10 of the Most Historic Homes on the Market Now

These are some of America's most storied pieces of real estate and they're all for sale.

April 25, 2018 5:00 am
The McNally Estate in Altadena, California (Zillow)
The McNally Estate in Altadena, California (Zillow)

These homes didn’t earn their place in this piece because of an extraordinary price-tag, though many of them possess one. These estates, castles, converted storefronts and former consulates are on this list because they have exceptional histories that stretch back to the 1770s when the ink was still fresh on the constitution and the land was unexplored and untouched. Ranging from wood-frame brownstones in New York City to sprawling estates outside of Los Angeles, take a look at some of the oldest and most storied real estate in the country.

San Clemente, California

Built by esteemed architect Aubrey Sinclair in 1940, this alluring estate is perched on a private 1.5 acres with unparalleled views of the mountain sunrise and the ocean sunset. With Spanish Revival architectural styles throughout the property, the old-world property also boasts a cactus garden and orchard. See inside.

Listed: $4,395,000
Bathrooms: 6
Bedrooms: 5
Square feet: 6,000

233 Avenida La Cuesta, San Clemente, California (Zillow)

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

The Penn Castle was constructed in 1888 for the city’s admired evangelist Major William Evander Penn. This three-floor residence has its original European antique furnishings, hardwood flooring and stained glass, and an interior that looks like it was excavated straight from a 19th-century storybook. Take a look.

Listed: $488,900
Bathrooms: 4
Bedrooms: 4
Square feet: 3,146

Penn Castle (Zillow)

Trinidad, Colorado

The McCormick Mansion, built in 1892 by the prestigious Western architects Bulger and Rapp, boasts all the best of the new and old world. While many of its original furnishings are still present in the home — including 1880’s antique bronze door hardware and some early electric chandeliers — it was restored to its original character in 2014. With oversized, elegant rooms and five fireplaces, one of the home’s most distinguishing features is its dramatic turret balcony on the third floor, which offers breathtaking glimpses of Fisher’s Peak and Simpson’s Rest.

Listed: $695,000
Bathrooms: 3.5
Bedrooms: 6
Square feet: 5,784

1919 Pinon St., Trinidad, CO. (Zillow)

Brooklyn, New York

This rare wood-frame home constructed in 1850 has an open house coming up. On Sunday, June 5, visitors can step inside the pre-Civil War home from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. to take a look for themselves. With a front porch, parlor, full bath and extension that looks out onto the garden, this historic home is located on the type of tree-lined brownstone street all the best New York City movies have a scene on.

Listed: $2,499,000
Bathrooms: 3
Bedrooms: 5
Square feet: 3,282

Rare wood-frame house in Brooklyn (Corcoran/Zillow)

Leesville, Louisiana

The Wingate House was built by Lieutenant Governor and Senator Thomas Wingate in approximately 1905. Officially on the National Register of Historical Places as a Queen Anne Colonial Revival, this is a rare opportunity to acquire an American treasure. If the price isn’t reason enough to buy, that carousel two-story porch is.

Listed: $265,000
Bathrooms: 5
Bedrooms: 2
Square feet: 6,090

The Wingate House (Zillow/ERA)

Pensacola, Florida

The Old Spanish Consulate — circa 1900 — is perfect for anyone who wants to park their real estate and open up the home to vacationers. Touted as a home that will “literally pay for itself” because of its sought-after status as a dependable bed and breakfast, this may be the perfect second, third or fourth home for anyone a little more versed in the world of real estate.

Listed: $699,000
Bathrooms: 4
Bedrooms: 5
Square feet: 4,800

The Old Spanish Consulate included on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. (Zillow)

Hartsdale, New York

Built in 1925, this luxurious Mediterranean dream in Hartsdale, New York, just had its prices slashed by $70,000. European-inspired with stunning architectural arcs carved into the kitchen, living room and parlor, this house will have any guest questioning whether or not they’re actually staying in an Italian villa. Take a look inside.

Listed: $1,395,000
Bathrooms: 3
Bedrooms: 3
Square feet: 2,842

European-inspired in Hartsdale, New York (Zillow)

Mineola, Texas

Situated in a charming East Texas town a few miles from Mineola, Grand Saline and Lindsale, this is the perfect historic home, circa 1913, for an artist craving space and light. Formerly a store, the renovated interior is a truly breathtaking and tasteful cross between classic and modern, with soaring ceilings and tastefully exposed brick.

Listed: $250,000
Bathrooms: 2.5
Bedrooms: 3
Square feet: 4,100

Charming historic storefront turned residential (Zillow)

Charleston, South Carolina

This 6-bedroom on Church Street in Charleston exudes classic Southern charm. Walk into the wide open kitchen on tasteful marble floors and into a living room with aging hardwood and a hearth hungry for fire. The backyard patio is perfect for a barbecue and the brick walkway is quintessential South Carolina. Built in 1770, the buyer can keep this single-family home to themselves, or separate into condominiums to rent out.

Listed: $2,250,000
Bathrooms: 5
Bedrooms: 6
Square feet: 3,341

Charming and restored Charleston single family home (Zillow)

Altadena, California

The McNally Estate in Altadena, California, features the type of decadence unique to Southern California. Built for the great mapmaker Andrew McNally in 1888, the 9-bedroom, three-story mansion offers easy access to the gorgeous San Gabriel Mountains and a view that stretches all the way to Catalina Islands — on clear days without smog, of course. Listed in 2007 on the National Register of Historic Places, the estate is for sale on the public market for the first time in 100 years.

Listed: $3,790,000
Bathrooms: 5
Bedrooms: 9
Square feet: 7,000

The McNally Estate in Altadena, California (Zillow)

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