Savannah mansion where poet Conrad Aiken witnessed his parents’ murder-suicide hits
The gorgeous Savannah townhouse where famed poet Conrad Aiken witnessed his parents’ grisly murder-suicide has hit the market for $4.9 million.
Built in the 1800s, the five-bedroom brick home was the site where Aiken’s father shot and killed his mother before turning the gun on himself in 1901.
The Georgia mansion has now been given an expensive facelift, and it is set to sell for over $3 million more than it was bought for just five years ago.
It’s new owners will not only enjoy numerous luxury amenities in a classically designed home, they’ll find themselves in the home of one of the 20th century’s most renowned writers.
Famed poet Conrad Aiken’s Savannah townhouse has hit the market for $4.9 million
The home was given an expensive facelift to get it ready to hit the market
The home could sell for over $3 million more than it was bought for five years ago
Aiken lived in the home for two years until he witnessed his parents’ grisly murder-suicide
Famed poet Conrad Aiken wrote of his brief two-year stay in the home as a child
Aiken lived in the home from 1899 until 1901, when he was just 11-years-old as he witnessed losing both his parents inside the mansion.
The Pulitzer-prize winning poet would use the tragedy as his inspiration, leading the home to receive a historical marker from the state in the 1980s.
Local businessman Josh Keller, who owns the home with his wife Kelly Keller, told the Wall Street Journal renovating the home cost around $2.5 million.
However, after snapping it up in 2018 for just $1.15 million, the Kellers could soon net a lucrative payday.
Writing about the murder-suicide in his autobiography, Aiken detailed the event as ‘after the desultory early-morning quarrel, came the half-stifled scream, and the sound of his father’s voice counting three, and the two loud pistol shots and he tiptoed into the dark room, where the two bodies lay motionless, and apart, and, finding them dead, found himself possessed of them forever.’
Aiken was just 11-years-old when he witnessed losing both his parents in the home
The current owners spent over $2.5 million renovating the historic mansion
The property received a historical marker from the state of Georgia in the 1980s
The Kellers said that despite feeling the historic mansion was in need of a refurbishment, they worked to maintain its classic look.
This particularly translated to the front façade, which was restored to its former brickwork design during the renovation.
Inside, the electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems were all replaced, allowing room to also install an elevator.
Further restorations made to the inside décor included pine floors, medallions, crown moldings and new marble fireplaces.
‘All of the original architectural details, we really tried to respect and put back in as they were,’ said Josh Keller.
Several pristine bathrooms, including a private suite, complete the stunning home
Among the luxury amenities installed in the mansion is an elevator
New marble fireplaces and pine wood floorings were also added during the renovation
While much of the home remains in its original design, the Kellers did also add an extension to the rear of the home.
The extension added around 2,000 square feet to the property, bringing the square footage to around 6,000, according to WSJ.
The new section at the back of the home includes the main kitchen, two bedrooms, the primary suite and a second kitchen on the garden level.
‘You kind of have these two worlds in this house,’ said Josh, noting the extension’s contrast with the centuries-old home.
An outdoor decking area leading to the garden completes the outside space.
After hitting the market for $5.9 million, the home will be among the most expensive for sale in the city, according to listing agent Staci Donegan with Seabolt Real Estate.
Donegan added that despite the gruesome history of the home, it is a tale known throughout the city, and she didn’t expect it to stop a potential buyer.
‘People love a home with a story here,’ she said. ‘I’ve shown the home off-market to a few friends, and none of them were fazed by the story because everybody knows.’