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Architect Roger Ferris designed this waterfront home in 2007 for Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas.
Photo: Compass

Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas’s Connecticut Estate Lists for $27.5 Million

Designed by architect Roger Ferris, the Shingle-style house is set on more than six acres and features 400 feet of water frontage on the Long Island Sound

By
July 29, 2024

A spectacular waterfront estate has hit the market in the celebrity-friendly Connecticut town of Westport for $27.5 million. Built by A-list power couple Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue, the massive residence is set on a 6.6-acre parcel and features more than 400 feet of private ocean frontage on the Long Island Sound.

The sprawling property is currently the most expensive listing in the charming enclave, which was once home to Bette Davis and Paul Newman, and is poised to set a local record if it fetches more than $25 million. Thomas and Donahue—who married in 1980—tapped acclaimed architecture firm Roger Ferris + Partners to design the home for them in 2007 along a stretch known locally as the “Gold Coast.”

In Westport, Connecticut, architect Roger Ferris designed this waterfront home in 2007 for Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas. It’s now on the market for $27.5 million.

A series of glass French doors open to the manicured grounds. Photo: Compass

Evoking New England–style cottages, the eye-catching manse features multifaceted gables and playful ornament, including a cupola, turret, and port-hole windows. It sprawls across 11,400 square feet and features five bedrooms and five baths, not to mention breathtaking water views from nearly every room. Among the on-site amenities are a tennis court, cobblestone courtyard, manicured gardens, home gym, and four garages. There’s even a guest wing with its own private entry, ideal as an in-law suite.

Thomas and Donahue offloaded the property in 2013 to current owners, Andrew Bentley and Fiona Garland, who attempted to sell the home in 2020 but later took it off the market. It’s currently listed with Leslie Clarke of Compass.

See more photos below. 

In Westport, Connecticut, architect Roger Ferris designed this waterfront home in 2007 for Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas. It’s now on the market for $27.5 million.

The estate is set on 6.6 waterfront acres. Photo: Compass

In Westport, Connecticut, architect Roger Ferris designed this waterfront home in 2007 for Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas. It’s now on the market for $27.5 million.

The home is located on Westport’s “Gold Coast.” Photo: Compass

In Westport, Connecticut, architect Roger Ferris designed this waterfront home in 2007 for Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas. It’s now on the market for $27.5 million.

The Shingle-style residence takes cues from New England cottages. Photo: Compass

In Westport, Connecticut, architect Roger Ferris designed this waterfront home in 2007 for Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas. It’s now on the market for $27.5 million.

Roger Ferris designed the home in 2007. Photo: Compass

In Westport, Connecticut, architect Roger Ferris designed this waterfront home in 2007 for Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas. It’s now on the market for $27.5 million.

The primary bedroom suite features spellbinding water views. Photo: Compass

In Westport, Connecticut, architect Roger Ferris designed this waterfront home in 2007 for Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas. It’s now on the market for $27.5 million.

A spiral staircase links the two levels. Photo: Compass

In Westport, Connecticut, architect Roger Ferris designed this waterfront home in 2007 for Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas. It’s now on the market for $27.5 million.

The property is equipped with a tennis pavilion. Photo: Compass

Cover: Architect Roger Ferris designed this waterfront home in 2007 for Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas.
Photo: Compass

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