Historic Sousa house for sale in Sands Point

Luke Torrance
The historic John Philip Sousa house in Sands Point, which is up for sale. (Courtesy of Douglas Elliman)

The Sands Point estate of the composer behind “Stars and Stripes Forever”  can be yours for $9.85 million.

John Philip Sousa, the renowned composer and conductor known for his military marches, lived at the house for almost two decades. He purchased the estate in 1915, a few years after it was constructed. He continued to own the property at 12 Hicks Lane until his death in 1932.

Although it cannot be seen from the street, the structure’s Colonial exterior is protected as a National Historic Landmark. Douglas Elliman agent Maggie Keats said that the home could possibly be expanded. But since the interior was not landmarked, she said it has been upgraded with “every creature comfort.”

The dining room at the Sousa house, with the historic Zuber hand-painted wallpaper. (Courtesy of Douglas Elliman)

The house is 6,000 square feet in size, three stories tall, and contains six bedrooms and five and a half bathrooms. It has central air conditioning, a totally remodeled kitchen with modern appliances and a state-of-the-art wine room. An outdoor balcony on the second floor provides views of the property, the Long Island Sound and the distant New York City skyline.

If that is not sufficient space, there is also the estate’s garage/carriage house, which has two bedrooms and a wine cellar of its own (which was built into the stalls left in the downstairs stable).

The 2.6-acre property also contains a deepwater dock and tennis court. The driveway is gated off from Hicks Lane.

“The house is state of the art and has everything you could want,” Keats said. “It really is an extraordinary home.”

While efforts have been made to upgrade the interior with modern amenities, the current owner has strived to maintain some of the historic details inside. The dining room features “Scenes from the Americas,” a handpainted wallpaper from the French company Zuber. A similar wallpaper produced by the same company was saved by then-First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and installed in the oval reception room of the White House, where it remains to this day.

Reach reporter Luke Torrance by email at ltorrance@theislandnow.com, by phone at 516-307-1045, ext. 214, or follow him on Twitter @LukeATorrance.

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