Carnegie family's Migdale Castle set for public auction
A sprawling British-inspired castle owned by the Carnegie family is up for auction in New York.
Migdale Castle, the mansion Pittsburgh-based steel magnate Andrew Carnegie constructed in 1927 for his only daughter Margaret “Midge” Carnegie, is being sold with no reserve.
Midge was the sole heiress to Andrew Carnegie’s vast wealth, but he gave away the majority of his $350 million fortune and Midge inherited $15 million from her father when he died in 1919.
One of the richest industrialists in U.S. history, Carnegie began working at 14 and made his fortune with the Carnegie Steel Co. in Pittsburgh, which he later sold to J.P. Morgan.
The castle name is a play on Margaret’s name, but her ex-husband, Roswell Miller, ended up getting the castle when they divorced.
The couple had four children.
Roswell resided at the castle until his death in 1983 while Margaret was living in Connecticut until her death in 1990.
The castle fell into a period of neglect until it was purchased in 2000 for $5.3 million by a member of the Wildenstein family, according to online real estate records.
The 29-room estate was later listed for $14 million in 2018, after the Wildensteins reportedly spent about $50 million in renovations on the castle to modernize.
The home boasts more than 34,000 square feet, 10 bedrooms, an elevator, home theater and a 5,000-bottle wine cellar.
The four-story castle, modeled after Carnegie’s Skibo Castle in Scotland, features old-world styling, stone floors, expansive windows, 17 bathrooms, 12 elegant fireplaces and an indoor pool and hot tub.
The main property features tennis courts, a cabana, numerous pond and a playground.
The mansion is situated in Millbrook, a tiny village located about 90 miles north of New York City in Hudson Valley. Neighbors include Liam Neeson, Jessica Lange and Faith Hill, according to TopTenRealEstateDeals.com.
The winning bidder will have the option of purchasing an additional 150 acres of walking trails, orchards, an organic garden, fields and greenhouse.
The auction house is Concierge Auctions. Starting bids are expected between $4 million and $8 million.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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