‘Exceptionally private lake views,” suggests the listing for 601 Prospect, listed for $1.4 million.
Private, for sure. If you row along the lakeshore, admiring the homes, you are confronted with a stretch of wilderness. This is the property of the Textile Research Institute (TRI), which occupies the former Paton mansion. The gardener’s cottage on this estate was owned by Patience (Pat) Hite, a civil rights marcher in the 1960s and the founder and executive director of the Holistic Health Association of the Princeton Area. By the time she died in 2006 at the age of 83 the adjacent carriage house had been fitted out for her caregivers.
Someone with the vision and money to restore this property will have 2.71 wooded acres with 200 feet of lakefront. The amenities — public sewer and water — are there, and the property has an easement from TRI. The main house has five bedrooms, three bathrooms, eat-in kitchen, living room with solarium and fireplace, dining room, family room, study, and an office. The one-bedroom carriage house has a great room with skylights, a dining area, and living and kitchen areas.
There was some talk about subdividing the estate property for age-restricted housing but, according to the listing agent, Norm Callaway of N.T. Callaway, that plan has been tabled.
But when it comes to those lake views, the lake is a healthy walk from the house. If you wanted move the house or build new to get the water view, you would need to get a variance, and so far that has been a stumbling block to sales.
