On Georgica Pond, Whittle Estate Lists At $140 Million

Chris Whittle’s estate on East Hampton’s Georgica Pond was listed late last week with Brown Harris Stevens for a whopping $140 million—one of the highest listing prices in the region’s history.

Mr. Whittle was a founder in the early 1992 of Edison Schools Inc., a controversial company that took over the management of some public schools with the goal of improving student performance for less money, and at the same time turning a profit for shareholders. He is also the founder, more recently, of Avenues: The World School, a for-profit school system in New York City whose annual tuition is more than $40,000. He also is a former publisher of Esquire magazine.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Whittle and his wife, the photographer Priscilla Rattazzi, bought the property on Briar Patch Road in 1989 and spent more than two years renovating it under the direction of the architect Peter Marino. Mr. Whittle told the Journal that, as empty-nesters, they plan to spend more time in China, where he was last week, as well as in Europe, Palm Beach and New York City, which is their primary residence.

The East Hampton property encompasses roughly 11 acres, with 1,156 feet of frontage on Georgica Pond and ocean views. Originally designed by Arthur C. Jackson around 1931, the shingled 10,300-square-foot main residence, “Shepard Krech House,” is in the Georgian Revival style and has a three-story living room, according to the exclusive listing with Peter Turino of Brown Harris Stevens. A four-bedroom guest house, also designed by Mr. Marino, was added in 1990. There are trails, a private pond, tennis court, changing cabana, pool, hot tub, mature trees and a four-car garage, among other features.

The listing notes that the property has already been subdivided into 7.5-acre and 3.7-acre parcels “for maximum yield and flexibility.”

“Among the finest properties in the country, Briar Patch cannot be surpassed with regard to location, views and privacy,” it says.