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.

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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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