Derivative of European castles and having historical significance rooted in upper-echelon ownership, magnificent manors were originally country estates with extensive land fortified to fend off uninvited visitors. Manors encompassed small towns where most all people lived in medieval times, housing a blacksmith, bakery, mill, orchard, gardens and a community of people to create a self-sufficient society. A grand hall within the main manor served as a central gathering space for the people of the community. The manor was owned by a royal lord or noble who resided in the manor, while villagers lived in its ancillary structures. Knights of the king would oversee the community and provide its profits from agriculture and business to the king.
The main manor dwellings were distinctive for their unique construction and chateau-like adornments. Surrounded by vast land, meticulously manicured gardens, lakes and long walking paths, manors are enveloped in exquisite luxury. The commanding structures themselves are remarkably notable in size and opulent finishes. In Europe, manorial establishments were extensive and widespread, however domestically, that was not historically the case. As such, manor homes and relics of early manorial settlement are much fewer and father between. The northeast region is home to most historical manors, specifically along the east shore of Maryland, Virginia, the Hudson River Valley of New York and along the Mississippi River.
More modern-day manors built after the Civil War were constructed with the intent to be remote retreats for wealthy families. In the southeast, manors took on more Georgian architectural stylings. Federal architecture emerged as a variant to Georgian architecture in the late 1700s. Some United States manors, however, are more closely reminiscent of European Châteauesque stylings, such as Biltmore Estate, as well as Tudor Revival, Neoclassical and Greek Revival architectural categorizations. The quintessential legacy property, many manors with longstanding history have remained in the same families for multiple generations.
Here, explore magnificent manors available for purchase across the U.S. and Canada.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Barry Cohen Homes
Barry Cohen | 416.223.1818
barry@barrycohenhomes.com
www.barrycohenhomes.com
Naples, Florida
Gulf Coast International Properties
Michael A. McCumber | 239.777.9029
mike@gcipnaples.com
www.gcipnaples.com
Greenwich, Connecticut
Compass
Shelly Tretter Lynch | 203.550.8508
shelly.tretterlynch@compass.com
www.compass.com
San Francisco, California
Black Book Firm
Doug Manful | 415.937.1869
douglas@blackbookfirm.com
blackbookfirm.com
Warrenton, Virginia
McLean Faulconer, Inc.
Stephen McLean | 804.981.1863
smclean@mcleanfaulconer.com
www.mcleanfaulconer.com
Greenwich, Connecticut
Halstead Real Estate
Rob C. Johnson | 203.869.8100
robjohnson@halstead.com
www.halstead.com
Middletown, New Jersey
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach
Gloria Nilson | 732.842.6181
gnilson@glorianilson.com
www.foxroach.com
Dartmouth, Massachusetts
Robert Paul Properties, Inc.
Robert B. Kinlin | 508.648.2739
rkinlin@robertpaul.com
www.robertpaul.com
Thonotosassa, Florida
Smith and Associates Real Estate
Mary Pond & Ed Gunning | 813.294.8867 | 813.690.7902
pondgunning@smithandassociates.com
theoaksestate.com
