Former “Today” show host Kathie Lee Gifford has put her enormous Connecticut estate on the market for the staggering price of $100 million—32 years after she purchased the expansive abode with her late husband, Frank Gifford.
Kathie, 74, and Frank, who died in 2015, paid just $7.8 million for the expansive Greenwich, CT, mansion, less than 8% of the sum that the former on-air star is now asking for the eight-bedroom dwelling.
However, the couple did make several very impressive upgrades to the home after buying it, including a full renovation of the existing property, as well as the addition of a new wing with a movie theater, wine cellar, primary suite, and a home office, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The TV personality—who left “Today” in 2019—also built an in-home recording studio where she was able to pursue her music career from the comfort of her own house, which is known as Cedar Cliff and is listed with Leslie McElwreath of Sotheby’s International Realty.
“We also added a professional recording studio, where I continued my songwriting and broadcasting career,” Kathie explained to the outlet.
The property has also been host to an array of A-listers over the years, with Kathie revealing that she and Frank threw several parties for their celebrity pals at Cedar Cliff, including her former co-star Hoda Kotb’s 50th birthday party, as well as regular dinners with her former on-screen partner Regis Philbin and his wife, Joy Philbin.
Kathie also recalled nights at the dwelling spent playing the piano with Dolly Parton, or sun-filled afternoons on the tennis court enjoying matches against President Donald Trump and his father, Fred Trump.
Former “Today” show host Kathie Lee Gifford has put her enormous Connecticut estate on the market for the staggering price of $100 million—32 years after she purchased the expansive abode with her late husband, Frank Gifford.Realtor.comKathie, 74, and Frank, who died in 2015, paid just $7.8 million for the expansive Greenwich, CT, mansion, less than 8% of the sum that the former on-air star is now asking for the eight-bedroom dwelling.Realtor.comHowever, the couple did make several very impressive upgrades to the home after buying it, including a full renovation of the existing property.Realtor.com
“It seemed like we were always celebrating something,” she shared of the time she spent with her husband living in the dwelling.
Still, the Mediterranean-style mansion is now the most expensive dwelling on the market in Greenwich, where the second-priciest home is listed for less than half the amount Kathie is asking for her 2.9-acre property.
According to the listing, that sum will also provide a future buyer with a very impressive spread of other features and amenities, as well as a one-of-a-kind parcel that sits on the waterfront overlooking the “shimmering Long Island Sound.”
McElwreath believes that the asking price is more than fair for a home that boasts such an impressive history, coupled with its unrivaled access to the water, which she described as being “really valuable to people who are boaters.”
Then, of course, there is the added perk of the private beach, a rare draw in an area where Manhattanites regularly decamp during the warmer summer months.
“Cedar Cliff is a Mediterranean villa of unrivaled pedigree and commanding presence,” the description goes on. “Elevated high above the flood zone and offering 1,250 feet of direct water frontage the property unfolds with extraordinary scale and privacy.”
Offering more than 13,100 square feet of living space, Cedar Cliff, which was built in 1930, was designed to offer an unparalleled level of luxury—an ethos that dates back to the Gilded Age, when the property was part of railroad magnate Henry Francis Shoemaker’s storied compound.
Such was the illustrious reputation of Shoemaker’s estate that its moniker, Cedar Cliff, was eventually used to name the street on which the estate sits.
According to the listing, that sum will provide a future buyer with a very impressive spread of features and amenities, as well as a one-of-a-kind parcel that sits on the waterfront overlooking the “shimmering Long Island Sound.”Realtor.comEntertaining spaces abound throughout the home, which includes a game room, a movie theater, and a wine cellar. Realtor.comThe property was designed to take full advantage of its waterfront perch, with enormous windows offering beautiful views. Realtor.comA sunroom serves as the perfect place for a casual evening meal or a morning coffee.Realtor.comAll eight of the “oversized” bedrooms boast water views. Realtor.com
“Privately situated along a secluded road within Riverside’s prestigious Indian Head Association, this storied property occupies the historic grounds of railroad magnate Henry Francis Shoemaker’s former compound—a Gilded Age legacy that later served as the backdrop for the iconic Cedar Cliff Beach Club of the 1920s,” the listing states.
“The estate bears the name Shoemaker originally gave his villa, ‘Cedar Cliff’—a designation that eventually defined the very road on which it stands.”
Indeed, the listing makes clear that luxury can be found in every corner of the estate, both outside and in, with beautifully manicured grounds that offer jaw-dropping views over the water—a feature that can also be enjoyed from every one of the property’s “oversized” bedrooms.
Entertaining spaces abound throughout the home, which features the aforementioned spaces added by Kathie and Frank in their new East Wing, as well as a stunning sunroom, a cozy wood-paneled game room with its own fireplace, multiple balconies and terraces, and a formal dining room.
Outside, there are all manner of amenities to entertain even the most active of guests, including a swimming pool, a separate spa, a lit tennis court, and a dock.
For those who prefer relaxation over recreation, there are multiple outdoor seating areas, almost all of which offer beautiful views over the water.
“The grounds rival those of a world-class private resort,” the listing description crows. “A substantial stone pier and deep-water dock provide immediate access to open water, while a seaside tennis court with pergola and lighting offers championship-level play.
“At the water’s edge, a pool and spa are paired with a fully realized cabana featuring a fitness center, kitchenette, and changing rooms. Sculpted into the eastern landscape, a series of stone terraces with a bluestone bar directly overlook Greenwich Cove and the vast protected expanse of Greenwich Point Park.”
Outside, there are all manner of amenities to entertain even the most active of guests, including a swimming pool, a separate spa, a lit tennis court, and a dock. Realtor.comFor those who prefer relaxation over recreation, there are multiple outdoor seating areas, almost all of which offer beautiful views over the water. Realtor.comListing agent Leslie McElwreath noted that the private access to the water will no doubt prove to be a lure for those with a fondness for boating and water sports. Realtor.comThe dwelling has a pagoda next to the pool, as well as changing rooms. Realtor.comKathie recalled playing tennis against President Donald Trump and his father, Fred Trump, on the private court. Realtor.com
While Kathie has since relocated to Nashville—where she moved in 2019, after leaving “Today”—the home has been meticulously maintained and boasts a new Ludowici terracotta roof, rebuilt sundecks, custom East Wing windows, and a full-property generator.
The dwelling also still bears several signs of her and Frank’s shared life in the dwelling, including framed football jerseys in the game room, a nod to the late NFL star’s impressive sporting career, during which he spent 12 seasons playing for the New York Giants, before turning his attention to broadcasting.
Ironically, it is those memories—coupled with the devastating loss of her husband—that has prompted Kathie to finally sell the home, explaining that, after Frank’s death “the house that had once seemed so full of life and of laughter and of music had suddenly gone silent to me.”
For a time, her son, Cody, and his wife, Erika, resided in the property, having moved back to the East Coast from California in 2021, when Kathie revealed that she had generously handed them Cedar Cliff to use as a residence while they got settled.
She told People magazine that same year that seeing the home filled with love and activity once again made her “so happy,” explaining that being alone in the dwelling had played a large role in her decision to move to Nashville.
“It was the missing of my children in my beautiful, beautiful home that had once been so filled with laughter, and music, and dogs barking, and smells of the grill going, and the seagulls,” she said.
Kathie has not revealed where her son and daughter-in-law—who now share three children—have moved to, but noted to The Wall Street Journal that she had always planned to sell the home “when it was the right time.”
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