Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s Tranquil Martha’s Vineyard Estate Is on the Market
The Kennedy family is known for a number of legacies—one of which is an impressive collection of famous former dwellings. There’s the White House, of course, followed closely behind by the Kennedy Compound on Cape Cod, which JFK used as his 1960 campaign headquarters and summer retreat throughout his presidency.
And then there’s the bucolic hideaway on Martha’s Vineyard that became a treasured escape for three generations of Kennedys after Jackie O. purchased it in 1979. Set on 340 acres, the vast expanse of land was a wide-open sheep farm before the former First Lady put her presidential mark on it, commissioning a stately shingle-style main residence and guest house in addition to acres of gardens dreamt up by esteemed White House landscape designer Bunny Mellon.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Onassis hosted many notable guests at the house over the years, including former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Most of all, however, she reveled in spending time with her kids and grandkids, even building a “fairy treehouse” for the little ones, says daughter Caroline Kennedy.
Now, with the grandkids grown, Caroline is passing on her mother’s prized escape to a lucky new owner for a grand sum of $65 million. In addition to the 6,400-square-foot main house—which sports five en-suite bedrooms, a chef’s kitchen, and plenty of outdoor deck space with serene water views—the estate also includes a two-story guest house, caretaker’s cottage, boat house, pool, tennis court, and an old hunting cabin (the only structure standing when Onassis bought the property).
Related: Tour This Charming Long Island Farmhouse With Its Own Vineyard and Private Beach:
According to Christie’s International Real Estate, which holds the listing, the private and sprawling Red Gate Farm is blessed not only in its legacy but also with more than a mile of private beachfront, coastal dunes, and freshwater ponds. And it’s this untamed beauty that initially attracted the First Lady to the property. “Forty years ago, my mother fell in love with Martha’s Vineyard,” says Caroline. “When she found Red Gate Farm, it was a perfect expression of her romantic and adventurous spirit. The dunes and ponds and rolling hills of Aquinnah gave her the chance to create a world where she could be so close to nature, close to her family and friends, and, most importantly, close to her beloved books.”
Ready to call this presidential paradise your own? Jackie’s O’s former summer retreat is listed with Christie’s International Real Estate for $65 million. See more photos below:
