Kurt Weill’s former New York country estate with a creative pedigree asks $2.3M
Photo credit: Wills Studio
Known as Brook House, this five-acre estate at 16 South Mountain Road is an important part of local creative history. Located within the South Mountain Road artist community, the charming country property anchored by an 1880 main house is the former home of legendary composer Kurt Weill, known for penning the popular song “Mack the Knife,” as part of The Threepenny Opera. Previously, the property was owned by Rollo Peters, a major force in American theater stage production. Asking $2,295,000, the property remains a refuge of 19th-century architecture and 20th-century creativity.
Kurt Weill and singer Lotte Lenya lived here for over 30 years. The home’s current owners have undertaken a full restoration to bring 21st-century structural integrity and comfort to mid-19th-century charm.
Working with interior designer Gail Jacobs, who designed the interiors at Leonard Bernstein’s apartment at the Dakota in NYC, the owners built a collection of bespoke items that can be purchased separately, including antique Holophane-style lighting fixtures that can be found throughout.
“Brook House offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to own a residence where architecture, landscape and cultural history converge in one of the Northeast’s most quietly legendary artist communities,” listing agent Richard Ellis of Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty said.
“The result is a rare blend of historic authenticity, wonderful provenance, artistic legacy and refined country design.”
The main three-bedroom house has hand-hewn beams and walls made from old stones from the property and four fireplaces. In the living room, tall ceilings and wide-plank white oak floors frame the room, and French doors open onto the garden. Bedrooms and baths retain their old-world charm without sacrificing comfort.
Outbuildings offer space for guests, a creative studio, or rental income. A large garage is currently in use as a workshop. There’s an old brick potting shed, a large garden shed, and a chicken coop.
The guest house has a cozy living room, a full kitchen, two bedrooms, and a lower-level den. The living room features a working fireplace, and the house has been updated for modern living.
The five-acre parcel is a private arboretum of flowering gardens, ancient stone walls, and rolling fields. Highlights include an artisan well and an arch-supported stone bridge across the west branch of the Hackensack River.
The property is surrounded by eight acres of West Branch Conservation Land Trust, which borders the 91-acre Davenport Preserve, ensuring permanent privacy.
The South Mountain Road artist community reflects the legacy of neighbors like playwright Maxwell Anderson, sculptor John Mowbray-Clark and painter Arthur B Davies, Burgess Meredith, Adolf Zucker, John Huston, Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall, and more.
High Tor State Park, with hiking trails and panoramic New York City views, is nearby, as is the 18-hole Paramount Country Club golf course.
[Listing details: 116 South Mountain Road by Richard Ellis of Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty]
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