The childhood home of National Review founder and influential conservative commentator William F. Buckley Jr. has been listed for the first time since 1923 for $5.5 million.
According to a Mansion Global report, the property known as Great Elm in the town of Sharon, Connecticut, encompasses 6.3 acres, with an 8,872-square-foot, eight-bedroom and nine-bathroom residence. The property also includes a pool, tennis courts, and gardens with fruit trees.
The residence dates to 1812 and was acquired by lawyer and oil speculator William F. Buckley Sr. in 1923. The property was expanded over the year to accommodate the senior Buckley’s family of 10 children. The last of the Buckley siblings, journalist Priscilla Buckley and former U.S. Sen. James Buckley, lived at the property until their respective deaths in 2012 and 2023.
William F. Buckley Jr.’s childhood at the property involved home tutoring in a wide variety of topics, including horseback riding and ballroom dancing. He returned to the home in 1960 for the creation and publication of The Sharon Statement, which resulted in the creation of the Young Americans for Freedom conservative movement.
Cover photo of President Ronald Reagan and William F. Buckley Jr. (1988) courtesy of White House Photographic Collection; property photo courtesy SmartMLS
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