Greenwald Gardens and Manor, a European-inspired estate built near Mukwonago in 1999 by residential builder and commercial real estate developer Darwin N. Greenwald, will be sold in an online auction.
The 9,265-square-foot home sits on a 106-acre site at S100 W31244 county Highway LO, just west of Mukwonago. It will be sold by Beth Rose Real Estate and Auctions. The deadline for online bids is 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 17. Private showings of the property are available by appointment only through Beth Rose Real Estate and Auctions. All prospective bidders must register to bid. A $250,000 deposit will be required of the winning bidder within 24 hours of the auction. Closing will occur within 45 days of auction.
Proceeds from the sale of this property will benefit the community via the nonprofit Greenwald Family Foundation Inc., which owns the estate.
Greenwald built the home for his daughter Sherry, who died in 2012 from brain cancer. It was inspired by a European trip, and Sherry designed the manor and gardens as a nod to the iconic Palace of Versailles that she fell in love with during her travels.
“She fell in love with the architecture and grandeur of the estate, so when she moved home to Mukwonago, she wanted to bring that vision—Versailles opulence, French gardens, bubbling fountains, things you’d think would be impossible—to life in her hometown,” said her daughter, Tamara Towns-Pozorski.
After Sherry painstakingly mapped out designs and built a scale model, her father, Darwin, transformed her vision into reality. The white stone manor and grounds feature European-inspired painted ceilings, two-story gilded-gold foyer, imported crystal chandeliers, chef’s kitchen, three bedrooms – with options for more-, seven bathrooms, spacious executive office, floor-to-ceiling windows, balconies, five fireplaces, and an elevator. Perched atop the manor sits an “Eagle’s Nest,” offering panoramic views of French gardens, statues, gazebos, bubbling fountains, a stream, natural coves, woods, a vineyard, and a colonnade on the hill.
“She really wanted the property to not only be visually and architecturally interesting, but a focus on family gatherings,” Towns-Pozorski said. “We would have the most fantastic Fourth of July parties there, which was my mother’s birthday, where someone would be down the driveway setting off the fireworks and everyone inside would have the most amazing views thanks to all the windows.”
As part of the vision, the property was put into the family’s nonprofit, The Greenwald Family Foundation, Inc. Proceeds from the sale of this estate will go directly to the foundation.
“The Greenwald’s contribution to the community is truly wonderful,” said Beth Rose, owner of the auction company handling the property sale. “The Greenwald’s donated land for the YMCA and for the ProHealth Care D.N. Greenwald Center and are a major contributor for the Mukwonago High School’s Greenwald Foundation Performing Arts Center.”
“I feel that my mom built the estate as a testament to her parents,” explains Tamara. “They did a lot of commercial development in the town and gave back a lot to the community,” Towns-Pozorski said. “She had great respect for her parents, who came from nothing. My grandfather grew up on a farm, acquired skills to become a builder, and went into residential and then custom home building.”
