Filston, a breathtaking Gilded Age estate in Sharon, Connecticut, has hit the market for $7.5 million, offering buyers a rare chance to own a living piece of American history wrapped in European elegance.
Built between 1901 and 1906 for Romulus Riggs Colgate, grandson of Colgate founder William Colgate, the mansion reflects the ambition of America’s industrial elite. Colgate worked closely with architect J. William Cromwell Jr., while his wife, Susan, curated interiors that balanced elegance with warmth. Together, they envisioned a home that embodied both sophistication and soul — a place that felt as timeless as the ideals it was built upon.
The 12,000-square-foot home spans 19 rooms, including nine bedrooms, five full baths, three half-baths, and eight fireplaces. Designed in an Italian Renaissance–Palladian style, the home’s stucco-on-stone façade was crafted with granite quarried onsite, giving it both permanence and grace. Inside, every detail showcases the precision of early 20th-century craftsmanship: oak and walnut paneling, intricate ironwork, and marble fireplaces — one imported from 17th-century Italy. Together, the spaces come together to create an atmosphere of quiet luxury.
Filston was also remarkably ahead of its time. The estate featured radiant-heat floors, indirect ceiling lighting, skylights, and an elevator, blending beauty with innovation in a way few homes of its era achieved.
Set on 106 acres, the grounds unfold like a living painting. Carriage trails wind through formal gardens, leading to a 40′×50′ reflecting pool, a six-stall English barn, and imported statuary added by later owners. The landscape was intentionally designed to reflect the home’s architecture, achieving a balance between refined beauty and natural ease.
Today, Filston stands as one of the last intact Gilded Age estates in Litchfield County, representing a rare harmony of architecture, landscape, and legacy. The mansion reflects the Colgate family’s vision and preserves the spirit of an era when artistry, craftsmanship, and ambition shaped the American dream.
