A private island along Connecticut’s Gold Coast is now sale, asking $35 million.
Hay Island, an 18-acre landmass with unobstructed views of the Long Island Sound, hit the market this week. The classic Americana locale is owned by the descendants of William Ziegler, an American industrialist and founder of the Royal Baking Powder Company. The island marks the last remaining piece of the family’s hundred-plus-year legacy in the affluent town of Darien.
The sunny island sanctuary is accessed by a picturesque, gated causeway. It includes an 8,684-square-foot colonial home and a two-bedroom guest house built in 2010.
The six-bedroom, seven-bathroom main house is move-in ready, listing broker Leslie McElwreath of Sotheby’s International Realty, told The Post. The offering boasts stunning millwork, six fireplaces and other high-end finishes. The property also includes an infinity-edge pool, a private dock and a spa.
With its green lawns and gardens, the home is an idyllic place to enjoy Connecticut summers. The posh oasis is just minutes from downtown Darien, the smallest town along the state’s moneyed Gold Coast, and within commuting distance of New York City.
Ziegler’s descendent, Cynthia Ziegler, is selling the property with husband Renfrew Brighton, Mansion Global reported. The pair plans to move south.
The listing encompasses two lots, so it will likely attract an individual buyer, McElwreath said. It may be especially attractive to someone interested in following in William Ziegler’s footsteps, eager to establish a family compound for generations to enjoy.
The descendants of Ziegler began shedding their properties in Darien in 2022. The family once owned one of America’s last family-owned Gilded Age mansions, located on 60.92 acres of the aptly named Great Island. The island and its mansion sold in 2023 to the town of Darien for $85 million. It’s now a local park.
Great Island also includes an active horse stable with Olympic ties. A descendent of Ziegler, William Steinkraus, was an Olympic equestrian and Darien resident. Steinkraus, according to his 2017 obituary, was widely regarded one of the greatest riders in the sport’s history.
A neighboring 51.28 acre property, Ziegler Farm, sold for $57.5 million in 2023 to a private buyer.
McElwreath told The Post that Ziegler’s family has “dispersed far and wide,” from the area, but it will be bittersweet when they sell this final piece of land.
“This is a very large family, and people have just gone in different directions,” McElwreath said. “I think that it’s just the end of the chapter for this family in the area.”
