“Derek Jeter Lowers Price on Family Castle”
More unique than almost anything else on the real estate market today and expansive enough for the family, extended family, teammates and favorite friends retired New York Yankees star and first-ballot MLB Hall of Famer, Derek Jeter, has dropped the price on his castle-like resort home on Greenwood Lake in New York by $2 million. Previously listed in 2018 at $14.75 million, it is now back on the market at $12.75 million.
Known locally as “The Castle” and originally built in 1903 by New York Doctor Rudolph Gudewill for his wife, the estate is actually two castles – the master castle with a connected tower and a guest castle. After Gudewill died, John and Julia Tiedemann bought the castle, where they lived with their 13 children including an adopted son, William Connors. Connors was later to become Jeter’s maternal grandfather. Jeter spent many of his childhood summers at the castle swimming, playing sports, and chores. The Tiedemann’s sold the estate in 1996, but when it came back on the market in 2002, Jeter bought it and began a long and expensive restoration.
Greenwood Lake, where the borders of New Jersey and New York join and just 50 miles from New York City, has been a popular tourist destination since the late 1800s attracting wealthy vacationers and celebrities such as Greta Garbo and Babe Ruth. Ruth had a home in Greenwood and spent his free time speeding around the lake in his boat and stopping at Maplewood Inn for a drink or two or three. Always known as a place to spot celebrities, the lake has attracted its share of New York Yankee players and fans. The seven-mile lake, restaurants, and rural atmosphere attract frequent weekend visitors from New York City, New Jersey, and Philadelphia.
Encompassing 12,590 square feet of living space between the main and guest castles, the Jeter compound includes four indoor kitchens, one outside kitchen, and an extra-large, infinity-edged pool. Living areas include six bedrooms, seven full and five half baths, a great room, four kitchens, multiple stone fireplaces including one on the terrace, dens, game room, sunroom, formal dining room, office, gym, and family room with a bar. The turret opens out to a widow’s walk, which is duplicated on the guest house, providing beautiful lake and wood views. There are extensive gardens, a Statue of Liberty replica, and a four-car garage. Even with a large number of guests, there is always a quiet place to spend some alone time.
With his busy schedule as part-owner and CEO of the Miami Marlins, Derek oversees the day-to-day operations of the team that surprised most baseball experts by making the MLB playoffs in 2020 and then knocked out the Chicago Cubs in the first round. Jeter also manages a plethora of other business interests and since his marriage to model Hannah Davis in 2016, is also a family man helping to raise their two young children. Unable to spend time in his castle on the lake, it makes sense to pass it on to a family who will enjoy it as much as his own family has over the years.
