Connecticut castle increases price to $60M to fund owner’s new castle

Real Estate

This fortress is straight out of a storybook.

A custom-built castle in northeast Connecticut that makes the rest of the state’s market look shabby has gotten a serious price increase. After returning to market for $35 million in November, the nine-bedroom Brickyard Road property has freshly relisted for $60 million. 

The reason for the price increase: The owner, Chris Mark — nay, its lord — needs funding to construct another castle. 

“We had a couple of serious inquiries,” agent John Pizzi of Randall Realtors told The Post of the fairytale property’s luck since November. “The owner is relocating out of state and he thought he would build another castle, and in talking to architects and engineers” he realized he would need in the ballpark of $60 million to construct another medieval-energy mansion. 

Mark completed the current one in 2010, but is ready to move on from it now that his daughters — the inspiration for the fortress — have graduated high school. 

“The girls, they’re going to college, so he has decided to relocate elsewhere — that’s why he put the castle up for sale,” Pizzi said, adding that Mark decided to build the property in the first place because “when the girls were young, they liked to dress up like princesses, and in conversation one day they said, ‘Daddy, why don’t you build us a castle?’”

And so he did — but he’s tried offloading it since 2014.

connecticut castle price increase
The castle’s creator has used it as his primary residence since construction wrapped.
Tyra Pacheco
connecticut castle price increase
The owner now plans to construct another castle.
Tyra Pacheco
connecticut castle price increase
There are 25 different types of wood throughout the property.
Tyra Pacheco
connecticut castle price increase
Interior shots reveal an intensely customized design.
Tyra Pacheco
connecticut castle price increase
The home is set on 400 acres.
Tyra Pacheco
connecticut castle price increase
One of a multitude of entertaining areas.
Tyra Pacheco
connecticut castle price increase
Touches include arched doorways.
Tyra Pacheco
connecticut castle price increase
The home even features a moat.
Tyra Pacheco
connecticut castle price increase
Despite its medieval appearance, there’s central air.
Tyra Pacheco
connecticut castle price increase
Mark has made attempts to sell the home since at least 2014.
Tyra Pacheco
connecticut castle price increase
Despite its eccentricity, its listing agent told The Post it has received a significant amount of serious interest.
Tyra Pacheco

Mark — who is the descendant of a Chicago steel tycoon — was very hands-on and passionate in having the castle built, going so far as to buy a boat manufacturer to more easily acquire exotic woods and import the labor of Polish, Czech and Russian craftsmen to construct it.

“You would think it was something from the 14- or 1500s, but it’s less than 20 years old,” Pizzi noted of the high quality result of Mark’s energies. 

“Fit for the contemporary king, this architectural wonder is accessible via two different stone bridges,” reads a site dedicated to the 10-bathroom home. “Upon crossing between towering turrets, the natural stone pathways guide visitors over a deep moat that surrounds the entire estate.”

There are modern conveniences including central air, an elevator, radiant flooring, a pool, a dock and a garage — as well as gothic luxuries, such as 12 fireplaces, 126-foot-high turrets, an entry hall, a 30-acre pond, stained glass and 25 types of hardwood flooring. There’s also a raised stage auditorium, a guest apartment, a recording studio and 400 acres including that moat, according to the listing

“This property is an optimal fit for a person who wants a lifestyle change: not an ordinary run-of-the-mill home or estate, something unique and exceptional,” Pizzi previously told CT Insider. “Owning a castle may not be for everyone, but who wouldn’t enjoy the life of a king and queen?”

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