He was also one of the Sunset Islands’ original developers.
Sunset is a chain of four man-made islands in Biscayne Bay located adjacent to Miami Beach’s prestigious North Bay Road.
“When you’re a builder, you have a different sensibility than when you’re just a person buying a home,” Hertzberg said. “Mr. Pawley [Sr.] picked the best lot for himself, which is perfectly situated on the widest part of the lake, and he built a magnificent home.”
A love affair begins
Elizabeth Taylor was cast in her first starring role at the age of 12, and by the late 1940’s, was already becoming a famous Hollywood actress.
Pawley Jr. met Taylor when she visited Miami Beach with her mother in 1949. They were invited by his father as guests to the home and during their stay, Taylor and Pawley Jr. fell in love.
The two were briefly engaged to marry. But the allure of movies and Hollywood kept the couple from tying the knot.
Hertzberg said she was able to track down Pawley Jr. when she originally listed the home in 2011 and invited him to see the renovations.
“He took us to where they were [photographed] in the pool and told us he fell in love with Elizabeth and asked her to marry him,” said Hertzberg. “He told us how she had written him everyday [when she left for Hollywood] and he saved them all. He brought them with him.”
Their romance was detailed in more than 60 love letters Taylor wrote to Pawley Jr., which were auctioned shortly after her death in 2011.
The letters are written on colored letterhead — some on Taylor’s MGM studio stationery and some on her private stationery, which bears the name Elizabeth at the top.
The letters were sold at an auction hosted by RR Auction in May 2011 and fetched $47,672.
“Mr. Pawley told us she had just made her first movie and her mom said to her, ‘You can’t get married, you’re gonna be a star’ and broke the engagement and his heart.”
Pawley Jr., formerly a resident of Pembroke Pines, said in interviews that it took him a long time to get over Taylor.
He didn’t marry until age 50.
He died on July 10, 2012 in Florida.
“He took us to where they were [photographed] in the pool and told us he fell in love with Elizabeth and asked her to marry him.” Jill Hertzberg, part of The Jills real estate team