Victorian for sale once was home to nuns
The Mount Sinai house was built in about 1818. It is listed for $575,000. Credit: Signature Homes of New York
This circa-1818 Mount Sinai Victorian was once a residence for cloistered nuns. It is listed for $575,000.
The four-bedroom, 3.5-bath home with a wraparound porch is on a 163-by-348-foot lot abutting a wooded nature preserve.
Originally a one-story house, it was expanded around 1898 by a wealthy shipbuilder, says listing agent Rachel Hujber of Signature Homes of New York. Later, the Poor Clares — officially known as the Order of St. Clare, a contemplative order of nuns in the Catholic Church — took up residence, says Hujber.
Recent upgrades include an approximately five-year-old eat-in kitchen, which has a tin roof, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and a pantry nearby. Bathrooms and wood floors were also refurbished, and energy-efficient Thermopane windows were installed, says Hujber. The living room contains a wood-burning stove.
Hardwood floors and crown moldings are found throughout the home, and are especially prominent in the master bedroom suite, which includes shadow boxes. An en suite bathroom contains a Jacuzzi tub and a separate stall shower. Three additional bedrooms share a full bathroom.
A widow’s walk with views of the Long Island Sound and preserve land is accessible from an attic closet. Beneath the rear portion of the porch, there is a covered stone patio with a ceiling fan.
The property also includes a detached, two-car garage. A shed contains a cannonball that possibly dates back to the Revolutionary War, Hujber says.
