The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Fairfield’s ‘Gingerbread House’ for sale ABOUT THIS HOUSE
FAIRFIELD — The clay-colored French Normandy Tudor house with charcoal gray shutters at 1060 Hillside Road is affectionately known in the Greenfield Hill neighborhood as the Gingerbread House. The nickname fits the stucco- and-timber wood house, which replicates Normandy-type buildings found in several European countries.
“Similar houses are built in Germany and Denmark, but most of them have slate roofs,” said Edward Kottsieper, one of its original owners, in a letter dated March 5, 1966 to Mrs. Van de Berghe. She and her husband, Dr. Richard Van de Berghe, purchased the house from the Kottsiepers. “I saw a similar house in Hastings, England, which was built in the year 1100 by William the Conqueror. The house still stands and was converted into a romantic Tea Room,” Kottsieper said. Rather than slate, the house has a tile roof.
Construction of this landmark house began in 1941 and was completed the following year, based on a design by Kottsieper, who worked in concert with notable local architect Cameron Clark. “He considered the project most interesting and added some good ideas,” the Kottsiepers said in the letter, which provided many details of its construction.
They said the house was built out of 6-inch by 6-inch chestnut beams. All the jambs were mortised and steel-pegged from the inside. The exterior stucco comprises a special English formula.
A newspaper article from that era called it “one of the most interesting homes, architecturally, in the Greenfield Hill area.” Decades later it still is architecturally TYPE OF HOUSE: French Normandy Tudor
ADDRESS: 1060 Hillside Road
PRICE: $1,063,000
NUMBER OF ROOMS: 11
FEATURES: two-acre level property, corner lot, pond, pond view, flagstone terrace, new Marvin Low E2-rated windows, extra insulation, exercise room, new kitchen, four fireplaces, two newly built chimneys, exterior lighting, stone wall, tile roof, attic, zoned heating and cooling systems, full partially finished walk-out basement, two-car attached garage, gas heat, ample storage, only minutes from town and train, four bedrooms, three full and one half baths
SCHOOL: Dwight Elementary, Roger Ludlowe Middle, Fairfield Ludlowe High
ASSESSMENT: $640,570
TAX RATE: 25.82 mills
TAXES: $16,540
interesting and, thanks to the current owner, it has received many improvements that bring this house into the 21st century. The home was beautifully renovated while maintaining its vintage details. The updates include new Marvin Low E2-rated windows, extra insulation, two newly built chimneys for the home’s four fireplaces — all original to the house, new mechanicals, and a new gourmet kitchen. It also has an open floor plan.
The 3,227-square-foot house sits on a 2-acre level, tree-lined property in the Greenfield Hill historic district and has a perimeter wall of fieldstone. The corner lot is triangular and borders Hillside to the left and Greenfield Hill Road to the right. A decorative wrought iron gate accesses the property from Hillside Road. The driveway is on Greenfield Hill Road. The attractive property has views of a brook and an old mill pond, particularly from its flagstone terrace in the backyard.
A flagstone path leads to the gray paneled front door, which is flanked by wide, multi-paned sidelights and topped with decorative millwork. Inside, the foyer was completely re-imagined and reconfigured. All the millwork, molding, and woodwork around doors and entryways from one room to another is decorative. The main living level has parquet floors.
The formal living room has a fireplace with a decorative mantel and built-in bookshelf. The formal dining room has a marble fireplace, a wall of glass, and French doors to the patio. There is also a family room with a fireplace with ornate crown molding. In the new kitchen there is a center island/breakfast bar with a marble counter that cascades over the sides and continues to the floor. This new trend in island counters is referred to as a “waterfall” effect. Other kitchen features include custom cabinetry, custom backsplash, and stainless steel appliances.
On the first floor there is a laundry closet and there is an actual laundry room in the full partially finished walk-out basement and it has a utility sink. The second floor offers three bedrooms, including the master suite, and two full baths. The master features a fireplace and custom closets and built-in drawers that line two walls. The newly renovated third floor offers a new full bath and two rooms that are currently used as a fourth bedroom and a sitting room. This flexible space could be used as a game or recreation room.