Houses are filled with memories, the reason why Mrs. Closson lived in her mansion until the day that she died. Mrs. Closson was our landlord when my husband and I first married. She owned an estate in Manchester-By-Sea, Massachusetts near Singing Beach in the exclusive section of exclusive Manchester known as Smith's Point. On her grounds was a guest house. Long ago, the house was probably the servant's quarters. When I met Mrs. Closson, she was in her 80's. My husband had known her from just living in Manchester. When he told her of his upcoming marriage, she asked him if we would like to rent her guest house. The couple that was living there had put a deposit on a house in Beverly. Lloyd brought me to see the house and to meet Mrs. Closson. We had tea in the main mansion. Mrs. Closson was an old-fashioned type lady, but yet she was extremely vibrant. She drove to Rockport to paint most days. As for moving into the guest house, I was excited. It was a two story, two bedroom home with views of the beautiful gardens and fields and it was a short walk to Singing Beach. I remember a girlfriend visiting me and commenting that I must feel like a princess living there.
We stayed there about a year, until we left for Florida, and eventually ended up on Fort Myers Beach. While there, we met Mrs. Closson's son, who lived in Essex, another charming New England town, the next town over, and her daughter, who lived in New York. They both tried to convince their Mom to sell the mansion and and purchase a smaller home in town. But, she was stubborn to the end, Isabel Closson. She protected her home and memories until the end.
When Realtors are showing homes to clients who intend to live there, as opposed to an investors, they should remember that the client's are thinking of making future memories and that is an unspoken factor in their decision to buy or not buy a certain property.
As for Mrs. Closson, she died a few years ago, well into her 90's. We heard that her kids sold the Estate soon after she died. Not only did Mrs. Closson's Estate provide beautiful memories for her, but also for me.
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