Although Walt Disney eventually settled in Southern California, he reportedly wrote his iconic musical Fantasia at a charming home in Massachusetts.
Located in Centerville, a historic village on Cape Cod, this shingled residence is now on the market for just under $2.2 million. Originally part of a larger estate known as Fernbrook, which dates back to 1881, the property has hosted notable guests including Audrey Hepburn and the Kennedys, and was once owned by Herbert T. Kalmus, the inventor of the Technicolor motion picture process.
During Kalmus’s tenure at Fernbrook, he invited Disney to stay at the estate. It is believed that Disney wrote Fantasia while staying in the home’s water tower, which is now integrated into the current house. “The base of the tower is now the primary bedroom,” Gene Orloff of Sotheby’s International Realty—Cape Cod, Osterville Brokerage, told Mansion Global. “The top of the water tower is a wonderful room with a bar and original huge windows that drop into the sills for air and an almost 360-degree view of Centerville and peaks of Nantucket Sound.”
Built in 1995, the residence last sold in 2017 for $1.13 million. The 5,050-square-foot home features six bedrooms and four full bathrooms. It boasts exposed beams and oversized windows that frame the picturesque landscape. The property also includes a primary suite, a renovated chef’s kitchen, a guest room, and a dining area on the first level, as well as surrounding porches and decks ideal for enjoying the outdoors and easy access to a heated swimming pool.
The grounds, which were enhanced by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead, include a lily pond and lush gardens. Situated on Centerville’s Main Street, recognized by the National Register of Historic Places, the home is conveniently close to Craigville Beach and Four Seas Ice Cream, a local favorite frequented by celebrities like Taylor Swift and Adam Sandler.
