In this special Q&A, we speak with Marc Fleishhacker, one of the distinguished owners of the iconic Green Gables Estate, a $110 million legacy property nestled in the heart of Northern California’s Woodside – offered for sale for the first time in its rich 100+-year history.
Here, Marc, a custodian of this familial treasure that has endured for five generations, opens up about the estate’s storied history, his most treasured memories of it, favorite places within it and more.
Enveloped in grandeur and spanning 74 acres, Green Gables is a historic masterpiece, crafted in 1911 by industrialist Mortimer Fleishhacker Sr. and featuring unmatched beauty in the hills just above Silicon Valley, a mere 20 minutes from San Francisco airport, this estate has stood as a testament to refined luxury for over a century.
To learn more about Green Gables, visit TheGreenGablesEstate.com or contact Mauricio Umansky.
What is your earliest memory of Green Gables?
I started spending my summers at Green Gables when I was just 4 months old. My earliest and most vivid memories date back to when I was six or seven years old involved spending endless days battling and paddling in the main house swimming pool with my sisters and my cousins and one day finally gathering the courage to jump off the big brick wall—a rite of passage that seemed impossible at the time.
I also continue to relish the many occasions when I would enjoy Sunday brunch with my wonderful grandparents on the terrace under the eaves. The marvelous cook, Elizabeth, would often sneak me an extra cake as long as it remained our secret. I can still taste her amazing treats.
What you think makes Green Gables so special today?
There are so many amazing aspects to the estate. Residents will have the opportunity to live in a magnificent natural park setting, to enjoy with all of one’s senses the changes of the seasons and be able to do all of this just 20 minutes from SFO and 12 minutes from Stanford University while being ensconced in this beautifully serene oasis. Green Gables presents a remarkable experience each and every time.
How do you describe this property to people? And what words do you find yourself using most often?
Green Gables is a stunning intersection of the finest that both Mother Nature and man can offer. The wonderful sense of scale and quest for harmony that the Greene brothers sought and achieved in their design speaks to their extraordinary talent and the ideal location they had for expressing it.
How has the property changed over time?
The estate has had two big changes over the last ten years. One: The evolution and expansion of the flower and vegetable garden adjacent to the property’s core – including the establishment of a lovely Olive grove, which have now transformed this previously rather banal area of the property to a new level of beauty as well as future development opportunity. Two: Our family’s diligent stewardship of the property and respect for the grounds has resulted in numerous enhanced views, far more effective water usage and a higher level of care than the estate had seen in decades.
Can you share a few of your favorite design details within the estate?
The card room off the living room of the main house is a museum-quality masterpiece featuring the finest that the Craftsman Movement has to offer. The beautifully designed and crafted wood paneling and furniture—actually designed and produced by the architects themselves – are stunning in their elegance and beauty.
Can you share a few of your favorite elements on the estate’s grounds?
Any conversation about Green Gables and its many highlights must commence with the truly remarkable Roman Pool. I am particularly fond of the two symmetrical bench areas at both ends of the pool, artfully integrated within the exquisite stonework. These touches of intimacy, inserted into such a large and breathtaking setting create a wonderful human balance in a place that seems larger than life. I am convinced that the architects were not only visionaries but also romantics.
What is one of your favorite memories of Green Gables?
Hands down for me was my wedding to my amazing wife Julia while gazing at her with the Roman Pool as the backdrop.
When you’re at the property, where do you like to spend your time?
My three favorite locations, which I always frequent while staying at the estate, are, in no particular order: The top of the steps overlooking the Roman Pool – my wife’s and my favorite place to enjoy a glass of bubbles; the main house terrace – it’s always wonderful but particularly lovely just before and during sunset with its pristine light and infinite views toward the mountains and the bay, and the Camperdown Elm Allè with its gorgeous canopy and the sense of wonder it creates as one strolls from end to end.
What development possibilities do you envision for the future of Green Gables?
There are so many wonderful blank canvases at Green Gables. As someone who commenced his professional career as a sommelier and has always been a huge fan of nearby Ridge and Mt. Eden wineries, I would love to see a vineyard and winery become part of the estate’s offerings.
The soil and the climate are ideal for making great wine and there are few things as beautiful as well terraced and maintained vineyards. I would also love to see the next owner(s) of the estate realize my dream of a new compound situated in the area currently occupied by the Olive Orchard and estate Manager’s homes. It’s the ideal location to create a stunning multi-dwelling, mini compound within the larger context of the estate’s seven homes.
What do you hope for Green Gables’ next chapter?
Great estates are always living and evolving, and I expect that such will also be the case for the next generation of ownership of this magnificent, one-of-a-kind property. I have no doubt that new emotions and experiences will rule the day, some fashioned from new developments and some that will draw from the original vision of my great-grandfather and the talented Greene brothers who did such a remarkable job in creating the first chapters of Green Gables. No doubt there will be many more to come.
