A mansion near Rochester, New York, on the market for $3.2 million has ties to one of the most successful companies in U.S. history.
The home at 2615 East Ave. in Brighton — known as Twin Gables — is a two-story Tudor built in 1912. The property also contains a 1,100-square-foot carriage house — known as the Baird House at 2585 East Ave. — that's connected by a breezeway.
The home's first owner was Anna Bausch Drescher, whose father, John Jacob Bausch, co-founded contact lens manufacturer Bausch & Lomb. Anna lived in the home with her husband, William Drescher, who worked at the company for decades.
The Dreschers had a daughter named Clara, who also lived on the property for a while with her husband, Gordon Baird. The carriage house is named after him.
"The ability to own a piece of history and something as extravagant as this at a fraction of the cost is exceptional," Piazza-Palotto said.
The 9,318-square-foot home has nine bedrooms, seven bathrooms across, seven fireplaces and a 2,500-bottle wine cellar that's hidden behind a bank vault door. There's also an elevator from the basement to the second floor.
Outside the home, the backyard has a koi pond, covered porch, garden and waterfalls. Buyers who have visited the property have been impressed by the foyer because of the hand-painted art on the ceiling by Rochester artist Rick Muto, who completed the landscape against a bright blue sky in 2005, he told Homes.com.
Brighton, established in 1814, is a former Seneca Indian hunting ground. Today, the township is a quiet community for New Yorkers who work or attend school in Rochester but want to live in a suburban setting near nature. Brighton residents frequently enjoy 18 holes of golf at the nearby Genesee Valley Park or hikes along the Erie Canal Heritage Trail.
Ownership of Twin Gables has changed hands a few times since the Bausch family era, including a 2003-to-2019 stint with Rochester eye surgeon Dr. Ronald Reed and his wife, Krista. Amy Tait, founder real estate investment firm Broadstone, also owned the home for many years.
Piazza-Palotto said the home underwent more than $6 million in enhancements during the Reed ownership — including adding a kitchen to Baird House, the waterfalls in the garden, and the covered porch.
These days, John Trickey — a prominent Rochester property manager — owns Twin Gables. Piazza-Palotto described Trickey as "a connoisseur of acquiring older homes" who is looking to sell likely because he either wants to return to England or use proceeds from the sale to invest in other projects.
