By Judy O’Gorman Alvarez
Like the magical place it is named after, Camelot a newly renovated historical waterfront estate set high on the Navesink River, complete with spectacular views and a carriage house has lots of charm, history and tales to tell.
COURTESY COLDWELL BANKER RES.
Camelot, the historic home at 169 River Road in Red Bank, was built in 1901 and was part of the J. Holmes Hendrickson estate.
The secluded 3-story Victorian, considered an entertainer’s dream, boasts 4,426 square feet, five bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a finished basement, wine cellar, custom bunk room, three-car garage and backup generator.
The second largest waterfront estate in Red Bank features water views from most rooms and panoramic sunsets. Walking distance to Red Bank and close to transportation to New York City, the home was part of the VNA’s annual holiday house tour December 2019.
The owners named it “Camelot” – a place of idyllic happiness and it has a rentable 1,900-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bath carriage house that they call “Little Camelot” with a brand new first floor which includes a family room, office and master bedroom suite.
Built in 1901 and originally part of the J. Holmes Hendrickson estate, the house was later owned by Florence Forgotston Adams, one of the first female lawyers in Monmouth County.
The current owners have spared no expense with their own renovations to the interior and exterior of the main residence; the charming carriage house also underwent an extensive renovation in 2019.
“There was something about the character and the charm,” said Donna McGrady about the house she and her husband decided to purchase two years ago.
Many of the secluded Victorian’s rooms feature spectacular water views.
The McGradys wanted to find a place ideal for a young couple who liked to entertain while retaining the original inspired details of the house. Although they were not looking for a historical home, McGrady said she fell in love with that part of it.
“I like a new construction as much as the next girl, but something about this history was so much better,” she said.
The couple unleashed a whirlwind of reconstruction projects as soon as they arrived.
“The house had an identity and I wanted to be respectful of that identity,” she said. “We brought her back to life and made her sexy again.” McGrady said she likes to think the house is female.
She points out that there are some elements of a historic home that would be hard to recreate.
For Camelot, that included 10-feet-tall pocket doors, turn-of-the-century-inspired moldings and “a giant original window we designed a whole room around,” said McGrady. “There are quite a few original details in the house, like the moldings, that we wanted to keep.”
McGrady spent time at the Red Bank Public Library researching the history of the house and, along with word-of-mouth details about previous owners she collected, is creating a Camelot ledger with all the details for future owners.
“The house has been amazing and we’ve had some gigantic parties. It was a wonderful opportunity to be creative and bring the house to life.”
“I see the house as its own entity,” she said. “I feel my time in it is coming to an end. I put my stamp on it and it’s the right time for someone else.”
For information on this new listing, visit flexmls.com or call Mara H. Browndorf, Coldwell Banker Res. Brokerage, 732-979-4960.
The article originally appeared in the May 21 – 27, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.
