GRAY CRAIG 

Amenities include: an in-ground pool.

Built in 1924.

4 stories, 24,664 approximate square feet. Brick masonry exterior.

Architectural style: Colonial

26.77 acre lot. 1181347 lot dim.

Nestled in the privacy of Paradise Valley, an inspiration for generations of American artists including William Trost Richards, a sanctuary of wild life and natural beauty, Gray Craig is an estate of unparalleled beauty. Built in the tradition of the great English country manors, Gray Craig is an example of a sprawling estate in perfect proportion to its natural surroundings. The setting for this remarkable home is stunning, twenty-six plus acres of lush landscape, dramatically extending to Nelson Pond and continuing with outstanding views of the Atlantic Ocean beyond. Of the finest structural design, built of textured brick and stone, it spreads between its flanking wings a towering slope of roof.

Proportion is the good breeding of architecture, and this expanse of space and unity with the land express the power of design. The grand hallway with sweeping staircase and the charming effects of hand painted murals are an example of repose and distinction. The library is perhaps the most impressive single room with its soaring barrel-vaulted ceiling. The sense of living space and the feeling of welcome and comfort in an elaborate manner also invites one into other richly detailed rooms including twelve bedrooms, ten full and three half baths, a spacious formal living room with sweeping water views, vintage conservatory, billiard room, and a gourmet kitchen with stone fireplace, custom hickory cabinetry, and antique terra cotta floor tiles. A perfect setting for lavish entertainment and a quiet country retreat for peaceful reflections. Set in the charming coastal community of Newport County, a haven of solace and privacy just two miles from the bustling Newport Harbor waterfront.

The history of Gray Craig

In the late 1800s, Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont, a devoted equestrian who founded the famous Belmont Racetrack in Queens, NY and its annual Belmont Stakes race, owned 77 acres of rural ocean-side land. Belmont, along with Cornelius Vanderbilt and other leaders of Newport society, formed The Gray Craig Park Association, named for the dramatic rock outcroppings which border the property and stocked the land with wild and exotic game and birds. Upon Belmont’s’ death in 1901, the property was sold to John and Sarah Clark of New York. The Clarks’ commissioned Abner J. Jaydell to build an Italian Renaissance-style mansion in the center of the property.

The Clark’s lived in the house until 1915, when it was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Jordan L. Mott of Chicago. This estate was destroyed in 1919. Between 1924 and 1926, Mary and Michael van Beuren engaged New York architect Harrie T. Lindeburg to design a home for them in Portsmouth. Lindeburg wanted a more dramatic setting and encouraged the van Beurens to purchase Gray Craig instead, and there he constructed a grand English country estate on the old foundation. The home remained in the van Beuren family for sixty years. Gray Craig has been restored to the highest standards, including state-of-the-art heating and air conditioning system, brand new gym and wiring for today’s technology.

The property also includes pool, tennis court, and fish pond with fountain, stone terrace with outdoor fireplace, heated garages, an enclosed courtyard, and terraced lawns. Although Gray Craig has assumed several incarnations over the years, the strong architectural statement and the splendor of the setting remain undiminished.