A 15-acre estate with nationally recognized historical gardens is on the market in Sewickley Heights.
Poplar Hill is listed by Howard Hanna Realtor Caroll Ferguson for $3.9 million.
The property takes in a hillside overlooking the historic Allegheny Country Club.
In 2010, the Smithsonian Institution, in collaboration with the Village Garden Club of Sewickley, documented the gardens of the former Poplar Hill estate, originally a 41-acre property that boasted a colonial revival mansion of 35 rooms with a grand view of the clubhouse and fairways of the Allegheny Country Club.
Poplar Hill is included in the Archives of American Gardens of the Smithsonian.
Poplar trees no longer populate the grounds (they were lost to disease in the 1960s). The formal gardens were in their heyday during the 1930s until the property was subdivided into smaller parcels, and many of the earlier gardens were destroyed.
What remains is the current home, built during the 1950s, featuring seven bathrooms, four bedrooms, an expansive kitchen, a greenhouse, slate roof and sweeping views of the historic golf course.
Lower and upper gardens remain, surrounded by a brick wall with Asian stone statues placed in niches of the lower garden.
Remnants of the past still dot the grounds, including a stone cherub statue and an English wellhead.
“These properties were built by the steel magnates of Pittsburgh. Around 1902, Allegheny Country Club moved from the city to Sewickley Heights and … it spurred the developments of so many of these estates,” said Ferguson, who lives in Sewickley.
The gardens were designed in 1914 by the landscape architect Arthur A. Shurcliff.
The current homeowner, Dr. Satbir Singh, purchased additional land to expand the grounds to 15 acres.
“The house is very special, and the gardens are so beautiful and the views from the house are incredible,” Singh said. “I feel the house is just lucky and would be great for somebody who loves golfing, nature and gardening.”
Ferguson said his family bought the home intending to tear it down and build a much larger home, but timing issues and other factors resulted in their moving to a nearby residence.
Ferguson said the estate offers one of the most spectacular views in Western Pennsylvania.
The gardens have hosted countless social occasions and numerous weddings.
“This view, this setting — it’s unsurpassed,” Ferguson said. “The views are just outstanding, and the house is lovely.”
Ferguson said a buyer could either add on to the home and make it more gracious and larger or tear it down and build their dream house.
The 15 acres may not be subdivided because of a restriction deed.
A golf industry professional was very interested in buying Poplar Hill, Ferguson noted.
“He was such a fan of Allegheny Country Club he wanted to buy it, but his wife wouldn’t leave Florida,” she said.
The exterior of the home is subject to the rules of the Historical Architectural Review Board, and the historic garden walls must remain.
Ferguson said a potential buyer will likely be an executive type who would like the prestige of what Poplar Hill has to offer.
“Someone who appreciates what Sewickley Heights is about,” Ferguson said.