Ever since the late 19th century, when Twin Cities industrial titans sought refuge from urban bustle, Lake Minnetonka’s northern shoreline has served as the premier summer retreat for Midwest high society. At the center of this enclave lies Wayzata and its iconic Ferndale Road South, a narrow, heavily wooded peninsula hugging Wayzata Bay where many Gilded Age dynasties like the Pillsburys, Peaveys, Bells, Lorings, and Northrups historically sought refuge.
Living naturally among these storied historic compounds along Ferndale Road South is a gated 3.51-acre sanctuary poised along 330 feet of prime, east-facing shoreline. Set behind a private perimeter berm and tree-lined paver driveway, the 12,420-square-foot estate offers a coveted sense of seclusion despite a walkable location to the boutique dining and galleries of downtown Wayzata.
Architect Peter Eskuche of Eskuche Design Group designed the grand lakefront compound with classic Midwestern shaker traditions and European country elegance. Completed in 2012, the estate has been meticulously updated throughout the current owners' tenure, as listing agent Jeffrey Dewing of Coldwell Banker Realty noted to Homes.com.
Stepping through the main entry, the residence opens with "a main-level open flowing floorplan," describes Dewing, "showcasing endless water views at every turn." These lake views, he adds, are protected, ensuring its commanding panoramas across Wayzata Bay remain uncompromised. The living room takes full advantage of this with floor-to-ceiling windows framing panoramic water vistas.
Designed for seamless indoor-outdoor living, a gourmet kitchen featuring dual center islands and a walk-in pantry opens through French doors to a three-season porch outfitted with infrared heaters, Phantom screens, and a stone fireplace.
The main-floor primary wing serves as a private sanctuary with breathtaking bay views, a private deck, dual walk-in closets, and an en-suite bath finished with radiant heated floors and a steam shower. Upstairs, five sunlit junior suites offer sweeping lake and woodland outlooks, complemented by a separate carriage house that houses a full guest suite, a kitchenette, and its own two-car garage, bringing total vehicle capacity to eight.
The main-floor primary wing serves as a private sanctuary with breathtaking bay views, a private deck, dual walk-in closets, and an en-suite bath finished with radiant heated floors and a steam shower. Upstairs, five sunlit junior suites offer sweeping lake and woodland outlooks, complemented by a separate carriage house that houses a full guest suite, a kitchenette, and its own two-car garage, bringing total vehicle capacity to eight.
Where the home truly sets itself apart is its resort-caliber lower level, crafted explicitly for grand-scale hosting, leisure and wellness. The walkout space opens directly to a zero-edge pool with an integrated sitting ledge and hot tub, surrounded by a full outdoor kitchen, dining terraces, and a waterside firepit. Down along the edge of the bay, a boathouse equipped with beverage refrigeration simplifies afternoons spent getting out on the water.
The entertainment options rival a private country club: a sport court complete with a three-point line, a golf simulator with an indoor putting green, an exercise room, and a billiards lounge anchored by a custom wet bar. The estate also comes with future-minded infrastructure including geothermal heating, a whole-house generator, and a built-in elevator shaft.
Priced at $26.5 million, the estate sits at the leading edge of the Lake Minnetonka high-net-worth market, which includes Wayzata, Excelsior, Orono, and Edina. Dewing himself listed an iconic Charles Stinson-designed 10,440-square-foot compound in Excelsior, which recently sold for eight-figure sum — a record for the area which could provide "a wonderful comp that would align with it nicely,” he told Homes.com. Dewing expects the buyer of the Ferndale compound to be local, since those "buyers really understand the value of this and the location.”
View the complete listing by Jeffery Dewing of Coldwell Banker Realty.
