Though he’s best known for transforming corporate giants like Tyco and serving as the longtime CEO of DuPont, Edward D. Breen also spent four years breathing new life into a sprawling 18th-century farm in the Pennsylvania countryside, about 40 miles northeast of Philadelphia.
In late 2012, Breen and his wife, Lynn, paid $4.2 million for a 147-acre property in Bucks County’s affluent and sought-after Upper Makefield Township. The couple then undertook a multimillion-dollar renovation of the existing pre-Revolutionary War structures in collaboration with architect Paul Kiss of OSK Design Partners and builder Tim Sager of Ferman Lex Custom Homes, reportedly monopolizing almost every specialized stonemason in the region during the project.
An original keeping room features a patterned tile fireplace surround and exposed ceiling beams.
Jerry Biggans
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Known as Jericho Farm, the estate was previously owned for 90-plus years by the Bristol family, heirs to the Bristol Myers Squibb pharmaceutical fortune. After repointing the original fieldstone exteriors, doubling the size of the stone main house, and converting crumbling ancillary buildings into luxury guest dwellings, the Breens have now put the entire spread on the market for $18.8 million.
Jack Lacey and Perry Epstein of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Fox & Roach represent the listing, which is poised to set a record for the most expensive residential sale in Bucks County history.
The deck-encased pool is flanked by a shingled pool house with a covered patio and fireplace.
Jerry Biggans
Four bedrooms, four full baths, and two powder rooms are spread across the primary residence, which spans roughly 7,800 square feet across three levels. The centerpiece is a two-story family room featuring a towering stone fireplace and French doors on either side that open to the outdoors. Nearby, a rustic kitchen is centered on an 18-foot island. Other highlights include an original keeping room with a walk-in fireplace, a glass-enclosed conservatory imported from England, and a primary suite that has a balcony overlooking western sunset views.
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A two-story cottage fronted by a charming porch features three bedrooms and two baths, while a guesthouse offers one bedroom and two baths. Several garages are scattered across the gated grounds, which also include an eight-stall horse barn, a pool and pool house, a greenhouse attached to a game room, and private walking trails leading to the top of Jericho Mountain and the heart of Upper Makefield.
Per Mansion Global, the Breens plan to return to a nearby property they have owned in the neighborhood since 2000.
Click here for more photos of the Pennsylvania residence.
Jerry Biggans
Authors
Wendy Bowman
Wendy Bowman is a real estate writer at Robb Report. Before that, she was a freelancer for Modern Luxury and several other media outlets, where she primarily covered luxury properties for…