Post by Graveyardbride on Sept 6, 2021 16:24:53 GMT -5
Seaview Terrace ‘Collinwood’ for Sale: Asking Price $29.9 Million
In the late 1960s and early 70s, Seaview Terrace, which doubled as “Collinwood” on the popular TV soap opera Dark Shadows, was one of the most recognizable structures in the United States. Fans from all over the country made pilgrimages to Newport, Rhode Island, just to see the spooky old house where the semi-normal members of the Collins family and governess Victoria Winters hosted vampire Barnabas Collins and a significant number of ghosts, witches, werewolves and other assorted supernatural entities. (Collinwood interiors – which were much more “homey” and inviting than those of the Newport mansion – were filmed in a New York studio.)
The colossal 43,772 square-foot edifice, built by whiskey baron Edson Bradley, was initially constructed in Washington, D.C., in 1907. Occupying half a city block on Dupont Circle, the house was so opulent the press dubbed it “Aladdin’s Palace.” Then in 1923, when Bradley and his wife, Julia, were both 71-years-old, they had their imposing residence dismantled, transported to Newport and erected as a summer home on an almost eight-acre plot at 197 Ruggles Avenue, a choice location facing the ocean. When the reconstruction was completed in 1925, the French Renaissance Revival Châteauesque manse boasted 60 rooms, including 29 bedrooms, 18 bathrooms, a gothic chapel, ballroom, art gallery, solarium and 500-seat theater. (Believe it or not, there are four Newport mansions – The Breakers, Ochre Court, Belcourt Castle and Rough Point – even larger.) One of the home’s most renowned features is the whispering gallery, an elliptical room reminiscent of St. Paul’s Cathedral, wherein a person standing at one end of the foci can hear the slightest whisper uttered at the other end. The two-story entrance hall contains 16th-century stained glass windows from Europe and one, depicting “The Flagellation,” or Passion of Christ, was originally designed for Italy’s Milan Cathedral. The exterior is notable for its high-pitched roof, soaring chimneys and distinctive central tower – a truly remarkable mansion surrounded by sweeping lawns and breathtaking scenery.
Sadly, Julia died just four years later, on August 23, 1929, following a year-long illness. Because she passed away during the summer, her funeral was held in her Newport home’s chapel. In 1935, Bradley died of pneumonia while on a trip to London. Both are buried in New York City’s Woodlawn Cemetery.
In 1930, Bradley had signed over Seaview Terrace to his only daughter, Julie. Within months, her husband, the Reverend Herbert Shipman, died unexpectedly, however, she and her daughter continued to summer in Newport until 1941, when she became embroiled in a dispute with the city over back taxes. After Mrs. Shipman vacated the premises, the structure housed army officers for the duration of World War II and in 1949, the city sold the property for a mere $8,000.
In 1950, the spectacular mansion, with its tennis courts and outdoor swimming pool, was turned into an exclusive girls’ summer boarding school called Burnham-by-the-Sea. During the other nine months of the year, it operated as the Newport School for Girls. In the spring of 1966, students and teachers looked on discreetly as Dark Shadows creator Dan Curtis and his crew filmed the exterior scenes of the soap opera which first aired on June 27 of that year. Of note, over the years, several former pupils have revealed that the general consensus among students was that the place was haunted and many girls reported feeling uneasy in certain parts of the building.
While there is no doubt it was the cult classic Dark Shadows that put Seaview Terrace on the map, as it were, those with a taste for porn may recognize the house as the setting of the 1975 sado-masochism-themed film The Story of Joanna. Another movie filmed on the premises was the 2017 British-American romantic science fiction film, The Discovery, starring Robert Redford.
While there is no doubt it was the cult classic Dark Shadows that put Seaview Terrace on the map, as it were, those with a taste for porn may recognize the house as the setting of the 1975 sado-masochism-themed film The Story of Joanna. Another movie filmed on the premises was the 2017 British-American romantic science fiction film, The Discovery, starring Robert Redford.
Beginning in 1975, the Carey family, current owners of the resplendent residence, leased Seaview to Salve Regina University, which utilized the building as a men’s dormitory. During this time, numerous residents reported unexplained cold spots and dark shadows, lights and electrical devices turning on and off by themselves, and some even claimed to have seen the apparition of a woman in a long, flowing gown. A few years ago, Seaview Terrace was featured on Ghost Hunters, a show wherein a pair of plumbers investigated and faked paranormal activity for entertainment purposes.
Unfortunately, the Carey family failed to adequately maintain the property and in 2009, the university ceased leasing the house. Through the years, the structure continued to deteriorate and although Denise Carey, an architect, and her husband, Christopher Bettencourt, have gradually repaired and improved the old dwelling, where a portrait of a vampire hangs in the hall, they have decided to sell, possibly because Martin T. Carey, who purchased Seaview Terrace in 1974, died last year.
Now one of the most impressive and storied mansions in America can be yours for $29.9 million, the current asking price. More than likely, the house will be on the market for an extended period of time during which the price will gradually decrease.
Additional photos here.
Sources: Bethany Brunette, The Newport Daily News, September 2, 2021; Christian Winthrop, The Newport Buzz, August 31, 2021; The Providence Journal; House Histree; Newport Mansions: The Gilded Age by Richard Cheek; TV Guide; Trulia; and Edge Realty, Newport.
