The palatial estate that housed financier John Donahue, his childhood sweetheart and wife of 70 years, and his family of 13 children and 84 grandchildren in Naples, Florida, has been listed for an eye-watering $295 million. If the sale of this sprawling waterfront compound comes through, the home could set a record for the most expensive residential sale in the country. Yes, it is admittedly a big price for a big house that belonged to a big family. Even more interesting than the price and what will happen to the sale is what happened many decades ago.
John Donahue, in the 1980s, spotted an uninhabited piece of land along the Gulf of Mexico. He pointed to the tip of a peninsula known as Gordon Pointe and told his wife, Rhodora Donahue, “I want to go there.” Next, he was paying $1 million for a 4.3-acre parcel with nothing on it but a small fishing cottage.
This was in 1985. As life progressed, they expanded not just in the size of their family but also in the size of their house. The 4 acres turned into roughly 60 acres, and at the center was now a massive beachfront retreat for their large family of 13 children and 84 grandchildren.
The couple that started it all is no more, and the family is listing the incredible 9-acre compound in Naples’ Port Royal neighbourhood. This gem of real estate includes a main residence spanning 11,500 square feet built around 1989. It is accompanied by two additional homes that were built in 1990 (5,500 square feet) and in 2013 (5,800 square feet). On the Keewaydin Island portion, the family constructed another house spread across 16,000 square feet in 2005. This house was sold for more than $45 million in 2019.
The bustling Naples estate hosted the likes of former President George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush. “We nicknamed the room they stayed in the Presidential Suite,” Bill Donahue said in a Wall Street Journal exclusive. The house is more than just a parcel of land. It is a treasure trove of happy memories, togetherness, and merriment. An example of what sets a home apart from a house. According to Bill Donahue, no fewer than 100 people gathered at the Naples property for Friday and Saturday night gatherings, Halloween parties, Easter Egg hunts, and various celebrations.
“I’m sure there have been numerous times when every bed in every room was full,” Bill told the Wall Street Journal. The Naples estate, with 1,650 feet of waterfront and a private yacht basin with a T-shaped dock, may be listed for an asking price of $295 million, but the life it offered its owners was indeed priceless! The property is being brought to market by Coldwell Banker Realty’s Dawn McKenna Group, in partnership with the Leighton Candler Team of Corcoran and Savills’ Rory McMullen.
