6 homes with a history

Manchester, Connecticut. Preservation architect Jared Edwards spent 13 years upgrading and restoring the Philip Cheney Mansion, a Gilded Age estate designed by Stanford White and reconstructed in 1928 by Charles Adam Platt.

The nine-bedroom home has carved wood panels, painted walls, ceiling frescoes from a Viennese palace, nine fireplaces, a grand salon, a cigar room–library, and a chef's kitchen. The property includes 7.5 acres of gardens. $2,450,000. Jeffrey Bodeau, William Raveis Real Estate/Luxury Portfolio International, (860) 463-9296.

New York City. As part of its ongoing complete restoration, the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, a global landmark, has converted 375 Tower units into condominiums. This two-bedroom home features a marble foyer, 10-foot ceilings, art deco doors, cove lighting, a gourmet kitchen, marble bathrooms, an AV technology closet, and multizone HVAC.

Owners have access to private residential amenities, including the Starlight Pool and Starlight Terrace, as well as all services offered by the hotel. $6,500,000. Dan Tubb, Douglas Elliman, (212) 872-1200.

Princeton, New Jersey. This six-bedroom Tudor was built in 1899 as a dairy barn for the Drumthwacket Estate. An update preserved many original details, including 26-foot ceilings, barn doors, and wooden support beams, while adding a chef's kitchen, mezzanine library, spiral staircase, gym, media room, and wine cellar.

The 2-acre property has lawns, mature trees, and a landscaped gravel-and-stone central courtyard, and is minutes from a historic state park and a nature preserve. $3,950,000. Barbara Blackwell, Sotheby's International Realty, (609) 915-5000.

Red Wing, Minnesota. The Theodore Sheldon mansion was built in 1876. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the seven-bedroom home preserves almost all original details, including seven marble fireplaces, and has an updated gourmet kitchen, balconies, a rooftop deck with town views, and a sunroom in the observation tower.

Outside are a deck, a patio, lawns, gardens, a fire pit, and a carriage house in back converted to a rentable duplex. $950,000. Krista Wolter, Coldwell Banker Realty, (612) 247-5106.

Idaho County, Idaho. Campbell's Ferry Ranch, on the National Register of Historic Places, was the homestead of William Campbell, who in 1898 established a ferry across the Salmon River and the Three Blaze Trail as a prospectors' route. There are two one-bedroom cabins, one modernized, one rustic with a museum room; outbuildings; and solar electricity and satellite internet.

The 85-acre property features an airstrip, foot trails, 2,000 feet of riverfront, fruit and nut trees, abundant wildlife, and trout fishing. $1,500,000. Trent Jones, Hall and Hall, (208) 622-4133.

Helena, Montana. The Pope House, a "painted lady" Victorian on the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1886. The six-bedroom home, updated with radiant heat, smart wiring, and a new chef's kitchen and designer bathrooms, retains its original pocket doors, five detailed fireplaces, and ornate carved wood trim.

The lot includes a landscaped yard, a patio wired for a hot tub, and a three-car carriage house with a loft. $575,000. Jack Wade, ERA Lambros Real Estate, (406) 240-3089.

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