A 107-year-old ranch house in the Clovis area that once entertained movie stars and comes with more land than the size of the Disneyland resorts area is for sale.
Filled with colorful Central Valley history, the original Balfe Ranch House and 535 acres located on the north side of Herndon Avenue and just east of McCall Avenue has been on the market since November.
Asking price is $25 million, which makes it the fourth-most expensive piece of real estate currently for sale throughout the central San Joaquin Valley and the second most expensive in the Fresno area to the 3,000-plus acres of rolling hills north of Fresno that was listed at $117 million.
Realtors representing the Balfe Ranch House estate believe the development opportunity on the land to be valued at $1.5 billion.
A 107-year-old Balfe Ranch House in Clovis with 535 acres, pool, tennis court and historic ties to Hollywood is listed for $25 million near Herndon Avenue. Courtesy photo SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
“To have this much land that’s grouped together and positioned where it’s at this close to the city of Clovis, it really is a rare opportunity,” said listing real estate sales agent Catrina Girard, a broker with Sotheby’s International Realty, which specializes in luxury real estate.
“The potential of what this land could become is endless. And if the buyer wanted to keep the building and develop the land, it’s a beautiful property.”
The Balfe Ranch House was built in 1919 by New York businessman Harry Balfe after he purchased 760 acres northeast of Herndon and Thompson avenues from the Roeding family.
A hallway and adjoining room inside the 107-year-old Balfe Ranch House in Clovis. Courtesy photo SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
But Balfe didn’t just build a seven-room home with five guest houses.
Also on the property was a private air strip, racetrack, vineyard and orchards.
The Balfe Ranch House east of Clovis off Herndon Avenue was built by Harry Balfe in 1919. Courtesy photo SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
Eventual visitors to the place included Hollywood star Gary Cooper, who starred in Westerns and was known for being a strong, silent type of hero, as often later referenced in the HBO hit series Sopranos.
In addition, Fred MacMurray, who starred in more than 100 films during his career that spanned half a century, came to the property.
National Geographic Society described the Balfe ranch with its fruit trees and vines as “a garden spot in the desert: a place which could not be duplicated in England in 100 years,” according to archive stories from the Clovis Independent.
The Balfe Ranch House in Clovis is known to have hosted Hollywood stars like actor Gary Cooper. Courtesy photo SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
Fresno Bee archives state the ranch once was “one of the showplaces of (Fresno) County.”
“It’s a very interesting property, that’s for sure,” Girard said. “It was very much a place to be, had amazing parties there with a lot of the Hollywood scene.”
In its 100-plus years of existence, the Balfe Ranch House has been owned by four families.
The 107-year-old Balfe Ranch House sits on 535 acres and is for sale at a cost of $25 million. Courtesy photo SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY Victor McLaglen, an Oscar-winning actor, purchased the ranch from Balfe in 1939.Farmer William Bizieff bought the ranch in 1950.John Indart bought the property in 1953.Son Tim Indart and his wife Andrea started restoring the house in stages from 1966 and on, according to the Clovis Independent.
The Indart couple’s renovations and restorations included repairing the elaborate fish ponds in the backyard and painting the master bedroom walls pink.
The Balfe Ranch House includes a pool and fish ponds. Courtesy photo SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
“We feel their spirits,” Andrea Indart said about the former occupants in a 2007 Clovis Independent story about the Balfe Ranch House. “The house has a lot of memories for a lot of folks, and we’ve been privileged to live there.”
The house itself is roughly 4,800 square feet with a Spanish architecture design. There are four bedrooms, three bathrooms, 12 closets, two laundry rooms, two living rooms, a playroom, a mud room and a dining room with a fireplace.
There’s a separate building from the main house that’s a museum and a wine cellar.
The property also includes an oversize swimming pool, rock garden and pond, a tennis court and acres and acres of farm land.
The Indart family has owned Balfe Ranch House east of Clovis since 1953. Courtesy photo SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
“It’s a very open, picturesque backyard with the trees,” Girard said. “And the house, as you walk from one area to another, you see the different eras of the home.
“But it’s time. The Indarts believe it’s time to pass on the torch to someone else.”
A tennis court is included at the 107-year-old Balfe Ranch House for sale east of Clovis. Courtesy photo SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
Fresno Bee archives say the Balfe Ranch House once was “one of the showplaces of (Fresno) County.” Courtesy photo SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
The 107-year-old Balfe Ranch House sits on 535 acres and is for sale at a cost of $25 million. Courtesy photo SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
The Fresno Bee
Bryant-Jon Anteola is a multimedia reporter for The Fresno Bee, writing stories and producing videos about sports, news and random topics relatable to those in the Fresno area. He’s won a McClatchy President’s Award and received honorable mention by the Associated Press Sports Editors. He enjoys sports because of the competition, camaraderie and energy, and views sports as a microcosm of society.