Own History – Landmark Beresford Manor For Sale In Peaceful Northside, St. Croix
Location is everything when it comes to real estate (x’3). If you’re like me, though, then history is just as important. My home in Fort Lauderdale is almost 100 years old. It’s listed on the local registry of historic homes. At closing, we received a thick file from the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society noting the house’s history and colorful, if not infamous, former owners. So yeah, I know from experience: there’s a heightened sense of pride when you own history. This is exactly what has me wishing I had the bank to buy Beresford Manor.
Northside Neighborhood, Nice
The stately surrounds of the old colonial estate sprawl across an acre of lush seaside property in Northside, St. Croix. This is rainforest country; an area so quiet and remote that most local residents hardly know it at all. (This is saying something on an island measuring just 84 square miles.)
Hams Bay, St. Croix’s “end of the earth,” is just up the road. Monks Bath is a short walk away. The Feather Leaf Inn, with all its attendant natural peace and tranquility, is a few minutes south.
Northside living is so sweet, it’s hard to believe that any real estate ever comes on the market here, much less a historic estate like Beresford.
Indeed, this particular chance to own history is very rare.
The Beresford family has owned the property formerly known as Estate Northside since 1957. While they’ve flirted with offering it up for sale in the past, no serious effort has ever really been made until now.
That’s right, there’s 64 years of loving family care woven into the very fabric of Beresford Manor…and it shows.
The property itself is comprised of two primary structures: The Manor House and The Sugar House.
The Manor House at Beresford Manor
Built in the early 1800s, the three-bedroom/three-bathroom Manor House, remains true to its storied past in its style and character. Wonderfully well-kept original hardwood floors run throughout its 3,781 square-foot interior. As someone with original wood floors nearly half the age of those at The Manor House, I was stunned at how sturdy they are. The odd creak here or there was no surprise, of course, but overall, these floors were miles better than I expected.
Other nice touches inside include some dentil crown moulding in the living room, vintage glass door knobs, raised panel wainscoting in the dining area, and voluminously vaulted beadboard ceilings in the bedrooms upstairs.
A cozy, yet updated kitchen opens out to the backyard. Here stands the remains of a separate structure that formerly housed two apartments. The bones remain strong to revive the income-generating add-on. There’s also ample room for a pool.
Like all of the best historic homes, The Manor House at Beresford Estate is blessed with tons of windows, the better to keep the home cool. Air conditioning? Nah, you usually don’t need it when you own history. Not even in the Caribbean, and definitely not here.
Interior living spaces at The Manor House are nice, but the bigger draw to me about this place is outside.
A broad and expansive wraparound porch runs along the west and north-facing sides of the house. The north porch provides an ideal spot to catch the first rays of light in the morning cascading down the highlands to the east and across the open property. Sunsets, of course, are pure magic from the west porch.
The Sugar House at Beresford Manor
The second of the two primary structures at Beresford Manor, The Sugar House takes the whole own history concept to another level. This absolutely unique structure presents a cozy and contemporary (at least on the inside) reimagining of what was the original sugar factory on the Estate Northside Plantation.
The Sugar House literally melds into the ruins of the old sugar factory, an aesthetic punctuated emphatically by the iconic sugar stack that towers over and astride the structure.
Original stone arches that form the focal point of the open concept interior space also artfully echo the past.
The entirety of the interior space just oozes class and an unmistakable Old World charm simply impossible to replicate in new construction.
An outdoor patio facing the sea extends across the full length of the house, inviting sublime sunset viewing a bit closer to the sea than The Manor House.
The main dwelling at The Sugar House is a two-bedroom/one-bathroom unit complete with that fabulous porch, a fully-updated kitchen, and those incredible arches. A one-bedroom/one-bath Carriage House Apartment and another one-bedroom/one-bath Garden Apartment present additional income-generating opportunities. The total size is 1,584 square feet.
Yes, You Can Own History In St. Croix!
St. Croix has seen everything from a bonafide castle to the swankiest boutique hotel in the USVI, and everything in-between, hit the market in the past few years. Of all of them, though, Beresford Manor appeals most to me. Its sublimely special Northside location, unique history, and income-generating potential would be too much for me to pass up if I had the bank required to make it mine.
If you’ve got it like that, though, this is a Caribbean real estate deal you won’t want to pass up!
Beresford Manor is available as a package deal inclusive of both The Manor House and The Sugar House. You can also opt to buy ’em separately.
The Manor House is currently listed at US$665,000.
The Sugar House price: US$750,000.
The higher price on The Sugar House listing corresponds primarily to its more sizable lot size, which measures a good 50% larger than that of The Manor House. With the added acreage at the Sugar House comes an extra bit of history – the historic 18th century Danish ruins of the estate’s overseer’s house.
Notably, this structure is said to be where rum produced on the Northside Estate was blended and aged way back when. I can easily see a rum revival in the structure’s future. Of course, it could also make a unique backdrop to a swimming pool or tennis courts. The added undeveloped plot is plenty big enough for both.
To make an offer, or request additional information, visit Beresford Manor online. When you do, be sure to mention that you heard about the sale via Uncommon Caribbean. If you do, and yours is the winning bid, we promise to help you move in!
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