When Sally and Terry Stewart bought this Bratenahl home, it was painted entirely in white primer, had major electrical problems (a holiday goose ended up having to be cooked in the fireplace) and reeked of cigarette smoke. Seven years later, the smell of a “simple sauce” fills the home as Sally prepares for an impromptu dinner for 16 members of the crew filming “Spider-Man 3.” (Stewart, the president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, used to serve as CEO of Marvel comics and feels a special connection to the movie.) This is a house that craves guests — from its sand beach to its grand room overlooking the lake.
Details: Carved plaster moldings, mahogany beamed and paneled ceilings in the grand room, sandstone floors in the gallery, stonework imported from Luxembourg, and solid wood doors weighing 800 pounds each — to name a few.
Lake view: When the Stewarts moved in, the shrubs were so overgrown you couldn’t see the lake. They cleaned up the yard, adding a pool and terraces. There is also a sand beach (and a pool in the basement for winter swimming).
It can be yours: The Stewarts, whose only child will be going to college soon, are selling and searching for a smaller home in Bratenahl. “It’s a great home,” says Sally. “It’s a real happy home. It needs a family.”
On the walls: Today, they’re covered with Stewart’s extensive collection of rock memorabilia, including his favorite, the large sign that used to hang above the Apollo Theater. Ralph Coe, however, the home’s first owner, filled it with works by Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, El Greco and other artists.
Famous guests: The Coes dined with the likes of author Gertrude Stein and artist Roy Lichtenstein, while the Stewarts’ guests have been more musically inclined. Sally recalls greeting a guest one evening by asking, “And you are?”
“Peter Frampton.”
“You know, you’re right,” she laughed. “You are.”
Number of fireplaces: 7
Number of Jukeboxes: 9. There used to be 18, but Sally has been downsizing the collection in anticipation of the move to a smaller home.
| Year built: 1923 Who built it: Industrialist Ralph Coe. In a periodical of the time, it was described as a "semi-country home." Style: French Normandy chateau Size: About 10, 000 square feet. The lot: 210 feet of beachfront on 2.75 acres Baths: 10 Bedrooms: There are 10 rooms in the upstairs of the home, as well as a sleeping porch Appraised Value: $1,110,200 |
