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March 9, 2022 REAL ESTATE 

Wheeler Island in Thimbles fetches $3M

PHOTO | Courtesy Dan Milstein Wheeler Island, part of the Thimble Island chain off the coast of Branford.
By Michelle Tuccitto Sullo

A luxurious home on a private island off the coast of Branford sold recently for just under $3 million.

Wheeler Island sold for $2,999,000, just shy of an original asking price of $3 million, according to an announcement from William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, which handled the listing.

The island, part of the Thimble Islands chain, features an eight-bedroom, five bathroom, 2,462-square-foot house which was built in 2001. 

In advertising the property, the agency noted how it is referred to as the “Queen of the Thimble Islands,” where owners can relax on the island’s beach or launch kayaks. It also features wraparound porches to enjoy sunrises and sunsets and space for outdoor dining. 

Agent Margaret Muir of William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty had listed Wheeler Island and two other Thimble islands in 2020.

Wheeler Island was the last of the trio to sell, and it fetched the highest price. 

Belden Island sold in May 2021 for $1.25 million. It has a furnished four-bedroom cottage on one acre, with two acres of adjacent shellfish beds.

Jepson Island sold first, in July 2020, for $715,000. That island has a furnished two-bedroom contemporary house with natural materials and walls of glass.

PHOTO | Courtesy Dan Milstein
The view to shore from Wheeler Island in the Thimbles off Branford.

All three islands feature private beaches, gardens, solar power, generators and city water, according to the real estate agency.

Christine and Edmund Stoecklein sold the three islands. Christine is the widow of John Svenningsen, who founded the company Amscan Holdings Inc., which sells party goods. 

The Svenningsens originally came to the Thimbles in the 1970s, and Christine bought several islands in the late 90s and early 2000s, after John passed away.

According to Muir, the pandemic was a strong factor in getting the islands sold. She previously listed two of the same islands about eight years ago.

“It was only now with the combination of the pandemic and the new pricing that we found buyers,” she said, in an announcement.

In an unrelated deal, Muir additionally sold Green Island, also off the coast of Branford but not part of the Thimble chain, in late December for $2.35 million. Architect Duo Dickinson designed the residence on Green Island, which had been owned for the past decade by Helix Felix Island LLC.

Contact Michelle Tuccitto Sullo at msullo@newhavenbiz.com.

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