A 14,500-square-foot mansion in Dublin, N.H., listed for sale at $10 million was once an occasional summer destination for President William Howard Taft, but it may one day serve a more commercial purpose.
Knollwood, a Georgian-style house built 125 years ago and is on the National Register of Historic Places, comes with sweeping views and more than 100 acres of gardens, forests and even a small vineyard.
Sean Bakhtiari and Colby Coppage, both of Compass New England LLC, are the listing agents.
“A lot of the buyer inquiries we get are people interested in the property as a hospitality venture — like a boutique hotel, wedding or events venue, luxury getaway,” Bakhtiari said Tuesday.
He noted that since it is zoned residential, a change to a commercial use would require town approval.
The 13-bedroom, 10-bath home was originally listed at $15 million in September. The price was reduced to $10 million the next month.
New Hampshire’s most expensive properties tend to be on the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee or in the Seacoast Region.
“But the sellers and I do believe the property justifies a high price point. Ultimately, we’ll see what the market thinks,” Bakhtiari said, adding that the size of the home, the scale of its land, its value for different purposes and its history all contribute to the price.
The home was built in 1900 for U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Franklin MacVeagh, and was later acquired by Ernest Henderson, founder of Sheraton Hotels, according to the real estate listing.
Henderson’s heirs, including Mitzi Perdue, widow of Perdue Farms president Frank Perdue, are selling the property.
Mitzi Perdue’s sister, Augusta Petrone, formerly occupied the home. Petrone, who died on Aug. 1 at age 88, was prominent in Republican politics, the widow of former Ambassador Joseph Petrone, a benefactor of the arts and one of the founders of Lionheart Classical Academy in Peterborough, N.H.
Knollwood includes a 26-seat dining room, library, terraces and a grand ballroom seating 120. It also has a heated three-car garage, which includes an upstairs apartment.
While the $10 million asking price is high for New Hampshire, more expensive homes have sold in the state.
An oceanfront estate in Rye, N.H., was listed in 2023 for $25 million, and sold last year for $17.1 million, according to Realtor.com and Rye property records.
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