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Author Augusten Burroughs lists his Connecticut home for $1.05 million
"There is no other house like this in Connecticut," the listing agent said.
His most famous book may chronicle his unusual teen years in western Massachusetts, but memoirist Augusten Burroughs hangs his hat in Connecticut these days. The writer, known for books like Running with Scissors and Dry, just listed his four-bed, two-and-a-half-bath home in the peaceful hamlet of Southbury for $1.05 million.
Burroughs and his husband, literary agent Christopher Schelling, purchased 6 Bristol Town Road a decade ago. Built in 1820, the 9-acre property has had only five owners over two centuries.
“They built the house by hand. There are no nails,” said Shari Sirkin of Regency Real Estate, who was the broker on the property when the couple purchased the home and is again for the sale. “It’s really a testament to Americana. To New England. There is no other house like this in Connecticut.”
The waterfront property sits on Eightmile Brook, which flows into the Housatonic River. Tucked behind gates, the main home is an antique residence with a total of five fireplaces (four working). A true fusion of New England history and carefully curated modern updates, it features a kitchen that previously served as a 1710 schoolhouse with a barrel ceiling. Now it has new stainless steel appliances and walnut countertops. There’s a 153-square-foot dining room off the kitchen, as well as a 1940s LaFarge-designed sunroom, the perfect spot to enjoy one’s breakfast.
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Head upstairs to the second story, which is home to the 204-square-foot primary bedroom. There is an additional bedroom on the second floor, as well as 189 square feet of attic space.
The third floor of the home is also a unique escape. Push a bookcase and you’ll find a secret passage to a bedroom that measures 164 square feet. Back on the first floor of the home, you’ll find a secret staircase too.
There are two stone patios. One is off the dining room, and is encompassed by groves of blackberries and raspberries. There are also several outbuildings. A hand-built post-and-beam barn, built in 1997, features soaring ceilings. The 2,500-square-foot space has a second floor with a separate entrance and could easily function as a guest cottage or home office. It’s currently used as a photo studio.
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There’s also a cottage on the property that has been fully renovated to maintain the integrity of the original build, which dates to 1930-1946. It’s home to the second stone patio.
“That cottage serves as a guest house where clients of theirs will stay for days and write,” Sirkin said.
The natural beauty of the grounds is just as enticing as the house itself. Roses, peonies, and irises grow, while wildlife like foxes, Great Blue Heron, and owls are prominent. Filled with edible gardens like apple and peach groves and plants like mint and garlic mustard, none of the property has been fertilized with toxins or pesticides.
“The place looks like a novel reads,” Burroughs said in a statement. “And if you’re lucky, you’ll hear the river whispering plot twists in the dark.”
The property is outfitted with underground fiber-optic internet, new commercialized insulation, and a whole-house generator.
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