Two of the most sought-after amenities on Martha’s Vineyard are proximity to water and a sense of seclusion, and this West Tisbury compound has both. The three-story main house and separate guest quarters offer scenic views of Seth’s Pond (more than eleven acres of fresh water) from almost every room, through large windows and sliding doors, as well as from spacious decks.
Originally constructed in 1977 by the late developer Sumner Baker for his own use, this five-bedroom, four-bath home has been updated by current owners Vicki and Klaus Broscheit over the last eighteen years. The Broscheits, who put the house on the market in 2011, plan to remain on the Island but are seeking to downsize now that their children are grown.
A blend of a traditional New England–style shingle exterior and a contemporary, open interior, the house has vaulted ceilings, a wraparound mahogany deck, and a three-sided, brick-and-glass central fireplace. The compound also includes a two-car detached garage with a studio apartment, boathouse, and separate Finnish sauna.
Vicki, an avid gardener, designed the 2.3-acre site’s carefully tended grounds. “The natural beauty of the site is the most wonderful aspect of the property,” she says. “It’s really a park-like setting, with mature plantings, a majestic stand of 80- to 120-foot white pine trees, open grassy slopes to the water, and a field of sweet [pepperbush] that perfumes the air in July and August.”
While the house sits in an open clearing, the water and trees create a buffer for privacy. Located just a half a mile from Lambert’s Cove Beach and a short stroll to dinner at Lambert’s Cove Inn & Restaurant, the main house features a master bedroom on the main living level, along with a cook’s kitchen, living and dining rooms, and a den with a second fireplace outfitted with an antique mantel. A loft sitting area, two bedrooms, and a full bath are above; two additional bedrooms, a full bath, a kitchenette, and an office are on the finished lower level.
Listing broker Patty Kendall of Vineyard Haven’s Kendall & Kendall Real Estate cites the property’s two hundred feet of direct water frontage as its main attraction. “It’s in a private area that offers swimming, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, and fishing, with abundant windows and pretty pond view from the house,” she says. “And the entire compound is in pristine condition.”
Vicki explains that she and Klaus raised their two children, now twenty-six and twenty-eight, on the waterfront property. “There was so much to do that all their friends loved to gather here,” she says. “The kids really enjoyed the water sports, fishing for trout, the floating dock, the hot tub, sauna, playing hockey and ice skating on the pond, as well as their own private top level of the main house.”
Vicki says the change of seasons is a highlight of living on the pond. The grounds include a giant flowering cherry tree, more than eighty rhododendrons, forsythia, lilacs, wisteria, and roses. Ocean breezes cool the summer air, she says, while the pond keeps the autumn air warm and colors vibrant. In winter, two fireplaces and a wood stove help keep the indoors warm and comfortable. The wildlife is abundant, she adds, with sea ducks, otters, blue herons, cormorants, ospreys, hawks, falcons, owls, and myriad other birds.
According to Patty, this Seth’s Pond home “has all the amenities you could ask for in a vacation home, in move-in condition,” and at $1,895,000, it doesn’t have the higher price tag associated with most oceanfront properties.
