Home of the Week: An Historic 1940 Cape Cod Estate Hits the Market for the First Time—for a Cool $16.5 Million
Summer may still feel far away, but the time is now to consider a dream waterfront estate – such as a new listing on Massachusetts’ rugged Atlantic coast. Known as “High Scatteree,” this nine-bedroom, seven-bathroom haven is set in the idyllic seaside town of Chatham on Cape Cod about 90 miles east of Boston. Priced at $16.5 million, the 7,200 square-foot property is elegant, isolated and historic—in other words, a perfect New England retreat.
“North Chatham is a coveted enclave of seaside homes at the “elbow” of Cape Cod, right where the sun rises and the expansive sandy beaches seem to go on forever,” explains Compass agent Brian Dougherty, who has the listing. “There are almost no development opportunities left in Chatham, which is keeping property values steady and strong. Once a summer vacation town,” Dougherty adds, “Chatham has become more and more year-round.”
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The property comes to market for the first time in 80 years—built back in the 1940s for its original owners. Neo-Georgian in design, the home, explains Dougherty, stands on an “elevated and protected promontory” directly facing the Atlantic and looking out to panoramic ocean views. Although private, High Scatteree offers a plethora of resort-like amenities, including its own beach, deep-water dock, clay tennis court, an arboretum and two-bedroom guest house that overlooks a tranquil rose garden. Overall there are some 500 feet of pristine shoreline.
The property spans a sizable two acres and is hidden up a winding drive past a tall grove of hedges on Chatham’s beloved Pleasant Bay. Dougherty describes the main house as “symmetrical” in design, “designed in the 1930’s as a shingle style Georgian colonial, with two identical wings.” Each of the main property’s bedrooms include ensuite baths and the first floor features a “Shore Room” for elegant sea viewing—which was added to the property in the early part of this century. A large belvedere, accessed by an internal ladder staircase on the 3rd floor rises from a beautiful cedar shingle roof. Next to the rose garden outside, notes Dougherty, is a grand lawn, which is ideally sized for a game of croquet or a tented wedding for several hundred guests.
According to Dougherty, the Chatham market has remained buoyant despite the overall real estate slowdown nationwide. “During Covid, we saw many families relocate to the Cape full time, to take advantage of a gentler lifestyle in a naturally beautiful environment,” Dougherty said. And the data supports these market moves: According to Redfin, median Chatham home sales were up by an impressive 136 percent last year to just over $3 million. Homes sold far faster last year—averaging just six days in the market, Redfin reports, compared to 15 days the previous year.
Dougherty, for one, is not surprised by Chatham’s robustness. “Chatham is quintessential New England, with white clapboard or shingle homes,” he explains “It’s almost entirely surrounded by water, anchored by its charming and vibrant Main Street, lined with shops, restaurants and art galleries. The town hosts one of the oldest Independence Day Parades in America.”
Although the property has been as much a family treasure as summer retreat, Dougherty says the owners feel it is time for another family to enjoy it as much as their family has for nearly a century. Which is why it is finally on the market for the first time ever. The home’s origin story is truly charming: It was originally built as the summer home for Philadelphia’s wealthy Leeds family, designed with a nod for Chathams older “captain’s”-style houses. The original owners, the Leeds, lived there for many years until parents of the current owners encountered the Leeds and made a deal to buy High Scatteree. Their descendants are now selling the home which, if fetched, would make it one of the most expensive properties ever to trade in Chatham.
Look here additional images of this Cape Cod home which has never been on the market.
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