100-year-old New Jersey ‘castle’ with 58 rooms hits the market for $48M

One of the most expensive residential listings in New Jersey recently hit the market at an asking price of $48 million. The 100-year-old, nearly 50,000-square-foot mansion sits on 12.5 acres in Mahwah with views of the Ramapo Mountains (h/t Wall Street Journal). The enormous house, originally built in 1907 by George Crocker, son of railroad tycoon Charles Crocker, was modeled after a Jacobean-style English castle and today boasts a 45-foot-tall organ, 29 bathrooms, 21 bedrooms, and two full kitchens, one equipped to serve an impressive 250 meals at a time.

The estate’s owner, Ilija Pavlovic, bought it for $8.8 million in 2008 from developer Darlington Associates, who had built multiple residential communities surrounding the mansion. Pavlovic told the WSJ that he was interested in the “challenge” of both preserving the historic home while also restoring it to meet 21st-century standards.

He preserved many of the original elements, like the elaborate wooden carvings and the great hall organ (the only known 1906 Aeolian Player Pipe Organs in the U.S.). He also employed Italian woodcarvers, whose previous works included the Italian Parliament as well as NYC’s Ritz-Carlton and Waldorf Astoria.

To modernize the home, though, Pavlovic replaced all the mechanical systems, redid all the bathrooms, installed 476 new windows, and replaced the slate roof. He also had much of the furniture custom made, which is included in the sales price.

He also added a spa with an indoor lap pool, gym, massage room, beauty salon, and theater room.

In addition, there’s a wine cellar, cigar room, tennis court, billiard room, and an outdoor pool with a cabana, and eight-car garage.

Remarkably, Pavlovic told the WSJ that he doesn’t live at the residence full time, as his primary residence is nearby. But he has stayed at the home with his family to host what one can assume to be some pretty epic events.

[Listing: Darlington, New York Metro Mansion by Christie’s International Real Estate]

[Via WSJ]

RELATED:

• This Luxurious, $15M New Jersey Castle Comes With 32 Acres of Land
• New Jersey’s Oldest and Largest Frank Lloyd Wright House Listed for $2.2M
• Hexagonal Frank Lloyd Wright ‘Usonian’ house for sale for $995K in Glen Ridge, New Jersey

Photos courtesy of Christie’s International Real Estate