Hollywood star buys Middletown manor

The Newport Daily News, Augsut 1, 2007 by Matt Sheley, Daily News Staff Writer

MIDDLETOWN - Actor Nicolas Cage has bought the Gray Craig Manor House.

According to paperwork filed Tuesday afternoon in Town Hall, the Hancock Park Real Estate Trust closed on the secluded 27-acre compound off Paradise Avenue for $15.7 million.

While Cage's name is nowhere to be found in the lengthy packet of paperwork, the Hancock Part Trust reportedly is the Hollywood superstar's real estate company.  Attempts to reach Cage's publicist Annette Wolf about the purchase of the 24-room estate were unsuccessful Tuesday...

...For months, Cage has been rumored to have eyes on the property next door to the Norman Bird Sanctuary wildlife preserve, especially after being seen at several local places, including St. Michael's Country Day School in Newport and a Memorial Boulevard restaurant in Newport - Nikolas Pizza - that bears his name, sort of.

It's been a busy couple of weeks for Cage on the real estate front.  A story on Monday in The Independent of London said the 43-year-old actor bought Midford Castle near Bath for close to 5 million pounds, or about $10 million.

The Independent said the 18th-century castle, shaped like the ace of clubs, brought the number of homes Cage owns around the world to 14, including one on a California beach previously owned by screen legend John Wayne.

Gray Craig - Middletown's most exclusive estate - would seem to fit well on that list, with its 12 bedrooms, 10 1/2 bathrooms and sweeping views overlooking Sachuset Beach.

The property last sold in April 2000 for $10.9 million to Mark and Becky Levin, who were listed as the sellers on the paperwork in Town Hall .  The couple was represented by Lila Delman Real Estate, a Newport real estate firm, which had marketed the site with an asking price of $16 million.

Lila Delman President Melanie Delman confirmed the sale to the Hancock Park Trust, but did not discuss other details Tuesday evening.

"It's a beautiful, magnificient estate and one of the few places on the island that has that kind of privacy and acreage," Delman said.

Gray Craig made the news in mid-June when town officials said they were caught off guard by the state approval of a request for a private helicopter landing zone on the front lawn of the estate, with the condition that the area only be used during daytime hours with owner permission.  Based on his experiences living and working in other communities where celebrities lived, Kempen said he thought Cage's privacy would be respected.

"I've been other places where a celebrity moves in or already lives, and I think most people respect their privacy and don't even think too much about it," Kempen said.  "In one town I worked in, (author) Steven King lived there and walked down the street all the time and ate out and no one thought anything about it.  They're people, just like everyone else."

As for advice to Cage when he moves in, Kempen suggested he make the bird sanctuary next door his first stop.

"If it was me, I'd probably go to the Norman Bird Sanctuary and hike the trails," Kempen said.  "Go out to Hanging Rock and sit down with lunch.  It's a great spot and has such wonderful views." 

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The Newport Daily News, August 1, 2007

By Matt Sheley, Daily News Staff Writer