French-Style Castle in Texas Loaded With Amenities Heads to Auction

The massive estate in Dallas, which has been on the market for almost $19 million, has seven fireplaces, a catering kitchen and spa

Mansion Global | Nancy A. Ruhling

A grand French-style castle in Dallas’s “golden corridor” that’s listed for $18.9 million and that has a tower and a climate-controlled car showroom is headed for the auction block next month.

Set on over 3 acres in the city’s prestigious Old Preston Hollow neighborhood, the estate comprises two adjacent lots, one of them buildable.

The no-reserve sale, by Sotheby’s Concierge Auctions in cooperation with listing agent Karen Keegan of Ebby Halliday Real Estate, will be held digitally July 14-19.

There is no minimum price; the home will be sold to the highest bidder.

The property, listed in September 2021 for $18.9 million and owned by a trust, originally included only the 1.3-acre lot the residence is on; the other lot, which has its own address, adds 1.8 acres to the estate.

Calling the property “one of a kind,” Hannah Serwatka, vice president of business development for Sotheby’s Concierge Auctions, said that there are so many over-the-top luxurious features that “it truly leaves nothing on the table to be desired.”

The two-story 18,769-square-foot main house, designed by Dallas architect Robbie Fusch, was built in 2000, and according to Ms. Keegan, was extensively renovated and expanded with a 7,000-square-foot addition by the seller, who bought it in January 2019.

“Every time I drive up to the home and turn the corner into its street, it truly looks like it was plucked from the French countryside,” she said. “As grand as it is on the outside, there’s a warmth to the home, and it’s very approachable. It’s quiet, serene and soothing; you can hear birds chirping.”

The rough-cut stone castle, which has limestone trim, turrets and a slate and tile roof, is packed with amenities fit for royalty.

The residence has seven bedroom suites, 10 full bathrooms, four half bathrooms, marble, stone and hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings, a separate commercial catering kitchen for entertaining, seven fireplaces, an elevator, a 1,000-bottle wine storage space with a private tasting room, a great room, a library, a media room, a billiards room and bar, a games room, an exercise room and a blue-agate wet bar.

“The catering kitchen is perfect for events,” Ms. Keegan said. “The caterers don’t need to come into the house because the metal doors open to the driveway.”

The property features Bachman Branch, a creek that’s a tributary to the Trinity River, and has an outdoor kitchen, an infinity-edge pool accented by a fire feature, and a spa and terraced entertaining spaces.

Old Preston Hollow, which is 10 miles from the high-end shops and restaurants of Downtown Dallas, is home to the “who’s who” of Dallas society, Ms. Keegan said.

Its famous residents include, according to published reports, former President George W. Bush and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.

Ms. Keegan said the seller was not available for comment.