Ex-Kennedy estate sells for $31M
Buyer reportedly to keep ‘Winter White House’ in Palm Beach intact.
Known to millions as the “Winter White House,” the former Kennedy family compound on the ocean in Palm Beach has changed hands for a recorded $31 million.
Merchant banker John K. Castle and his wife, Marianne, sold the 1920s-era house, its two outbuildings and about an acre of land — with 200 feet of beachfront — to a company associated with seasonal Palm Beacher Jane Goldman, according to the deed recorded by the Palm Beach County Clerk. The Castles bought the estate at 1095 N. Ocean Blvd. from the Kennedy family in 1995.
The Castles shared the view of historians who consider the house an iconic piece of American history associated with one of the nation’s most prominent families. It was the place where generations of Kennedys lived and played, including President John F. Kennedy, who is said to have worked on his inaugural address there.
Even so, the town never granted landmark protection to the house, which has been much changed since it was designed in 1923 by architect Addison Mizner. But the buyer in this week’s sale plans to keep the Mediterranean-style residence intact, according to sources familiar with the deal.
With New York ties, Goldman is a principal of Solil Management, a family company that manages assets related to the fortune amassed by her late father, New York City real estate investor Sol Goldman. She bought the house using a Florida limited liability company named TGS Florida LLC. In March, Goldman’s 1952 lakefront house at 200 Via Palma in the Estate Section sold for a recorded $29.85 million, property records show.
A confidentiality agreement prevents all parties involved in this week’s sale from commenting, said Paul Rampell, the Castles’ Palm Beach attorney.
The Castles had paid a recorded $4.9 million for the North End estate and acquired its furnishings. Their subsequent two-year renovation added air conditioning and careful- ly preserved several rooms to look as they had when used by the Kennedys.
“We wanted to preserve the things that were preservable,” John Castle told the Palm Beach Daily News in 1999 after the renovation was completed.
Broker Lawrence Moens of Lawrence A. Moens & Associates handled both sides of this week’s sale, his office confirmed. He listed the estate in the local multiple listing service for $38.5 million in April 2014, although he had marketed the property privately several months prior with ads promoting “a rare chance to own Camelot.” Moens’ listing expired in late March. He could not be reached.
Two months ago, Moens acted on Goldman’s behalf in the sale of her lakefront house, which was owned by a limited liability company she controlled. The buyers were television executive Herbert J. Siegel and his wife, Jeanne Sorensen Siegel, who were represented by Corcoran Group agents Colleen Hanson and John Campbell.
In all, the former Kennedy compound has 15,347 square feet of living space, 11 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms and three half-baths, according to Moens’ sales listing.