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A $15 Million Ogden Codman Chateau Hits the Market

Edith Wharton is said to have spent summers at the classic French château on Long Island’s North Shore

By Geoffrey Montes
Elegant manor with manicured gardens, trimmed hedges, and a gravel pathway leading to the house, framed by lush greenery.
Haut Bois, in Brookville, New York, is on the market for $15 million. Photo: Courtesy of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty

In 1916, legendary Beaux Arts–style architect Ogden Codman Jr. built this classic French château—dubbed Haut Bois—on Long Island’s scenic North Shore, modeling it after the Louis XIII hunting lodge that Louis XIV gradually expanded into the Palace of Versailles.

After acquiring the seven-bedroom residence in 2000, the current owners spearheaded an extension renovation, including replacing the roof, windows, and mechanical systems, installing new floors throughout, plus adding an irrigation and lighting system outside.

The foyer was even redesigned to match writer and interior designer Edith Wharton’s longtime Berkshires estate, the Mount, another Codman project. Codman and Wharton co-authored The Decoration of Houses (1897), an interior-design standard, and Wharton is said to have spent summers at Haut Bois.

Recommended: New Design Lessons from a Classic 19th-Century Decorating Book

With formal French gardens—including a fountain and the original arbor—a Palladian-style pool house, and a new tennis court, the eight-acre property is a perfect haven on a hot summer’s day.

Price: $15 million; sothebysrealty.com

Elegant mansion with manicured gardens, lush green lawn, and a stone path leading to the entrance, surrounded by trees.
Haut Bois, a 1916 château designed by Ogden Codman, Jr. in 1916. Courtesy of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty

Large elegant mansion with a courtyard, surrounded by trees and bushes under a clear blue sky.
The exterior was modeled after Louis XIII’s hunting lodge, later expanded into the Palace of Versailles. Courtesy of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty

Elegant living room with vintage furniture, chandelier, decorative walls, grand piano, and patterned carpet.
The opulently decorated living room. Courtesy of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty

Elegant hallway with detailed moldings, a vibrant blue patterned rug, artwork on the wall, and a marble sculpture in a niche.
Marble statues occupy niches off a corridor. Courtesy of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty

Elegant dining room with a chandelier, large windows, a long table, and light-colored chairs on a patterned rug.
The dining room includes hand-painted wallpaper. Courtesy of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty

Spacious kitchen with cream cabinets, black countertops, green range hood, and tile backsplash under recessed lighting.
The kitchen features a large central island. Courtesy of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty

Luxurious game room with a billiards table, elegant wooden ceiling, large windows, and classic decor elements.
The den with wood beams on the ceiling gives it a rustic aesthetic. Courtesy of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty

Luxurious outdoor swimming pool with sun loungers, large umbrellas, surrounded by lush greenery and elegant pool house.
The current owners installed a new pool and Palladian-style pool house. Courtesy of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty

Elegant garden with manicured hedges, lush greenery, stone urns with flowers, under a clear blue sky.
The eight-acre grounds boast restored formal French gardens. Courtesy of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty

A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2018 Summer Issue under the headline On the Market. Subscribe to the magazine.

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