This gorgeous Delaware beach house is built to withstand Category 5 hurricane
Louis Vollmer built a grand Georgian-style mansion in Atlanta. It was such a success, he built an oceanfront replica in the North Shores community of Rehoboth Beach.
Both homes boast such grand architectural features as 22-foot-tall fluted cast stone entry columns and limestone pediments, “true southern architecture straight out of the Charleston battery.” The beach house is built to Category 5 hurricane standards, which includes 75 concrete-encased pilings driven 75 feet into bedrock.
“These are interconnected underground by massive steel and concrete grade beams which then support over 200 tons of steel,” he says. “That’s three full stories.”
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Vollmer is a co-founder of DuPont Pharmaceutical's generics business, which became Endo Pharmaceuticals. He also is a passionate collector of antiques, installing windows and doors that can withstand 150 mile-per-hour winds to protect paintings, sculptures and other artifacts, such as vintage Mills slot machines and pinball machines.
The homeowners incorporated reclaimed oak flooring and architectural antiques into the décor, as well.
“There are 19th century 10-foot-tall stained-glass windows in the game room, many vintage chandeliers, 19th-century newel posts on the stairway, and a marble mirror surround on the second-floor stairwell,” he says.
The mirror weighs more than 2,000 pounds and had to be hoisted by crane and attached while the steel for the house was going up.
They worked closely with Randy Burton of Burton Builders on such one-of-a-kind features as an entry foyer with barrel vault backlit ceiling, custom multipart crown moldings, a two-story fireplace covered in black river rocks and a gourmet kitchen featuring rare Blue Bahia granite countertops.
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Outdoors, the Vollmers enjoy North Shores, a quiet community bordering Gordons Pond State Park. There’s a homeowners association and residents share a marina, pool, tennis courts and a private beach with a concierge for chairs and umbrellas.
The homeowners intended for the mansion to be their final beach home. But now they are empty nesters and don’t need as much space. With their primary home in Atlanta, they don’t get to visit Delaware as often as they would like.
It makes sense for them to invest in a beach house with less square footage. So, they have put the house on the market for $8.24 million, unfurnished.
The listing agent, Kim Hamer, says the homeowners will be taking their expansive collections with them, with the exception of ANY pieces they decide to sell.
NOTABLE FEATURES: Four-car garage, four-level elevator, six-foot fence, and motorized entry gates.
HIS FAVORITE PLACE IN THE HOUSE: “Hanging out with a glass of wine on the back deck or in the pool looking at the ocean isn’t half bad. But my favorite retreat is my home office which features custom paneling and massive crown dentil molding. I can watch TV or work on my computer and am surrounded by my antiques and collectibles. A close second is the great room with its wall of glass overlooking the ocean, where we have wood fires while watching TV on the 85-inch set with surround sound over the limestone mantle.”
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WHAT HE WILL MISS MOST ABOUT THE HOUSE: “Clearly the many views the ocean has to offer both during the day and at night. Watching the fury of the ocean during nor’easters or watching the full moon’s rays glisten on the water are incredible to see. We occasionally see a herd of deer or a fox running through the dunes. A sight to see for sure.”
Delaware Spaces
18 Ocean Drive, Rehoboth Beach
LISTING PRICE: $8.25 million
BUILT IN: 2015
SIZE: 6,737 square feet, five bedrooms, six baths
LOT SIZE: 0.43 acres
OUTDOOR FEATURES: Oceanfront deck, infinity pool
NOTEWORTHY: Built to withstand Category 5 hurricanes
CONTACT: Kim Hamer, Ocean Atlantic Sotheby's International Realty, (302) 745-9914
Eileen Smith Dallabrida is an editor and writer who lives in Wilmington. Reach her at esmith@smithreports.com
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