But in the eleven years since, perhaps the spirits have decamped elsewhere. “I’m sorry to say that my visits to the house have been entirely ghost-free. Though I must admit that I’ve not been there at night,” Lea Savas, listing broker with Edge Realty RI, tellsPhoto: George Gray for Edge Realty RI
Even without that supernatural component, Seaview Terrace has quite the backstory. Spread out over a staggering 43,770-square feet, this historic Elizabethan-Revival mansion is the fifth largest of Newport’s famed, Gilded Age “summer cottages” that include Cornelius Vanderbilt II’s conspicuous-consumption pile, the Breakers.
The home sits on eight hilltop acres just off Ruggles Avenue and runs alongside Newport’s famed Cliff Walk. For beach lovers, it’s a short stroll to Sheep Point Cove and the crashing Atlantic. Inside, Seaview boasts 29 bedrooms, 18 bathrooms, 10 fireplaces and a Great Room worthy of an English castle.“It’s Seaview Terrace’s fascinating history, dating back to 1907 and Washington DC, that sets the house apart,” explains Savas, who shares theBack then, Edson Bradley Jr.
But according to Savas, while the first floor is still “magnificent”, the second and third floors still are stripped-out and basic from their years of being used as school dorms and accommodation for visiting America’s Cup sailing teams. “If definitely needs some loving restoration. In terms of moving-in now and using the entire property as a home, probably not. But once restored, once returned to its former glory, it will be like nothing else in Newport. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a true piece of history,” she adds.