Wisconsin’s Most Expensive Home Is a Gorgeous Waterfront Retreat for $9.95M

Wisconsin’s Most Expensive Home Is a Gorgeous Waterfront Retreat for $9.95M

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A waterfront retreat built in 1927 in Fish Creek, WI, is looking for a new owner willing to spend big.

The $9,950,000 asking price makes it the most expensive single-family home in the state. Still, it’s a $1,950,000 reduction from the initial list price of $11,900,000.

Whoever snaps up this 7.44-acre retreat in Door County would be only the third owner.

“It was in the same family until four years ago, when the second owner purchased it. This second owner wanted to divide the property and wasn’t able to, and that’s why he’s selling it,” says listing agent Diane Taillon, of Arbor Crowne Properties.

“Cottage Row has always been a coveted road in Fish Creek, from the late 1800s, when all of the wealthy businessmen bought on Cottage Row. They were the largest homes but only for summer use. This property is like a private resort,” she says, noting that it’s on the far end of the road. “The privacy is the greatest privacy I’ve yet to see on a property.”

The Clark family—whose patriarch, George Clark, a Chicago stove manufacturer, developed the area around Cottage Row Road—spent summers here. George’s son, Robert, designed and built the family’s property.

The compound consists of the main house, guesthouse, boathouse, several outbuildings, a tennis court, and a walled garden.

The 3,102-square-foot main house has six bedrooms and 4.5 baths. One of the design details is walls lined with rare cypress wood. Twin staircases to the kitchen remain from when the family hired help.

In fact, the home has not been tweaked since 1927.

“It’s all original,” says Taillon. “One of the photographers I brought in to photograph [the listing] said this would be the coolest movie set. It’s just from another time in America’s history.”

Another selling point is water access.

“If you were to build another house, it could not be this close to the water,” says Taillon. “Nor can you build a boathouse or a pier, because it’s all grandfathered in.”

The boathouse, built from lake stone, is one of the county’s largest that is privately owned, according to Taillon. Inside, there’s a fireplace, and the rooftop deck is a boon for anyone who likes to entertain.

The property comes with 805 feet of shorefront, which is rare for the region, says Taillon.

Fish Creek is a town of around 1,000 year-round residents; it expands greatly during the summer months.

“There’s so much shopping and restaurants and lots of activity,” says Taillon. “You can walk into town or bike or take a little golf cart from Cottage Row.”

While historically Door County is a summer-home destination, that is changing.

“Since COVID, we have had so many buyers buying up here because we live on fresh water and we have a lot of space,” says Taillon. “The lifestyle is what people are seeking out. Our buyers come from the Chicago area and also from Texas and Arizona. Now, we’re getting more from California. They want to get out of the heat, and they like the idea of having so much water around them.”

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